Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

GO AS a RIVER

A Novel

Audiobook
0 of 5 copies available
0 of 5 copies available

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Set amid Colorado's wild beauty, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story of a resilient young woman whose life is changed forever by one chance encounter. A tragic and uplifting novel of love and loss, family and survival—and hope—for readers of Great Circle, The Four Winds, and Where the Crawdads Sing.

Seventeen-year-old Victoria Nash runs the household on her family's peach farm in the small ranch town of Iola, Colorado—the sole surviving female in a family of troubled men. Wilson Moon is a young drifter with a mysterious past, displaced from his tribal land and determined to live as he chooses.

Victoria encounters Will by chance on a street corner, a meeting that profoundly alters both of their young lives, unknowingly igniting as much passion as danger. When tragedy strikes, Victoria leaves the only life she has ever known. She flees into the surrounding mountains where she struggles to survive in the wilderness with no clear notion of what her future will bring. As the seasons change, she also charts the changes in herself, finding in the beautiful but harsh landscape the meaning and strength to move forward and rebuild all that she has lost, even as the Gunnison River threatens to submerge her homeland—its ranches, farms, and the beloved peach orchard that has been in her family for generations.

Inspired by true events surrounding the destruction of the town of Iola in the 1960s, Go as a River is a story of deeply held love in the face of hardship and loss, but also of finding courage, resilience, friendship, and, finally, home—where least expected. This stunning debut explores what it means to lead your life as if it were a river—gathering and flowing, finding a way forward even when a river is dammed.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 23, 2023
      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. Agent: Sandra Bond, Bond Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Cynthia Farrell gives an affecting performance of this coming-of-age historical debut. Narrating in the first person, Farrell embodies Torie Nash, a young woman who cares for her father and brother on their peach farm after her mother's death. In Colorado in 1948, 17-year-old Torie has a chance meeting with a stranger named Wil Moon. Wil, who is Native American, endures rampant racism from the locals, including Torie's family. Nonetheless, Torie and Wil end up becoming star-crossed lovers. Over the next several decades, listeners follow Torie's emotional story as she navigates a life of passion, heartache, and resilience. With an unhurried pace, Farrell draws out the lyrical writing and enhances the story's atmospheric tone. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      Starred review from June 1, 2023

      Read makes a dramatic debut with this atmospheric historical fiction. Beginning in the aftermath of World War II and continuing through the Vietnam War era, the story conveys Victoria's coming-of-age journey from innocent and obedient to independent and determined. After her mother's death, Victoria cares for her father, uncle, and troublesome brother on their 47-acre peach farm in Colorado. When she meets Wilson, a charming young stranger, she cannot anticipate the love and losses that will follow. Victoria vows to save her family farm from the government dam that threatens to erase it, reclaiming her sense of self in the process. Lush detail and lyrical writing transport listeners to the Colorado wilderness, and narrator Cynthia Farrell's impassioned performance perfectly captures the complex characters that fill this story of friendship and fate. Combined with themes of race, resilience, and relationships, Farrell's efforts yield an engaging and emotional listening experience. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a small-town coming-of-age story about sorrow, shame, and survival. Recommended for fans of Delia Owens, Kristin Hannah, and Lisa Wingate.--Lauren Hackert

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading