Scan barcode
A review by rosseroo
The Silver River by Ben Richards
4.0
Of the four Richards' novels I've read, this probably has the most emotional depth and most overtly political background. The protagonists of his books always seem to be essentially nice people working toward some kind of justice (council housing officer Jamie from Throwing the House Out of the Window or trade unionist Mel from A Sweetheart Deal), and here it's Nick, an investigative journalist for a TV program on wrongly incarcerated people. Richards also tends to throw in some kind of South American connection, which is much more prominent here, in the person of Uruguayan refugee Orlando and his computer nerd son.
Comfortably ensconced in his semi-socially progressive job, with a beautiful social worker girlfriend/partner, Nick seems to be floating through a series of shallow media parties and friendships. One day, a childhood friend asks him to look into the case of a friend who's currently in jail for murder. This favor leads Nick into a darker, more dangerous world, where he is forced to confront his class, the strength of his convictions, and the depth of his relationships. Meanwhile, Orlando, who is cleans Nick's office, tells of his past involvement with the Tupamaro movement, of exile in Chile and Argentina where he falls in love with another revolutionary, and his escape to the West with his family. He finds himself often wondering what it was all for and about, and why he bothered. Each man's story is compelling, as each has made mistakes and is struggling to grasp the meaning of his life. Their paths dovetail in a startling moment, and a shimmer of hope ends the story.
Comfortably ensconced in his semi-socially progressive job, with a beautiful social worker girlfriend/partner, Nick seems to be floating through a series of shallow media parties and friendships. One day, a childhood friend asks him to look into the case of a friend who's currently in jail for murder. This favor leads Nick into a darker, more dangerous world, where he is forced to confront his class, the strength of his convictions, and the depth of his relationships. Meanwhile, Orlando, who is cleans Nick's office, tells of his past involvement with the Tupamaro movement, of exile in Chile and Argentina where he falls in love with another revolutionary, and his escape to the West with his family. He finds himself often wondering what it was all for and about, and why he bothered. Each man's story is compelling, as each has made mistakes and is struggling to grasp the meaning of his life. Their paths dovetail in a startling moment, and a shimmer of hope ends the story.