Customer Reviews

Poplar River

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Poplar River is a book for anyone who loves the wilderness, anyone who had experienced heartbreak, and anyone who has found the courage to face life head-on. Karen Kingsley, the protagonist of Poplar River is a concert pianist who fits this description. She has spunk, courage, and sensitivity, and she is a heroine you will not soon forget. A recommended read.

Poplar River is the story of one woman's connection to the Canadian Wilderness. The main character, Karen, first goes to a remote cabin on Canada's Poplar River on her honeymoon. She is from a small town in South Carolina and unsure that this is a place she'd ever want to visit. Her friends have added to her doubts by wondering aloud why her new husband didn't take her to Paris or Hawaii. However once she is there, Karen instantly falls in love everything about the place--the fishing, the cabin, the scenery, and the wildlife. She feels a true belonging that she never expected and has never experienced before.
The story spans a period of years during which Karen and her husband Steve return to the cabin as often as they can, more at Karen's urging than Steve's. Despite the fact that she is a talented pianist with a promising career, Karen can't resist the call of Poplar River. Interspersed with Karen's accounts of her life are chapters told by some of the animals that live near the cabin--eagles, beavers, moose, and even mice. Each of the animals has encountered Karen during one of her visits and each instinctively knows she will not harm them. They also sense a dark time coming into Karen's life. After this dark event, Karen returns to the cabin to regain peace and emerges from her time of solitude stronger than ever.
Author Judith Barban has skillfully woven Karen's story in with those of her kindred spirits--the animals of Poplar River. Though I am not a fan of camping or of exploring the wilderness, the book gave me a good feel for what life would be like in an isolated cabin far from civilization.

Poplar River is a jewel of a book which delights the reader with a rare combination of adventure, romance, and fantasy. The novel transports us into a wilderness world where humans and animals react to each other and to events. Written in a fluid style that propels the action and sustains the reader's interest, Poplar River is a page-turner.

The inspiration for Poplar River comes from the author's experiences fishing with her husband in the wilderness of Manitoba, Canada. Some of her characters are loosely based on people whom she knows in Rock Hill, South Carolina where she lives. She has created a compelling, touching and very believable story of a young married couple who make yearly fishing expeditions to Poplar River in Manitoba. Woven into the novel are chapters from the point of view of animals that inhabit the Canadian wilderness -- the eagle, the bear, the loon, etc. She brings them alive by giving them names, personalities and speaking voices. It is no surprise that this book is the 2009 winner of the Thomas Max "You are Published" award given annually at the Southeastern Writers' Association Workshop. I strongly recommend it.

Margaret K. Lee, Athens, Georgia

December 14, 2009

This is far from the usual book; a very enchanting and unexpected twist to this story of a couple's marriage and love as viewed from their annual trek to the Canadian wilderness. This book will change your perspective of nature and give you much food-for-thought as you see life reflected in an entirely different light.

Poplar River is far more than a simple story about camping and fishing; Judith Barban has written an extraordinary book overflowing with layers of romance and intrigue. Of course, the protagonist, Karen Kingsley, is deeply in love with her new husband, but it is her growing affinity for the wilds of Manitoba that captures the readers and refuses to release them.

Karen, a concert pianist, who normally spends hours practicing indoors, is a gentle woman, unaccustomed to the great outdoors. In the wilderness, she falls in love with God's creatures--in water, on land, and in the sky--and discovers within herself an uncanny spiritual connection to them. The animals and birds, in turn, lend a delightful dimension to the plot with their own beguiling voices.

Poplar River is a winner. It is a book of romance, adventure, courage, heartbreak and healing. More profound, it is a rare tribute to the beauty and majesty of God's creation.

Spend a few evenings with Karen as she sips tea and watches the spectacular sunset on Poplar River. Peel away a few layers. You'll be glad you did.

Yes, Pruu the beaver, Tova the moose, and Koh the mouse are among the inhabitants of "Poplar River," but this is no children's tale. Judith Barban has crafted a decidedly adult novel, set mostly in the wilds of Northern Manitoba, which should not be missed.

Karen Kingsley, a concert pianist from South Carolina, and her new husband Steve, take their honeymoon in the Canadian wilderness, oblivious to the effects the spectacular setting will have on their lives. As the young couple return to the area each summer, Karen develops a special rapport with local residents, including Pruu, Tova, and Koh. This kinship sustains Karen as her career soars in South Carolina, but Steve slips into despair while seeking tenure as a professor at the local university.

After a series of tragedies which might destroy the average person, Karen returns to Poplar River alone, with no sense of what the future will bring. Her friends are there, and though no words are exchanged, their presence reminds Karen of the continuity of life. Like the creatures of the lake and woods, she moves into the next phase of her life cycle.

This a wilderness adventure, a romance, and a coming of age story, all rolled into one delightful package.