Before deciding to purchase
The River, I read the author's blog. At first I thought this book was a true story because she wrote the blog synopsis in first person, but at the end she admitted this really didn't happen to her; it was simply a clever lure to garner more interest.
And it worked for me! Author Cheryl Kaye Tardif hooked me from the first sentence. I couldn't wait to read it. Having already read and raved over her later release,
Whale Song: A Novel, I knew I would like
The River, but didn't think anything could come up to Whale.
How wrong I was! This book is outstanding, too, and I'm learning that all of this author's works are brilliant.
The superb writing in
The River flowed along smoothly, as naturally as the Mississippi River; then as the story progressed it picked up speed and energy like the turbulent white-water of the Colorado. All of that with some of the exotic features brought to mind by the mighty, mysterious Amazon River. Wow--what a book!
The story opens seven years after Professor of Anthropology Del Hawthorne learns of her father's disappearance and presumed death. Del is stunned when one of the men who went with him on a mysterious mission near Canada's legendary Nahanni River, stumbles into her University office. He's half-dead, but before passing out he manages to give her a coded journal and inform her that her father is still alive.
Even though Del is in remission from multiple sclerosis, she is determined to venture into the rugged territories surrounding the dangerous Nahanni River to find the truth and bring her father and any other survivors home. Along with a sturdy, hand-selected group of brainy men and women, they set off on the adventure of their lives--an adventure which some won't survive.
There are thrills aplenty in this novel: headless corpses on the banks of the Nahanni, hi-tech machinery, underground labs, secret caves, and time-travel into the near future. How does all that affect our brave adventurers? And who is trying to sabotage their rescue efforts? Could there be a spy in their midst? What happens to Del when someone steals her MS medication? What does the "fountain of youth" have to do with her father and his research? Will she find him alive? And how does the year 2031 fit into the scheme of things?
And YES, dear reader, there's a big romance! But is Jake to be trusted? Will they find true love, or is he working with the evil "Director," using Del for his own selfish purposes?
In order to give nothing of the plot away, I always advise you to RFY (and by now you should know that means Read For Yourself). I promise it will be an outstanding reading adventure.
Author Cheryl Kaye Tardif is a true wordsmith, writing fluently while making it seem easy. Her plot is well-paced, with characters so believable the reader cares what happens to them, and above all, her imagination soars. This is a true high-concept story.
I invite you to plunge into this intriguing story ... head-first or feet-first, it doesn't matter. You're in for an absorbing adventure--with more twists and turns than the Nahanni River itself--and a surprising, yet satisfying ending that leaves you gasping for more.
Reviewed by Betty Dravis, 2008
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