I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A young woman must discover the secrets of a small town while looking for the truth behind her sister’s death in author Liisa Kovala’s “Like Water For Weary Souls.”
The Synopsis
In Nolin Creek, the water runs deep and the secrets run deeper.
In the harsh landscape of a Depression-era Northern Ontario mining town, Finnish immigrant sisters Hanna and Essi Kivi scrape together a living as domestic workers, sharing a room in a disreputable boarding house owned by a protective madame.
When Hanna’s body is discovered in the icy waters of Nolin Creek, the police call it a tragic accident. But Essi knows better. Her sister would never have risked crossing unstable ice—not after they lost their youngest sister Martta to drowning years before.
Haunted by guilt and driven by loyalty, Essi begins to unravel the secrets Hanna kept hidden. As Essi digs deeper into her sister’s final days, she discovers that in a town built on desperation and dreams for a better future, everyone has something to hide.
A gripping tale of love, family, sisterhood, and the search for truth.
The Review
This was such a compelling and gripping historical fiction mystery thriller. The author brilliantly wove together the narrative with rich character development, culture, and deep-seated mysteries. The writing itself felt poetic in a way, with the imagery found in the writing style so detailed and the flow incredibly powerful. The tension that built from the beginning with the discovery of her sister’s death and the twisted path the protagonist found herself on investigating the death herself kept readers on the edge of their seats.
What stood out to me was the amount of history that played well into the narrative and the emotional core of the main story itself. The impact of the Depression Era and its effects on the people of that time made the lies and secrets uncovered by the protagonist even more poignant. The emotional struggle that the protagonist felt not only for her sister’s loss but the loss of her younger sister years earlier, and the way it impacted her relationship with her mother in the years that followed, made this book both harrowing and devastating was the story began. The protagonist’s strength of will and determination in the face of so much adversity, as well as the infusion of romance and intrigue into the main plot, made this a phenomenal read.
The Verdict
Harrowing, entertaining, and compelling, author Liisa Kovala’s “Like Water For Weary Souls” is a must-read historical fiction meets mystery thriller novel. The haunting atmosphere, blend of culture and history into the fabric of the setting, and twists and turns galore that will keep readers guessing until the book’s final revelations, helped elevate the deep emotional toll of the narrative. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Liisa Kovala is a Finnish-Canadian author and book coach. Like Water for Weary Souls is her second historical novel. Sisu’s Winter War was her debut (Latitude 46, 2022). Surviving Stutthof (Latitude 46, 2017), recounts her father’s experiences as a Finnish merchant marine imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp in Poland. It was short-listed for a Northern Lit Award in 2018 and was translated into Finnish. Liisa is a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada and the Canadian Authors Association. Liisa also writes the Hygge House Cozy Mystery series as A. L. Jensen (debuting in early 2026). Her work explores her Finnish heritage and celebrates the northern landscape she calls home.
