Like Water for Weary Souls
A gripping tale of love, family, sisterhood, and the search for truth by critically acclaimed author, Liisa Kovala
The book is available worldwide in eBook and paperback format by House of Karhu
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.
Like Water for Weary Souls | Liisa Kovala
“Beautifully written and aptly evocative of a specific time and place in Northern Ontario history, Like Water for Weary Souls is a story that will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.” Kim Fahner, author of The Donaghue Girl
“This is more than a mystery; it’s a heartfelt story about the deep strength of immigrant women and the lengths one sister will go to for truth.” Caroline Topperman, author of Your Roots Cast a Shadow
“Like Water for Weary Souls will make you holler at injustice, cry at betrayal and cheer at triumph. It embodies the tenacity and hopefulness of the human spirit.” Emily De Angelis, author of The Stones of Burren Bay
“This wonderful elixir of story is steeped in the bitter herbs of reality and the sweetness of possibility.” Eleanor Albanese, author of If Tenderness Be Gold
“A touching story of family secrets and dreams, Like Water for Weary Souls beautifully delineates the opportunities and dangers of life in a Northern Ontario mining community in the grinding poverty of the 1930s.” Marion Agnew, author of Making Up the Gods
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About Liisa:
Liisa Kovala is a Finnish Canadian author, book coach, and podcaster. Like Water for Weary Souls (2025) is her second historical novel. Liisa is the author of Sisu’s Winter War (Latitude 46, 2022) and Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017) which was shortlisted for a Northern Lit Award and published in Finland by Docendo (2020). Liisa lives with her husband in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. She is inspired by her Finnish heritage and the northern landscape she calls home. Learn more about Liisa at liisakovalabookcoach.com and visit liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com.
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