Go As A River is historical fiction at its best. Set in Colorado, Head's writing and descriptions of the landscape and beauty of nature remind me of Where the Crawdads Sing. I'm not always patient with this type of writing, but in both of these books I've found it beautiful.
Victoria's life has had plenty of heartbreak as the novel begins, and that seems to be just the beginning. My heart broke for this young girl who lost her mother and tried to assume her mother's daily tasks to care for her father, uncle and brother. She does find happiness very briefly with Wolf Moon, an Indian who is living in the mountains. But that happiness is short lived.
One chance encounter can change a life, and Torie's life as well as some of the people she meets are changed by one moment in their lives.
There's no big mystery or propulsive plotline, yet I cared about Victoria and wanted happiness for her.
I loved the beauty of this landscape. I loved the history Read shared-the purposeful flooding of towns that remain underwater and did some of my own research on them. I loved that this story spanned several decades (late 1940s - the early 70s) and I got to watch Victoria grow up.
This is my latest go-to book recommendation. I'm hoping this becomes a book club favorite and that Read continues to have a story she wants to tell us.
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