Go as a River

The book that has stolen hearts everywhere, the breath-takingly powerful Sunday Times bestseller and Richard & Judy Book Club pick, perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing and Great Circle.'A sweeping story of survival and becoming' Women's Prize For Fiction'Spellbinding' The Times'Tragic, uplifting and completely unforgettable' Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in ChemistryWhen a moment changes everything, how do you live the rest of your life?1940s Colorado: Teenage Victoria Nash is the only woman in a family of troubled men.When she meets Wilson Moon, a young drifter with a mysterious past, on a street corner, their connection is immediate. And dangerous.

“Exceptional . . . A Beautifully written epic set in a Colorado mountain town in the 1960s.”—Scientific American

“Beautiful . . . A striking first novel of love and strength and growth, set against the forests and rivers of Colorado’s high country. Read is a gifted writer, and the book is a literary triumph.”—Denver Post

“With gorgeous descriptions of the great outdoors, an illicit love story, and an unforgettable protagonist, Go as a River offers something for everyone.”—Real Simple

“Read delicately unfurls the growing attraction between Torie and Wil, set against vicious bigotry toward Native Americans. Their love is the “small fateful twist” that forever changes the trajectory of Torie’s life. With delicate precision, Read evokes both Colorado’s rugged wilderness and the landscapes of her characters’ troubled hearts. An auspicious debut.”—Kirkus (starred review)

“Shelley Read creates a truly convincing and lovable character in Torie, who faces loss and despair, and has to make a decision which is driven by love, yet tragic for herself. It’s a captivating novel, impossible to put down and one which will be remembered long after reading it.”—Irish Examiner

“This soaring, compassionate tale of female resilience is set against a breath-taking picture of our natural world—its trees and mountains and light.”—The Independent (UK)

“Lyrical . . . Read, a fifth-generation Coloradan, draws characters and settings with period authenticity, stunning imagery, and deft metaphors.”—Booklist

“Evocative . . . moving . . . fascinating . . . Through lush imagery of the natural world, Go as a River shows the possibility of growing in the most challenging of circumstances, the power that flows through us, and how the natural world can give us the strength to keep on going.”—The i Paper

“Shelley Read's lyrical voice is a force of nature, and when she lends it to a woman leading a hardscrabble life in rural Colorado, the result is tragic, uplifting—and completely unforgettable.”—Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

“Shelley Read has written a splendid American Gothic tale of a young woman broken by circumstances who must find a way to forgive before she can love. Victoria Nash is a character for the ages as she navigates loss and despair on the road to redemption. The vast plains and desert canyons of her Colorado home are filled with ghosts until a mysterious drifter arrives and changes the course of her life forever. Go as a River is a stunning debut set in the soul of the American dream.”—Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone