Go as a River starts off in the late 1940s in Colorado and Torie (later Victoria) tells her own story of love and loss and growth. World War Two has shaped her family and her childhood but then she meets the enigmatic Wil Moon when she is seventeen and falls in love. But Wil is native American and not safe in her town and everything is a secret until he leaves. He says his grandfather told him to 'go as a river' so that is what he will do.

What a gorgeous book this is! Iola becomes a character in itself and how the landscape changes over the decades, as well as Torie's own love and appreciation for it, is described beautifully. I love the minor characters too, how we are led to believe some people are mad, crazy, not to be trusted and yet they support and help us in the end. It is ultimately Torie's own journey that is described: how she grows, what she learns and how she carves a life for herself after sorrow. The whole metaphor of a river as life, and all the sand that accumulates along the way, is just exquisite.

This is such a beautiful book and I can see why so many have compared it to Where The Crawdads Sing, for the descriptions of nature, the strong sense of place, belonging, love, loss, fear.

Victoria (Torie) bumps into Wil be chance one day when he's in her small town, headed to the flophouse. Being a native American, he attracts hostility from many in the area but Torie is so strongly attracted to him that they quickly start a relationship that is doomed from the beginning. Working on her family peach farm is all she's ever known until Wil comes into her life and brings new meaning to it. But a series of tragic events means Torie has to start over several times, in the midst of deepest grief and loss. 4.5/5.

I was drawn to this book because I had loved 'Where the Crawdads Sing' and I can understand the comparison between the two titles. 'Go as a River' is beautifully written and is rich in description and atmosphere - using its setting fabulously. However, for me, the story was not as compelling; I think the ending of Crawdads was much more powerful and unexpected, which is why it lingered on for me.

In 'Go as a River' life is harsh for Torie/Victoria/V and almost the whole book has this sense of waiting and anticipation. Her brief romance with Wil is to have a lasting effect on her entire life and existence. The book is described as coming-of-age and Torie definitely grows as she faces some of life's hardest challenges. Yet, I don't feel that she has a life - but exists throughout this novel. After her initial burst of teenage passion and rebellion, her deepest emotions seem to be saved for the family peach orchard. Her family are quite despicable and she was definitely better off without them. Her relationship with her older brother seemed heart-warming but is tragically short and abruptly ended.

As a parent myself, I cannot imagine having to make the choice that she does for Blue. But it freezes Victoria into an existence which she appears unable to escape from. I am left with many unresolved questions, so this is a book I will return to in the future.

It is quite a short novel but has some heart-breaking themes: child abandonment, murder, racism, infertility ... so might be an uncomfortable read for some. It's not Crawdads but there is a lot to take in and absorb. A thought-provoking read for me.

Victoria Nash is delivering peaches from the family farm to a nearby village when she meets a stranger.
What happens next will change their futures.
Decisions can be taken either way and has she made the right decision?

I must admit that I started this book a couple of times and it didn't grab my attention, so put it down again to read something else. I did finally pick it up again as I don't like not finishing a book and persevered and it did start pulling me in to the story. I did really feel for Victoria and how she had to start being the "mother"to her family after hers died, the rest of her family not so much. Wilson isn't in the story much, so he isn't so fleshed out characterwise, but certainly sound like the kind of person that I could get on with. The landscape does sound fantastic and I would love to visit there. I must admit that that was a tear in my eye at the end of the book, which I did enjoy much more than I initially thought I would.
In summary it is worth giving this book a chance, don't give up if it doesn't initially grab you and you will be drawn in by Victoria's story.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influenced my review of the book.

This is a beautifully written novel, set in Colorado in the 1940's. The landscape is described vividly, along with nature and the emotions of young Torie. Growing up aged 17 without her mother, looking after her father, brother and disabled uncle, life is harsh on a peach farm. I would have liked a bit more depth of characters but overall, the story was good focusing on motherhood and female friendships. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Victoria Nash is just seventeen years old when she meets Wilson Moon on the corner of a street in the small town of Iola Colorado that she calls home. Toria (as she is known back then) is on her way back to the family peach farm and Wilson is looking for the flop house. It is a chance meeting that changes both of their lives forever.
Since Toria’s mother died five years earlier, it has been up to her to run the house for her father, brother, and uncle but when passion and prejudice force her to leave that all behind if she is to save the thing that is most precious to her, she does it without a second thought.
A beautifully written book that put me in mind of To Kill a Mocking Bird. It is a story of hardship, resilience, and most of all love.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say? This was a stunning read. It’s the coming-of-age story of Victoria, set on a peach farm in Colorado in the 1940s. If I had to summarise this book in one theme, then I’d say it’s a book about love.

But it’s not your traditional kind of love story. It’s the love for your land, your roots, your family (and detangling it from a sense of obligation). It’s about nurturing and all the forms that mothering can take. It’s about resilience, both in nature and in us humans, it’s about unlikely friendships and found family.

It’s easy to draw parallels with Crawdads but even if you weren’t a fan of it, please don’t let that deter you from picking up this book. The writing alone is breathtaking and deserves all the stars.

This is a story that will stay with me for a long time to come!

This is one of the most hyped books of 2023 with comparisons made to Where The Crawdads Sing. Is it worth the hype? Hmm, for me personally I’m not so sure, but it’s a sweeping, emotional read that will tug at the heartstrings and who doesn’t enjoy a good cry with a book from time to time?

Victoria (Torie) is a 17 year old girl living on her family’s peach farm in Iola, Colorado. She has endured much heartbreak with the loss of her mother, aunt and cousin and lives to look after her silent, stoic father and arrogant, unpleasant brother. When she meets Wilson Moon, a Native American boy, on a street corner, she falls passionately in love, a love that sets her life on an irreversible course.

The book is brimming with beautiful descriptions of the Colorado mountains, countryside and wildlife, and Torie for a time has some of the same wildness about her as Kya in Crawdads.

I read it quickly, turning pages, and found it atmospheric but for me, plot-wise Go As A River is not as strong, lacks pace and the element of surprise, and relies heavily on cliché (Ruby-Alice, Wilson, Seth). Characters are not especially well-developed (unless you count the peach trees - lush) and it’s all masked by a lot of florid Ianguage.

I did shed a tear at the end but I felt I was almost crying against my will 😅. I tip my hat to the author that she can elicit this reaction in a reader, though I felt more emotionally manipulated than emotionally affected if you get me! I saw one reviewer describe it as a “crying book” which made me chuckle. That it is.

It’s a book that I’m glad I’ve read and would recommend if you enjoyed Crawdads and Kristin Hannah’s books. It will sell really well and I predict lots of people will adore it. I enjoyed it. 3.5/5⭐️

*Many thanks to @penguinbooksireland for the gifted advance copy. Go As A River will be published on 13 April 2023. As always, this is an honest review.*

This was such a good book. I love historical fiction, especially when it is about eras/ situations that I previously knew nothing about and this was definitely one of those books. It was so well researched and so compelling in its narrative that not only did I love reading it but I felt that I learned too. A really enjoyable read and perfect for any fans of historical fiction.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I was so attracted to this book especially when I had heard it compared more than once to Crawdads.

Sadly for me though I just didn’t feel this book. It is undoubtedly well written but it just didn’t ’land’ with me. Possibly in part because I felt the first section with Torie and Wilson was over too quickly and it left their romance and characters underdeveloped.

As Torie is the main character, I guess this kinda overshadowed the story for me as I didn’t really get that feeling of connection or empathy for her as her story continued and found it rather a struggle.

I have seen nothing but rave reviews for this one but I’m afraid it just wasn’t for me

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the chance to read an early copy

I finished #GoAsARiver by Shelley Read at the weekend and I loved it. If you are a fan of Where The Crawdads Sing, get it on your wishlist.

Set in a small town in Colorado, Victoria Nash lives on her familys farm which grows peaches 🍑 She heads into the village one day and meets a stranger, Wilson Moon. This chance meeting changes the course of both their lives forever.

I read this over the weekend and I’m still thinking about it. The writing is so haunting, vivid and lyrical, especially the gorgeous descriptions of nature. I felt so immersed in the small town 40s America setting as the book really shines a light on trauma, grief, racism and sexism. The story was so moving and compelling. I admired Victoria so much and my heart broke at everything she goes through in the story. She is a tough and resilient character, yet as the story is told from her perspective, you feel her pain and heartache too. It’s an emotional coming of age story and has so much drama and mystery. I don’t want to say too much about the plot as a lot happens even from the start. I was sad to say goodbye to Victoria 🥹 A beautiful book and one for historical fiction fans.

This astonishing book is so moving and heart-breaking it's impossible to put down, I had to keep on reading until the end. Victoria is a young girl who takes over the running of a rural home when her mother dies, taking on the thankless tasks of looking after her grieving father, aggressive brother and freeloading uncle.

When she starts to take time and decisions for herself, there are consequences that follow her through a lifetime, from sorrow through acceptance to redemption.

This is an understated, very skilled and moving account of a life and how in-the-moment decisions can make or break the rest of your days.

I was blown away by this debut novel set in Colorado after the Second World War. When Victoria (Torie) meets and falls in love with Willson Moon, it lays bare the depth of hatred and bigotry in her small town. Their relationship is doomed from the very beginning, and the tragedy that follows sets her on an incredible life changing journey. The reader is introduced to her as a seventeen year old in 1948, supporting her father, brother and uncle in law on her father’s peach farm. Narrated from Victoria’s viewpoint, it’s a rich, thought provoking read. She is, without doubt a strong character who finds herself in an impossible situation and having to make an incredibly difficult decision at a young age, losing the one thing that tied her to Willson. The story moves on in time, through more changes, giving an opportunity to rebuild her father’s business in a new place. Through all the good and bad times, Victoria remembers Willson Moon telling her his grandfather’s words ‘Go As A River’ meaning that whatever obstacles life throws at you, you continue moving forward and around them, because that is the way of life. I look forward to reading more from Shelley Read.
An emotional page turner about love, loss and hope. Recommended.
My thanks to Netgalley, Transworld and Shelley Read for an ARC of Go As A River in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a book. I really enjoyed the story and was glad I got a chance to read it. I have to admit I almost gave up towards the middle because I thought it got over descriptive and repetitive for a while and one part where it said Victoria kicked a dog did not fit into the character that was portrayed throughout the rest of the book. That is why I could not give it a five star. I'm glad I kept on reading though because I really enjoyed it from there on, such a sad story but well written.

Such a beautiful and picturesque novel. So hard to believe it is a debut, the way that the landscape is drawn, you can see it, feel it, smell it. the story spans 4 decades and we start in 1949 Colorado where 17 year old Torie (Victoria) is the lone female on the family peach farm. Mother has died and Torie looks after her father, her brother Seth and her disabled uncle Og while at the same time being a worker on the farm. She has little time to think of herself until on a trip into town with a load of peaches she encounters Wilson Moon, a Native American drifter and their connection is immediate. Through Wilson, Torie learns to go as a river, to always move forward. We experience Torie's passion, her heartbreak and her loneliness and loss. We also experience her resilience, her strength and her unfailing love. This is a story of racism, prejudice, and about a government buying land for a reservoir. I adored Torie and the natural world that she in habits, I adored the friendships that she has with Ruby-Alice and Zelda . Torie's story captures your heart and I loved this - 'We are one and all alike if for no other reason than the excruciating and beautiful way we grow piece by unpredictable piece, falling, pushing from the debris, rising again, and hoping for the best.' An excellent read

On a cool autumn day in 1948, Victoria Nash delivers late-season peaches from her family's farm set amid the wild beauty of Colorado. As she heads into her village, a dishevelled stranger stops to ask her the way. How she chooses to answer will unknowingly alter the course of both their young lives.

So begins the mesmerising story of split-second choices and courageous acts that propel Victoria away from the only home she has ever known and towards a reckoning with loss, hope and her own untapped strength.

Gathering all the pieces of her small and extraordinary existence, spinning through the eddies of desire, heartbreak and betrayal, she will arrive at a single rocky decision that will change her life for ever…………………… a wonderfully written book of heartbreak, loss, betrayal, passion and environmental landscapes and devastation. You can feel the River the pull of the mountains and the pain in Victoria ( Torie). Meeting Wilson Moon lightens her life with pure passion and love but her bigoted brother Seth is full of hate and destruction leaving Victoria to make an ultimate sacrifice that will change her path forever . A debut novel set in the Colorado landscape in the 60’s it has many twists and turns as the winding River . Many Characters shine out in this book but Ruby -Alice has my ❤️. This is a must read 288 pages of atmospheric joy. RELEASED April 13th preorder now !

On an autumn day in 1948, 17 year old Victoria Nash leaves the family farm to walk into the town of Iola, Colorado, to make some deliveries of the end of season peaches. On the way she meets Wilson Moon, a young Native American Indian, who is looking for work. He asks her the way to the boarding house. Their connection is instant, and this brief encounter alters the course of both their lives for ever.

As the story unfolds we follow Victoria’s story into the 1960s. She has already experienced great loss in her life before the novel opens, and in the coming decades she will encounter a deep love as well as betrayal, heartache, and more terrible loss. Even the family farm is taken away from her when the valley that has been home to generations of her family is flooded to improve the water supply, and Victoria is forced to move to another farm and find a new life.

This is a debut novel that will leave such an impact upon the reader. It explores love and loss; ‘otherness’, prejudice and intolerance; resilience and strength. It is about second chances and starting over; it is a coming of age love story; it is about finding your inner-strength to cope with the sorrows and tragedies that life throws at you, so that you can emerge with hope intact, and find comfort and support in friendships made. And it is about nature: the sheer majesty and force of nature; the wisdom and power that comes from a close and intimate connection with the natural world; and how it offers the only certainty and balm when everything in your life is lost

The characters – especially those of the women – are well drawn and fully formed, and the prose is lyrical and poetic. There are so many sentences that stop you in your tracks and make you read them again: either because they contain such nuggets of wisdom and truth, or because the descriptions so beautifully and perfectly evoke the natural world.

I found this a really immersive and absorbing read and absolutely flew through it. Shelley Read is a writer to watch.

Thank you to Netgalley and Transworld/Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

A beautifully written story of love and loss, of being strong and of making the ultimate sacrifice.
The writing is beautiful and vivid and when you close your eyes you can see yourself in this setting. You can taste those juicy peaches and your heart aches for Victoria.

It is a story that starts in 1948 in a small little town called Iola next to the Gunnison River. It was an ordinary autumn day but a day that would change 17-year-old Victoria's life and change her destiny. It was the day she met Wilson Moon, the love of her life.

" We actually were a riddle. This boy and I. The riddle went like this: What, once tied together, have bound destinies? The answer: Puppets on the same string."

"He would teach me how true a life emptied of all but its essentials could feel and that, when you got down to it, not much mattered outside of the determination to go on living"

This chanced meeting changed the course of her life. She experienced love in its purest form but this was a love that was not meant to be and in the end, caused her more hardship and heartache than most people can endure.

It is a story that will touch your heartstrings and leave a big lump in your throat.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld for this very special ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

3.5/5
I enjoyed this but found it a bit frustrating. The opening chapters are so beautiful and intriguing and I really wanted time with the main characters after they were set up but there were some parts i really wanted explored and felt were very important but quite rushed.
I also found the time and setting hard to imagine. Felt very late 19th century to me, rather than post war america.
A nice read with an ultimately uplifting story that i wish had lingered on some other elements of the story