Customer Reviews

Follow the River

5 star:		(133)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A great docu/drama. Thom did an incredible job "filling in" the details if you will, of Ingles incredible story. Something that few, if none of us can relate to these days. This one had actually slipped under the radar until my wife pointed it out to me, as it was not required reading where I went to school. But I feel that I appreciate it even more now than I would have then.

A warning though, much of it is quite gruesome, and it does not portray Indians in a soft, "lets make white people feel ashamed for what they did " modern manner. It sheds light into certain savagery committed by Indians that is not heard much in the days of political correctness and bending over backwards to appease. Parts of this book are very disturbing and very,very brutal.

But I think this "punch in the face" style of not holding anything back is the beauty of the book. It presents the story as it happened, stripped bare for all to see. You will appreciate the hardship.

Thom has fictionalized a true story with such powerful description that one forgets the fact that most of the details are imagined. They are, however, totally believable, and even though the reader knows the ending (she finally makes it home), the book is difficult to put down. Every footstep of the journey is vivid. The author also manages to portray the Indians as human beings in spite of the gory details of the massacre. Mary Ingles was a fourth great-grandmother of a friend of mine, and this makes the book more immediate for me. My own great-great grandfather was survivor of a Shawnee massacre in the same area 20 years later. I am astounded at the courage and endurance of these brave people who were our forebears. As a writer, I was amazed at how many different ways Thom describes weather, terrain, pain, and terror. Mary's decision to give up her baby to the Indian girl was a selfless, practical act, and her mental and emotional strength kept her from descending into a morass of romantic, sentimental, blubbering guilt. This book should be required in American history courses as adjunct reading material. It tells us what a history book cannot--the human side of the early development of this country.

I've read this book three times and teach it to my twelfth grade English classes. Mary Ingles is an inspiration of the possibilities of endurance of the human spirit. Victim of a brutal Shawnee attack in the summer of 1755 she is force marched from Virginia to Shawnee, Ohio while nine months pregnant giving birth on the trail. She is sold into slavery and taked to the area near Big Bone Lick State Park in Kentucky. Together with an old Dutch woman she escapes and begins a 1,000 mile trek home through unknown and hostile wilderness. In 43 harrowing days she goes from 125 pounds to under 80 pounds as she faces the elements, starvation, wild animals, hostile Indians, implacable nature, and a companion that turns cannibal. The reader shares the agony of the journey with Mary as she must go the final miles on her hands and knees. The most amazing thing about the story is it is true. Like his other historical novels Thom has done his research and he makes the history come alive for his reader.

I usually don't like history books, they bore me to death. My sister suggested this book to me, and at first I didn't think anything of it. She's a book worm, and I'm not, so I thought I wouldn't be interested. Once I read the first page, I couldn't put it down! Thom caught my attention and held it throughout the whole book! He has very vivid details that make me feel like I am with the character, suffering with them, fearing with them, and crying with them. After I read this book, I read all of Thom's books. And every time I would hear about one of the characters in History class, it amazed me at how much I thought I knew the character personally! Thom also caught my attention because he writes about Native Americans in a respectful way, and I LOVE Native Americans!!!! They are sooo interesting to me!! I want to learn how to speak one of the languages sometime. I loved how Thom made them sound like humans because I hate it when books talk about all the bad things that Native Americans did, and not all of the amazing things they did! He also uses a lot of their words, and made you learn the language along with the character. Thom is amazing to me. He can make you feel the pain that the characters are going through! Even though it would be discusting to read and imagine, Thom wants you to know how serious it was in real life, and how real this is! It's reality! --not just a fairy tale. Thom tells about REAL thoughts that people have. Usually books tell the characters thoughts, but they don't go into detail, they don't tell everything that people REALLY think. I would LOVE to talk to ANYONE about this book, whether or not you liked it. PLEASE E-MAIL ME and chat!!! (about ANY of Thom's books!!) :o)

I couldn't rest until I finished this book! Mary Ingles went through an amazing ordeal. I was so involved in the story that I could hardly think of anything else for days. I felt like I was there with her, and I know I wouldn't have been strong enough to do the things she did.

I know this book has changed my life for good. Often when I think my life is hard, I remember Mary, and I realize that I have it pretty good.

I would definitely NOT recommend this book for children. It has some very disturbing and graphic themes.

As a West Virginia resident and one that lives near the Ohio river, I find myself thinking about Mary and her journey home. I find myself wondering what the river looked like to her. This is a fantastic book. I have passed this book on to several people and they all tell me that they can not put it down.
If you read this book you will find yourself asking, "what is going to happen next".
What is so remarkable is that this is a true story. I found myself crying when Mary left her newborn baby behind. The perils she and Gretel endure are unbelievable. I would hope that I would be able to persevere as she did in such trying times. I don't think a man could have done any better.
West Virginia history classes need to teach about this wonderful women and not focus so much on learning the counties. I could not believe that this story takes place in our beautiful state and had never even heard of this woman.
The Hallmark channel showed a TV movie based on the book but played lightly on the hardships and was not a true adaptation of the book.

I have rafted parts of the New River and have witnessed how unforgiving the terrain can be. I have also hiked areas similiar to those described as part of Mrs. Ingles' journey. I know how challenging hiking in region can be with the proper modern equiptment, maps and adequate food. The author's descriptions of the wilderness were very accurate. I felt as if I were walking right along with Mary. It may sound like a cliche but I could feel her pain. The author used many vivid images that may not be for the faint of heart but for anyone who love stories about the true strength of the human spirit. This book is definitely for you.

The first time I read this wonderfully gripping novel was about 15 years ago, and when I started reading it, I could not put it down. Now, 15 years later, I have had the same experience. It kept me up at night and I found myself in the same state of awe as the first reading.

Mary Draper Ingles was a 23 year old pregnant mother and wife, when the settlement she lived in was invaded by Shawnee Indians. They killed her mother and took Mary, her 2 sons, and her sister-in-law captive, leading them deep into unsettled territory. While on the trek to the Shawnee camp, she gave birth to a daughter.

After being in captivity for months, Mary escaped in the company of an old Dutch woman. Together the two survived a walk of one thousand miles through untamed territory in the beginning of winter w/no food, no warm clothing, no weapons, nothing - except the Ohio River as her guide to "home". Eventually, literally starving to death, the old Dutch companion started seeing Mary as a "meal", and it was Mary's determination and wits that kept her from being Gretel's next meal.

The Shawnee Chieftain, Wildcat, kept Mary's 2 young sons - the youngest died shortly after being seperated from his mother, and the oldest stayed w/the Shawnees for around 13 years, before Mary's husband, Will, finally managed to locate him and get him back. She made the very hard and unimaginable decision to leave her baby daughter w/Otter Girl, for she knew there was no way her baby would survive the trek home. When she finally did get back to civilization, she was unrecognizable, starved, and frozen. This is a remarkable story of determination, focus, drive and strength of character of one 23 year old woman! It is well written and as I read it, I find it very easy to "experience" all she experiences. I am in total awe of this great woman and story of her survival. I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone - for I cannot imagine it not touching the heart of any who read it!

I love survival stories, and this is one of the highest quality. Like what everyone else said, I couldn't put this book down. The descriptions were great, and I felt like I was traveling with them along the banks of the river. Mary Ingles, also rings strangely true, her character came across as different to me from so many other fictionalized characters, as more honest, human, like James Alexander Thom actually took some time to think about her and what she was actually like. I admire Mary's good cheer in the face of so many odds, and everything she did to get home. I also like the fact that this was actually a real person, and I felt like I had learned a small, valuable chip of our nation's history. The author should be congratulated, I'm definetely going to read more of his books.

I first read this book when I was a teenager, and it has stayed with me all these years into adulthood. Occasionally I will pick it up and reread it. This is the story of Mary Draper Ingalls who is living in Virginia in the 1700s in a small community. She has a good life with her husband and her two sons, and is expecting a new baby any day. When her village is attacked by Indians, and many of her friends and family are killed, she along with her children, her sister-in-law, and another man are taken captive by the attackers. They are taken on a long trek into the wilderness farther and farther away from anything and everything they have ever known. After being separated from her children, her sister-in-law and everything she was clinging to, Mary decides to risk everything and escape. She does so with an older captive she meets along the way and they begin the long trek back through the wilderness toward home... following the river.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. From the very beginning it grips you as you cringe through the terrible attack in the village (let me warn you, it is not easy to read. Even a small baby is killed). Then you suffer with the captives as they suffer on the trail, as Mary gives birth in the midst of awful circumstances, as the loved ones are separated, and finally as Mary makes her way back through the wilderness trying to get home. You feel every emotion and experience the characters are experiencing.

The most amazing thing about this gripping story is that it is a TRUE story. All of these things really did happen. As you read, you think that no one could possibly endure, much less survive, these events. But someone did... Mary Draper Ingalls did. She was probably the most amazing woman I have ever read or heard about. Her courage, determination and will to survive inspire me. Growing up in the Virginias myself, I have always heard about this woman, driven over bridges named after her, even been to visit some of the places in the story, and it only causes me to be reminded again of what the human spirit is capable of when pushed to the limit.

If you want to feel inspired, to believe again in the tenacity of the human spirit, and believe in what love can do when it is driving a person to survive.... get this book right now and read it. You will never forget it.