Reply To: TRWR: What did you think of The River We Remember and why?
I was drawn in by the writing in this book; it was like a movie unfolding in my head; and since I had to listen to it on audiobook instead of having a hard copy, I had to imagine every little bit of it —even the spellings of the names, some of which I see I got wrong, thanks to your mentioning them!
The book has a lot to say, and a lot going on. The characters are indeed deep and well-drawn, and I had deep sympathy for so many of them. So many wounded people, both physically and mentally. So much resilience and strength, and a lot of goodness, despite all that. Their way of life was not so very far off from my own experiences of small town midwestern life, so while it seemed “long ago” in some ways, it was also quite familiar in others. Each town has its good, its bad, and its ugly. Jewel was no exception. Some of the subject matter was tough to listen to, and the ending just made me profoundly sad, all things considered. I appreciate this book, and will keep its lessons with me, but I doubt I’ll want to revisit it.
