Go as a River
The epic Sunday Times bestseller inspired by an unforgettable true story
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4.5 • 154 Ratings
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK
OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
This breathtaking story of love, loss and survival has captured the hearts of readers around the world. Perfect for readers of Where the Crawdads Sing, The Berry Pickers and The Frozen River.
'Tragic, uplifting and completely unforgettable.' Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry
'A sweeping story of survival and becoming.' Women's Prize for Fiction
'Spellbinding.' The Times
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AN EMOTIONAL TALE OF FIRST LOVE, COURAGE AND THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE
Colorado, 1948. Victoria Nash is the only woman in a family of troubled men, tending her family's peach farm in a landscape of astonishing beauty and hardship.
When she meets a mysterious young drifter, their connection is immediate. Their love is undeniable. But when tragedy tears them apart, Victoria is forced to leave everything she has ever known. Her extraordinary journey will ultimately lead her to a Colorado town destined to disappear beneath the waters of a vast reservoir.
Inspired by a true story, Go as a River is an unforgettable coming-of-age novel about first love, family, the healing power of nature, resilience and the courage to begin again.
Readers love Go as a River:
*****'A book that will stay with me forever.'
*****'Oh, how I loved this book. I'll be giving it to all my family.'
*****'A book to be treasured.'
***** 'An incredible read. Emotional, heartbreaking and completely real.'
***** 'From the moment I started reading, I found it impossible to put down.'
***** 'A beautiful book.'
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
When Torie meets Wil, she knows almost immediately that she will feel things for him she has never felt before. On the cusp of adulthood, they fall in love, but her community, in their bigotry, would never allow the couple to be together–in fact, they will not even allow a young Native American to live freely and safely in their town. The story set in motion by Torie and Wil’s love, and the consequences of the brutal hatred Wil faces, span decades. Beginning in late-’40s Colorado, in a lushly described rural landscape, Go as a River tells the tale through Torie’s eyes. Though it begins as a coming-of-age story, tracing her life through romance, desperate choices and a resilience that comes to define her, it ultimately becomes something far beyond that.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A young woman's courage is tested in Read's affecting if undercooked debut, set in 1940s Colorado. Victoria Nash, 17 cares for her brother and father after her mother's death, while helping keep up the family's peach farm. She's stifled by the controlling men in her life, so she takes comfort in fellow teen Wilson Moon, an openhearted newcomer who returns Victoria's feelings. Because Wilson isn't accepted by Victoria's family or the community due to his Native American heritage, the couple hide their relationship. After Victoria learns she is pregnant, she flees alone to the forest for several months and has the child there. She leaves the baby with a couple she finds picnicking, in hopes the child will have a better life, and returns to her family. In the final act, set in 1970, Victoria learns of her son's life through a series of letters, and Wilson's fate becomes clear. The fleeting nature of Victoria's two important relationships leaves them a bit underdeveloped, but Read beautifully evokes Victoria's aching love for Wilson: "I wanted more of him, like a craving for sunshine hidden too long behind the clouds." Though the family story is a bit too drawn out, there are plenty of shining moments.
Customer Reviews
Fantastic
Read this in two days, just loved it