A review by davidjordan
The River Why by David James Duncan

5.0

Upon making a new friend recently, I was examining her collection of books displayed on the shelves in her living room. I saw David James Duncan's "Brothers K" and mentioned how much I had enjoyed reading that book. We both agreed that it was one of our favorite novels. She suggested that I should read Duncan's book "The River Why" and loaned me her copy. What a blessing this book is. It is a fantastic and fascinating coming of age story told gloriously through the eyes of a young fly-fisherman as he learns to navigate spirituality, community, his natural environment, and love. The story is wonderful, but that almost didn't matter to me because the author's prose is so masterful that I would have been enthralled regardless of the subject matter. On several occasions I texted the book's owner with sentences that leaped off the page and dazzled me with their humor, cleverness, or profundity. How wonderful it is to continue discovering literature I've missed, and I'm thankful for friends who are willing to share the books they love so others can be blessed by them. Highly recommended.