A powerful story from the prologue to the very end which is beautifully written with compassion.
Feature image credit: Jarrett Mills (via Unsplash)
First-time author Shelley Read grew up in Colorado, and her ancestors lived in the very town where we begin this story. The town of Iola, which once had a railway and rich farmland, has now been submerged by the building of a reservoir which was constructed in the 1960s to hold back the waters of the Gunnison River. It is at this time that Go as a River is set.
The story begins in 1948 where we meet Torie, a young girl of 17 who is looking after the three men in her life. Five years earlier, her mother, who was responsible for holding the family together, tragically died in an accident along with her beloved cousin Cal and Aunt Viv. The men who are left have become bitter. Her dad is lost without his wife, Uncle Og is in a wheelchair after coming home from the war and is just angry all the time, and her brother Seth, who was always a little bit dangerous, is now drunk and even more dangerous. Torie, as well as being responsible for the house, also works long hours in the family peach orchard, part of their 47-acre farm. These peaches are known for miles around as being sweet and juicy, and people travel far to buy them. With no women in her life, Torie has only the elderly, mostly mute, next door neighbour Ruby-Alice to look out for her.
One day she meets a young man named Wilson Moon, a First Nations man who has left his ancestral lands. Torie begins to see the beauty of the world through his eyes.
Go as a River, once begun, is difficult to put down. From the house in the valley to the breathtaking scenery surrounding them in the towering mountains of Colorado, we are taken on a journey. It is a raw and sweeping American story of bigotry, racism, the place of women in society, grief, loss, survival and resilience, but also friendship, great love, and hope. Written in the first person, we are privy to the hopes and dreams of Torie, who eventually reverts to her birth name of Victoria. As we travel with her, we feel and understand her heartache and exhaustion.
This historical fiction sweeps the reader up into life in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, and those of us who remember something of that time will understand how much the world has changed. With 26 chapters, but split into five parts, Go as a River is powerful from the prologue to the very end, as we are taken along on a journey. Torie has to make choices which impact her life, and the life of those around her. Most of these decisions are heart-wrenching and we feel her agonising over each one as we watch her grow up faster than any girl should have to.
Go as a River feels raw and authentic. Even though there is lots of imagery, it never seems to get bogged down. We feel connected to the main character and are able to understand her decisions along the way, whether they be right or wrong.
This is a story that will stay with the reader for a while. It is reminiscent of other sweeping American stories, and like me, you may just sit for a while, holding the book to your chest, and be thankful for your life.
Reviewed by Sue Mauger
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: March 2023
RRP: $32.99
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