Ricochet River [Paperback]

Robin Cody (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1994

Three teenagers growing up in Calamus, Oregon, in the 1960s--native American newcomer Jessie, star athlete Wade, and Wade's girlfriend, Lorna--struggle to escape the physical and mental confines of their small town. A first novel.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In late adolescence, after teens finally learn to surf their raging hormones, questions about boxes begin to arise. Everything becomes a box: schools, families, even hometowns start to pinch and confine after a while; the restless teen spirit wants to break free from expectations and humdrum rhythms. In a small Oregon logging town in the '60s, Wade and Lorna are beginning to feel the pinch, even more confusing because Calamus is home, too. The Calamus River rushes through town, inspiring them with its freedom and strength. What would happen if they broke free and allowed their own surging currents to take them to another place? Lessons come through a transforming friendship with another teen--a Native American named Jesse, who knows a lot about the river and his own restless spirit. This is a magnificent, deeply felt novel about coming of age and finding a place in the world.

About the Author

Robin Cody has written widely about the West, the place, its people, and the culture. A winner of the Western Writers of America's Silver Spur Award, he is also the author Voyage of a Summer Sun. He lives in Portland with his wife Donna. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Blue Heron Publishing (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0936085274
• ISBN-13: 978-0936085272
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,776,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robin Cody was born at St. Helens in 1943 and grew up in Estacada, Oregon. A graduate of Yale, he taught at the American School of Paris for a decade and was Dean of Admissions at Reed College in Portland. While writing, he has been a baseball umpire, a basketball referee, and a special ed shool bus driver.

His "Ricochet River," a novel, and "Voyage of a Summer Sun," nonfiction, were first published by Alfred A. Knopf. Both are in the Oregon State Library's "150 Books for the Oregon Sesquicentennial," 2009.

"Another Way the River Has," 2010, is a collection of short true stories published by Oregon State University Press.

Cody lives with his wife, Donna, in Portland

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Edition Worth Waiting For, May 30, 2005

By 

Karen H. Kirtley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ricochet River (Paperback)

Robin Cody's award-winning RICOCHET RIVER is available in a new and improved 2005 edition. The author chose to revise his manuscript for high-school audiences, with the help of the editing students at Portland State University's student-run Ooligan Press. Re-reading his work after fourteen years, he found he could make distinct improvements. His legendary coming-of-age story, originally published as an adult novel by Knopf, is now stronger and more vivid than ever. Every parent of a high-school student should find it wonderfully appropriate reading. Anyone of any age who lives in the Pacific Northwest will benefit from reading this book. Place is a major character, and the story is tremendously enriching. I wish I'd read it when I moved to Oregon thirty-five years ago, and I've hastened to order copies for my born-in-Oregon children.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS NOW MY FAVORITE BOOK!!, June 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Ricochet River (Paperback)

On the scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, I'd rate "Ricochet River" by Robin Cody as an 11. I think it is now my favorite book. Yes, I know that is a high rating, but I'm thoroughly convinced that this book deserves it. Cody's writing style, to me, is as powerful as the river he often refers to in the book; yet it flows so easily, like a conversation with grandpa on the front porch. "Ricochet River" is also a very meaningful book to me because the story takes place near my home, and near the great Columbia River that has carved so much history into this land. It is set in the 1960s in a small Oregon logging town called Calamus, just southeast of Portland. Wade is a highschool student from Calamus who narates the story. He effortlessly pieces together the story of Jesse, an Indian kid who moved to Calamus. Jesse's presence in the small logging town brought out a kind of prejudice among the townspeople. This is an historical circumstance that is not often talked about in American history, and it was very intriguing to see how Jesse dealt with it. Jesse is a natural athlete who applies his own rules to sports and life. At first, Jesse is a star in the town because of his athletic skill; until the narrowmindedness sets it. In a way, Cody's way of writing made me feel angry at the townspeople for their pre-judgement. Together Jesse and Wade venture through life's trials in the small town. Jesse brings to Wade's general interest the cultural background of his tribe through many meaningful stories. "Ricochet River" is rich in real life situations, making it easy to relate to and comprehend. I loved this book for the way that it talked about the Northwest salmon runs, and their life in which we have endangered. It is such a sensitive topic here in the Northwest, and it was really awesome to see how they were revered in the book. The ending disappointed me greatly, because I had wanted Jesse to always be there for Wade. He had brought some life into their logging-town lives, and it seemed so cruel to take that away from them. It was like the power, the engine, the air, had been taken out of the book. But, I guess that's what makes the book that much more powerful, in that it deals with one of the hardest things humans have to face in life; death. It was Wade's storytelling, and his words that made this book so good.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book full of small town politics, July 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ricochet River (Paperback)

I read this book serveral years ago when it first came out. My review may be partially biased as Mr. Codys' mother was my first grade teacher and the fictious town of Calamus, actually Estacada, is where I graduated high school. It was a great book to read as I could make the comparisons from the fictious to the actual places. As I said before my thoughts could be a little biased but it is a book that is definately worth reading.