River Angel: A Novel [Hardcover]

A. Manette Ansay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 1998

The story of an American town haunted by an angel, from the author of "Sister". The owner of the barn had been the one to discover the body. "It was", she said, "as if he were just sleeping." And she told the police she believed an angel carried him there.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A novel named River Angel featuring a character named Gabriel and a town called Ambient lays its cards on the table from the get-go: in her fourth book, A. Manette Ansay is obviously going to feature faith in a big way. As in her previous fiction, Ansay sets this tale in rural Wisconsin, but unlike her earlier work, which focused primarily on individual families, she has widened her scope to encompass an entire community. The story begins when 10-year-old Gabriel Carpenter comes to live with his aunt in Ambient, Wisconsin. An ungainly, unlovely child, Gabriel is shunned by other children and finds solace in a faith in God that verges on the fanatical. He has heard stories from his father about an angel that supposedly guards the banks of the Onion River and starts searching for it--a search that ultimately brings him to the wrong place at the wrong time and thus to the wrong angel--death.

What would have been simple tragedy in another town or another novel becomes the stuff of wonder in Ansay's Ambient: Gabriel's body is found miles from where he died, smelling faintly of flowers and glowing with an otherworldly light. From this point on, the novel focuses on how the various townspeople react to this supposed miracle. The town priest, Gabriel's teacher, the woman in whose barn his body was found--soon just about everybody in Ambient has been drawn into the conundrum of what Gabriel Carpenter's life and death really mean. As a study of human relationships and a meditation on the nature of the divine, River Angel succeeds on both counts.

From Library Journal

The tiny Wisconsin town of Ambient has visitors: there's handsome but no-good Shawn Carpenter, planning to drop his unkempt, neglected ten-year-old son, Gabriel, off for good with his brother's family near the old home place just in time for Christmas. There's also the angel local lore says lives at the river near town. As told by numerous town residents (Shawn's sister-in-law, the local real estate developer, lovely but sneaky teenager Cherish, her mother and the other ladies of the Faith Circle), the tragedy that occurs when some local punks drop Gabriel into the river vividly unfolds. Using these clear, true voices, both believers and unbelievers of the river angel story, Ansay rivals Jane Smiley in her ability to bring the small-town Midwest to life. Warmly recommended; this is a wonderful novel.?Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., Radford, Vt.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (March 18, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688152430
• ISBN-13: 978-0688152437
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,314,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars not about angels, August 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: River Angel: A Novel (Paperback)

This is a novel about the various ways in which a town comes to grip with the aftermath of a tragedy, something that might have been easily prevented. The River Angel story springs out of the desire to correct what has gone wrong, to give meaning to what would otherwise have been a meaningless event. From the start, I was drawn into these people's lives, their individual stories and what they come to believe, as a result, about the angel that may or may not have appeared. If you are looking for an "angel story" you won't like this book. If you're looking for an in depth portrait of a town and its changing ideas about faith, you'll love this as much as I did. I thought the mother and daughter story was particularly effective. Also recommended: Midnight Champagne, Ansay's newest, and White Oleander by Janet Fitch.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Ansay novel!, October 28, 2003

By 

Dianna Johnston "Compulsive Reader" (Joplin, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: River Angel: A Novel (Paperback)

I have read every book written by A. Manette Ansay, and while this isn't my favorite one, it is by no means a bad book - in fact, it's great! I think Ansay is one of the better writers I've had the pleasure to read, and each of her books lends a wonderful reading experience. River Angel is just one more beautiful book to add to my collection.

Set in the small town of Ambient, Wisconsin, River Angel tells the story of a community in need of miracles. There is a local legend in town about an angel who resides near the river. No one is really sure whether to believe it or not, but a little boy named Gabriel, in need of some change in his life, goes in search for the angel anyway. Gabriel, who is a loveable, sweet character, is not a favorite of many of the town's citizens. He is chubby and bothersome and easy to tease. However, Gabriel becomes the catalyst for an amazing transformation - both for him and for many of Ambient's occupants.

A. Manette Ansay writes about several of the citizens of Ambient and their troubles in their lives. I loved hearing their stories, all their dreams and disappointments. But most importantly, I loved the writing. A. Manette Ansay is a genius in my eyes. She writes poetry without being poetic. I will forever be in her debt for the joy she has brought into my reading experiences. Can't wait for the next one!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, August 24, 2004

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: River Angel: A Novel (Paperback)

A. Manette Ansay has written another beautiful book ~~ this time about an angel that has been sighted over a river in Wisconsin. It is also a story about a small town where everyone knows one another and where everyone knows of its neighbor's struggles. The story is centered around a little boy named Gabriel. Gabriel was dumped in this town, Ambient, by his father who deserted him. Fat and unlovable, Gabriel is a devout Christian and is always found to be praying. Picked on and abused, Gabriel continues to slug along ~~ till one day, he is discovered in a neighbor's barn, dead.

The story focuses on Gabriel, his aunt who was raising him, several members of a prayer circle, and one of the daughters of the town who was part of the fateful events of the evening that Gabriel is later found dead. The stories entwined with one another in small ways ~~ it's written more like short stories combined to make one novel about a town. Ansay writes with her usual lyrical style about different lives of people and their secret joys and disappointments and how it all meshed together with the legend of the River Angel that people have taken to be their local lore.

It is a very interesting book ~~ dark and depressing in places though but beautifully written and with a grace that is evident in each of the characters written. Ansay is not an easy author to read sometimes but her stories are always compelling and brings the reader further into the book. This is an excellent read ~~ perfect for a bookclub discussion.

8-24-04