Author(s): Shelley Read

Staff Picks- Read our reviews

For fans of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, GREAT CIRCLE and THE PAPER PALACE- lush, immersive, soaring tale of a young woman's journey to becoming, of love and loss, home and resilience, and finding those where least expected, and a breathtaking exploration of our connection to nature. On a cool autumn morning, Torie Nash heads into her village pulling a rickety wagon filled with late-season peaches. As she nears an intersection, a mysterious drifter with grimy thumbs and smudged cheeks and eyes as dark as a raven's wing stops to ask her the way. She could turn left or cross over. But she does not. Her heart skips a beat as he whispers, 'Go as a river.' So begins a mezmerising story that unfolds over a tumultuous lifetime as Torie begins to absorb and follow his words. Soon, she will gather all the pieces of her small and extraordinary life, spin through the eddies of desire, heartbreak and betrayal, and arrive at a single rocky decision that will change her life for ever.

Reviewed by Prue

If you liked “Where the Crawdads Sing” (and who didn’t) you will also love this book that reminded me a lot of the “Crawdads”. In fact, I will make the rash claim that it is an even better story.

Victoria, a young woman whose mother has died, is left with an oblivious father, monstrous brother and damaged uncle and tells her story of hope, courage and amazing resilience in the face of unthinkable hardship.  The setting of the story was inspired by a real event - the destruction of the town of Iola, Colorado in the 1960’s, when it is flooded to create a reservoir.

17 year-old Victoria’s first love, Will Moon, a young Indian boy who is run out of town by racist and intolerant townspeople, is the one who, when leaving, says that his grandfather always said to “Go As a River” – meaning to  lead your life as if it were a river—gathering knowledge and flowing, finding a way forward even when the river is dammed and there are obstacles to overcome.

This is the story of Victoria’s journey through life and how she navigates her “river” – I loved it!

Just as an aside the town of Iola re-appeared in 2018 following a drought in the area that dried up most of the reservoir!