A hauntingly beautiful dual timeline historical fiction. A great cast of characters.

For nearly thirty years, Nell has kept a childhood promise to never reveal what she and Evie found tucked inside a copy of Jane Eyre in their mother's bookcase—a record of Evie's birth naming a stranger as her mother. But lately, Nell has been haunted by hazy memories of their early life in Mississippi, years their reclusive mother, Hazel, has kept shrouded in secrecy. Evie recalls nothing before their house on Clay Mountain in North Carolina, but Nell remembers abrupt moves, odd accommodations, and the rainy night a man in a dark coat and a hat pulled low climbed their porch steps with a very little girl—Evie—then left without her.

In dual storylines, Nell, forty-two in 1971, reaches into the past to uncover dangerous, long-buried secrets, and Becca, a young mother in the early 1930s, presses ahead, each moving toward 1934, the catastrophic year that would forever link them.

From a windswept ghost town long forgotten, to a river house in notorious Natchez Under-the-Hill, to a moody nightclub stage, Evie's other mother emerges from the shadows of Depression-era Mississippi in a story of hardship and perseverance, of betrayal and trust, and of unexpected redemption in a world in which the lines between heroes and culprits are not always clearly drawn.

Told in dual timelines.
1930s- Mississippi- Becca's husband left town for work, leaving her and her young daughter alone. After weeks without contact, she is convinced something is wrong. She reaches out to her husband's estranged mother for help. And quickly finds out why her husband cut ties. Becca finds herself on the run from her mother in law, as she wants to control everything.

1970s- North Carolina, then Mississippi. Nell has been plagued by memories lately- vaguely remembering the day a stranger dropped off a little girl at their house. She knows Evie is not really her sister. Can she figure out the secrets of her past?

I enjoyed this one so much better than the author's debut novel. I love historical fiction and this one sucked me in. My biggest complaint is the changing of the timelines- I know why it is necessary, but the author kept switching on a cliffhanger. I get why one would think it'd keep the reader engaged, but I actually found that it killed the momentum.

Lisa Larsen narrates the audiobook.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Told in two timelines, the 1930s and the 1970s, this is a story about a young woman trying to track down the sister. She never knew existed until after the death of her mother. The plot of this book is fantastic, unfortunately the narrator had no emotion in her delivery, making the audiobook harder to listen to

In The River Knows Your Name, Kelly Mustian delivers a haunting Southern mystery about long-buried family secrets, told across two timelines. In 1971, Nell tries to piece together the truth about her sister Evie’s mysterious past. In the 1930s, a young mother named Becca faces hardship and betrayal in Depression-era Mississippi—leading to a year that will forever connect them.

I was given the chance to listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At first, I struggled with this one—the narrator’s delivery felt pretty flat and robotic, which made it hard to connect emotionally with the story. But I’m glad I stuck with it, because Kelly Mustian put a lot of heart and creativity into this book. There’s a big cast of characters and two timelines, and I’ll admit it was a little confusing at times trying to figure out who was central to the mystery. That said, the story itself is heartbreaking and bittersweet, and when the pieces of the mystery finally started coming together (around the 75% mark), it gave me chills. The ending felt tender and satisfying.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and would definitely recommend reading it over listening—the audiobook narration didn’t do it justice. Solid 4 stars from me.!

Audiobook Review: The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustain

The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustain is a gripping historical fiction novel set in the South, with dual timelines following Becca in the 1930s and Nell in 1971. Nell uncovers a mysterious birth certificate about her sister Evie leading her on a quest to unravel family secrets.

Lisa Larsen's narration brought this story to life, with a perfect tone and seamless transitions between timelines. Her performance was engaging and made the Southern setting and characters even more immersive.

The plot quickly drew me in, with its intriguing mystery and emotional depth, expertly combining family drama with historical context. The dual timelines created a layered, compelling story that kept me hooked throughout.

The River Knows Your Name will be released on April 1st, 2025. A big thank you to Tantor Audio and Kelly Mustain for providing this ARC audiobook through NetGalley.

I absolutely devoured this book!

For fans of- Before We Were Yours, Four Winds, and The Secret Book of Flora Lea.

This dual storyline follows the story of two women and paints a wonderfully interwoven narrative. In 1971, Nell Brown finds herself having more questions than answers about her early childhood
Nell's portion of the story is propulsive. She journeys from North Carolina to Mississippi to better understand earlier memories in her childhood. She and her younger sister, Evie, found Evie's birth certificate with another woman's name as being her mother; a fact they uncover as children. Their mother Hazel is elusive and refuses to help.
Becca's story begins in the 1930s, following the disappearance of her husband. She and her infant sojourn to find work and a place to settle. Nell's fortunate enough to uncover the truth admit her mother, Hazel and Evie's- Becca.

I love the themes of found family, hope, and mystery/intrigue.

Thank you Netgalley and RBmedia for this ARC!

The River Knows Your Name was a first for me from the author. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately headed over to audible to add it to my library. Sadly it’s not there.

A family saga with a backdrop of mystery than spans time and small towns along the Mississippi River.

We meet Becca, in the 1930’s depression where her new husband Ben has set off in search of work and she’s just been informed of the death of her beloved second mother.

In the 1970’s we meet Nell and Evie. Sisters who have apparently known for most of their lives that they aren’t in fact related at all. Their exclusive mother has suddenly become a social butterfly and while she’s out the sisters make a discovery that leads Nell on a journey to discover exactly what happened in the past.

I absolutely loved the characters in this title. The story was really well thought out and it plucked at the heartstrings. Huge credit to Kelly Mustian, a talented storyteller. I could imagine being right in the middle of the story at any given time!

Lisa Larsen’s audio performance was amazing, I could listen to her voice all day…….i just have, actually 😊

The story unfolded really well, however there were several moments when j had to stop to remind myself who was who, it didn’t spoil anything about the story, and I genuinely don’t know what the author could’ve done to change this, so an observation rather than a critique.

Huge thanks to Tantor Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ELC 🎧