Go As A River by Shelley Read

REVIEW ~ GO AS A RIVER

Sometimes, a novel is as much about the sense of place it evokes as it is about the intricacies of its plot and the complexities of its characters — think Where the Crawdads Sing, think The Great Alone. Books that, from their opening page, or paragraph even, somehow pick you up and transport you from your sofa to their scenery.

Go As A River does that — and much more. Set in Iola, a ranch town in Colorado, it’s the story of Victoria — Torie— Nash, who lives on her family’s peach farm. Family life is tough and marred by huge loss; it’s young teenage Torie who runs the home, full of men, each battling their own struggles as they try to make ends meet.

A chance encounter in town changes everything. Wil captivates Torie instantly — and their journey begins. But it is one fraught with danger, a danger brewing from inside her own home. One that results in Torie having little choice but to up and flee from her family, beginning a life she never imagined that she’d live.

Entwined with Torie’s fate is that of Iola itself. Times are changing and plans are being made to redevelop the land entirely, setting out a future that Iola’s inhabitants could never have conceived. Torie has decisions to make as she steps onto her own new path — in this compelling, beautifully written novel about love, loss, identity and where home truly is. Out on April 13th — huge thanks to @doubledayukbooks for this advance proof ~ S