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cllecr's review against another edition
5.0
Go As A River by Shelley Read
Victoria Nash was only 12 when she lost her mother in a car accident and became the only female in a rural Colorado peach farming household in the 1940s. Her domestic role was defined by the time and circumstances, and without a mother to confide in, she faces her own physical and emotional maturation without any guiding advice. At 17, her first taste of love is in the arms of a young indigenous man who is ostracized by society. Victoria is left to find her own way to deal with the consequences of their relationship and the passage of time over the next two decades.
This book is set in Iola, Colorado- a community that was ultimately flooded by the waters of Blue Mesa Reservoir during the course of this story. The familiar backdrop and place names made the story even more relatable.
In spite of the intensely personal storyline, I find the sense of history and place imparted by this novel to be haunting. The experiences are made relevant by the setting.
This local author has opened a window on women, agriculture, family and societal evolution, and survival through the weaving of this novel. I found it engaging, at times hard to listen to, and revealing in ways that weren't immediately apparent.
I first saw it featured at the bookstore in Ouray where the author had been invited to speak. While its regional appeal was my first motivation to add it to my TBR list, I found it to be a much broader look at our American attitudes over time than I expected. I recommend it as a book that will make you ponder where we have come from.
Victoria Nash was only 12 when she lost her mother in a car accident and became the only female in a rural Colorado peach farming household in the 1940s. Her domestic role was defined by the time and circumstances, and without a mother to confide in, she faces her own physical and emotional maturation without any guiding advice. At 17, her first taste of love is in the arms of a young indigenous man who is ostracized by society. Victoria is left to find her own way to deal with the consequences of their relationship and the passage of time over the next two decades.
This book is set in Iola, Colorado- a community that was ultimately flooded by the waters of Blue Mesa Reservoir during the course of this story. The familiar backdrop and place names made the story even more relatable.
In spite of the intensely personal storyline, I find the sense of history and place imparted by this novel to be haunting. The experiences are made relevant by the setting.
This local author has opened a window on women, agriculture, family and societal evolution, and survival through the weaving of this novel. I found it engaging, at times hard to listen to, and revealing in ways that weren't immediately apparent.
I first saw it featured at the bookstore in Ouray where the author had been invited to speak. While its regional appeal was my first motivation to add it to my TBR list, I found it to be a much broader look at our American attitudes over time than I expected. I recommend it as a book that will make you ponder where we have come from.
sarzneddo's review against another edition
5.0
A deeply moving story of how one encounter with Wilson Moon changed the course of Victoria’s life. Loved the descriptive writing and was captivated by her story and felt like the book ended perfectly
jennitarheelreader's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my gosh. This book. Being offered this book to read was an honor, and I’m so excited to share it with you. Chances are you’ve heard about Go as a River by now.
About the book: “Set amid Colorado’s wild beauty, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story of a resilient young woman whose life is changed forever by one chance encounter. A tragic and uplifting novel of love and loss, family and survival—and hope—for readers of Great Circle, The Four Winds, and Where the Crawdads Sing
“Shelley Read’s lyrical voice is a force of nature…. Completely unforgettable.” —Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry
“A splendid American Gothic tale of a young woman broken by circumstances who must find a way to forgive before she can love.”—Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone
In this isolated small community in Colorado, teenage Victoria is tasked with running the household, feeding her family, and working on the peach farm. One day her paths cross with Wilson Moon, a drifter, jumping from one town to the next. Their meeting changes the course of everyone’s lives.
Go as a River is based on the true story of how the town of Iola, Colorado was destroyed. The language and the writing sparkle. The messaging was not lost on me. Life is very much like a river. We move forward, or are pushed forward, every day, even when we try to dig in our heels. Go as a River is a beautiful, can’t-miss book. An easy five stars and one I’ll recommend to everyone.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
About the book: “Set amid Colorado’s wild beauty, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story of a resilient young woman whose life is changed forever by one chance encounter. A tragic and uplifting novel of love and loss, family and survival—and hope—for readers of Great Circle, The Four Winds, and Where the Crawdads Sing
“Shelley Read’s lyrical voice is a force of nature…. Completely unforgettable.” —Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry
“A splendid American Gothic tale of a young woman broken by circumstances who must find a way to forgive before she can love.”—Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone
In this isolated small community in Colorado, teenage Victoria is tasked with running the household, feeding her family, and working on the peach farm. One day her paths cross with Wilson Moon, a drifter, jumping from one town to the next. Their meeting changes the course of everyone’s lives.
Go as a River is based on the true story of how the town of Iola, Colorado was destroyed. The language and the writing sparkle. The messaging was not lost on me. Life is very much like a river. We move forward, or are pushed forward, every day, even when we try to dig in our heels. Go as a River is a beautiful, can’t-miss book. An easy five stars and one I’ll recommend to everyone.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
makennakunz's review against another edition
4.0
4/5 - really beautifully written, kind of read like poetry
mlgardner1's review against another edition
4.0
This was a little slow and melancholy, but overall a good read.
cbksargent's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read. I just loved it. Being set in Colorado was a bonus to an engrossing story told very well. I loved that the author didn’t bog us readers down in the weeds - kept the story moving ahead and “flowing like a river” with beautiful language and depictions. I also loved how it was written in first person by one character for almost all of the story and didn’t bounce from perspective to perspective as many fiction books do nowadays. Just a lovely read!
dioniziah's review against another edition
5.0
Starting February strong with one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. It’s so beautifully written and the story is very touching. 5/5, highly recommend!
3beancircus's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ndpangares's review against another edition
5.0
So so good. Beautifully, incandescently written prose. Promptly recommended to my Teacher Librarian brilliant brother from Colorado. Just a delight when the author can write like this.