Thursday, September 18, 2008

the river, by moonlight

another Blog Stop Book Tour day, dear readers!

this time, it's The River, by Moonlight by Camille Marchetta

Set in a small Hudson river town in 1917, The River by Moonlight is the story of the shock waves set off by the apparent suicide of a young woman who, like Richard Corey, appears to have it all.

In prose as deeply and gently moving as the river itself, ms marchetta creates characters so vividly drawn the reader feels them as real as the neighbors next door. What completely captivated me about this book was the subtle sense of the surreal that infuses it. the author’s deft portrayal of the characters’ own shock and disbelief of this terrible event creates its own little bubble, even as events outside that bubble are carrying the wider world along toward wider tragedies, wider griefs. It’s the other side of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” about what really happens when lives are truncated too young.

The best part of this book for me was the ending – set five years after Lily’s death. It leaves the reader with a sense of peace, if not satisfaction. I highly recommend it – this is another book for a rainy afternoon, a snowy evening, a story to be savored like a hot cup of tea.

and furthermore, the war must end. blessed be.

1 comment:

CamilleMarchetta said...

Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Annie.

And I am just knocked out by your view. It's stunning!

All the best,

Camille Marchetta