A review by crafalsk264
The River Witch by Kimberly Brock

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 Rosalyn Byrne is a well known ballerina who has come to Manny’s Island, Georgia to recover from a recent miscarriage and a serious auto accident which has ended her career as a dancer. Rosalyn was partially raised by her grandmother in a small river community. When her grandmother dies, Rosalyn seeks out a similar community and rural cabin to spend the summer healing her physical and psychological wounds. But the house also comes with gators, ghosts and one very difficult 10 year old girl named Damascus who believes Rosalyn is a witch with a special talent to “call the gators”. Damascus’  father has moved them out of the river house to help his daughter deal with the recent loss of her mother and she is feeling the loss of her home as well as her mother. These two lost souls find a solace together and their healing spreads out to those around them.

I recently read the latest book by Kimberly Brock (“The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare”) and thoroughly enjoyed it. So I went looking for her backlist to find another book. This is her debut novel and it is a formidable story for a new author. The characters are flawed but sympathetic and likable. The atmosphere is more like something in the Everglades than a river in Georgia. It was brooding, mysterious, full of Southern culture and lore, magical realism and pumpkins. This is one of the most satisfying and heartwarming endings I have read for a while. I definitely see myself reading this one again. Just the ticket to kick off a fall spooky reading list.