Where River Turns to Sky [Paperback]

Gregg Kleiner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 1999

Eighty-year-old George Castor promised he would never let his best friend Ralph die alone at the Silver Gardens Nursing Home--but Ralph passed on while George was away fishing. Distraught, guilt-stricken and seeking redemption, George buys a broken-down mansion in Looking glass, Oregon, paints it fire-engine red, and begins searching for other old folks to share it with him. Because George has made a new promise that will alter the course of the rest of his life. And, with the help of a miraculous old woman named Grace, he assembles a ragtag bunch of aging strangers, determined to make their last days on earth--and his own--an adventure.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A funny, touching, lovingly crafted novel by a writer who cares deeply for his characters. To be sure, there is death where river turns to sky, but in this magical tale, it is life that ultimately triumphs." -- Rick Borsten, author of Rainbow Rhapsody

"A lovingly told story of aging...an insightful story about reconciliation- finding peace with our mistakes and each other. And it's a poignant story about dying with dignity- or at least flair...[Kleiner] has captured the essence of aging in these endearing, cantankerous, and very human characters." -- Chicago Tribune

"Heartfelt, fresh as a breeze-funny and full of senior citizens full of piss and vinegar...WHERE RIVER TURNS TO SKY, at last our dream come true. A big house where we all could live. A big house where we won't die alone." -- Tom Spanbauer, author of The Man Who Fell In Love With the Moon

"Heartwarming, Heartaching... Beatifully told." -- Grand Times Magazine

"Heartwarming, Heartaching... Beautifully Told." -- Grand Times Magazine

"If God is in the details, Kleiner's debut is a holy romp...The author's rambunctious prose settles into a hang-tight thematic on transcending the mundane no matter what age...[Kleiner] lushly renders the Oregon countryside and deftly captures those bewildering concerns trapped inside the hoariest hearts." -- Eugene Weekly

"Insightful...poignant...lovingly told...a touching, funny examination of aging, life, death." -- Chicago Tribune

"Kleiner has a beautiful way with words. There's a gentleness to his characters yet he gives them the steel they need to survive- and to challenge death...My personal hope is that everyone who deals with the aging will read this book and think hard on it." -- The Olympian

"Kleiner's fine tale...unfolds, like life, with unexpected twists." -- Aging Today

About the Author

At age 16, Gregg Kleiner spent a year in the mountains of northern Thailand as an exchange student. For a month of that year, he lived at a Buddhist monastery as a novice under the tutelage of an aged monk. He has worked as a dairy goat farmer, hotel concierge, freelance journalist, wildlife biologist, and technical writer. He lives in western Oregon with his partner Lori and their two small children, Eli and Sophia. Where River Turns To Sky is his first novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (April 6, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380805596
• ISBN-13: 978-0380805594
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

At age 16, Gregg Kleiner spent a year in the mountains of northern Thailand as an AFS exchange student. For a month of that year, he lived at a Buddhist monastery as a novice under the tutelage of an aged monk. He has worked as a dairy goat farmer, hotel concierge in Switzerland, freelance journalist, wildlife biologist, technical writer, and communications director. Following extended travel and stints living in Asia and Europe, he now resides a short walk from the confluence of the Willamette and Marys rivers in western Oregon with his wife, Lori, and their children, Eli and Sophia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Choice for Book Clubs! Bravo., February 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Where River Turns to Sky (Mass Market Paperback)

This amazing novel is rich in so many ways! I laughed and cried. It will steal your heart, take your breath away. Peopled with characters so real and wonderful you'll want them to show up on your porch for tea, this is the story of six incredible strangers who come together in a tumble-down mansion in a tiny town and attempt to avoid winding up in a nursing home by living TOGETHER and by turning their final years into a grand adventure. This book will make you want to get up and sing, dance, shout out the window that life can be grand right down to the very end. Although the novel deals with issues we will all have to face sooner or later (death & dying, aging), Mr. Kleiner handles the subject matter with humor and love and compassion. The novel reminded me of a wild combination of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Cocoon, Driving Miss Daisy, Waking Ned Divine, and Field of Dreams. The movie version would be gorgeous.

Our book group's favorite novel of the year! Everyone should read this incredible story...then spread the word to anyone who might one day be old! This novel will change the way you view life. Read it, NOW!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a REFRESHING NOVEL, an INCREDIBLE IDEA!, December 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Where River Turns to Sky (Mass Market Paperback)

This amazing story and Kleiner's cast of characters will linger in your mind long after you've turned the final page. I sat for a long time, stunned, smiling, tears drying on my cheeks. It's a tale about real human beings who choose to live together in a huge old house, where they share the joys and trials of life. Together these women and men discover that getting older is not the terrible event our culture has painted it to be--but is just part of the life journey. Ultimately, these folks discover how powerful community can be. Kleiner has created a story that will capture your heart and restore your faith in the human race. I'm giving this novel as a gift to friends and family, young and old. This should be required reading for all of us--especially us baby boomers--so that we can "do" old age differently--with zest, with joy, in community!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very moving, touching story with memorable characters, June 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Where River Turns to Sky (Hardcover)

I did not want this book to end! I felt I was there with them, wanting these people to succeed, witnessing miracles happen even if they were small. I felt like I knew George and Clara, understood them and would've liked to have known them. I will not look at older folks the same way again. I am passing this wonderful book around to all my friends and hope they too will see what we all take for granted. I cried as I finished this book (not a normal reaction for me) because it was ending, happy for the survivors and missing the ones gone on around.