Friday, July 05, 2013

Three Rivers Rising (2010)

Three Rivers Rising. Jame Richards. 2010. Random House. 304 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Three Rivers Rising is a historical romance novel written in verse. There are a handful of narrators: Celestia, Peter, Maura, and Kate. Three Rivers Rising uses the tragic Johnston Flood of 1889 as a setting for a forbidden romance between the wealthy Celestia and the poor working boy Peter. These two meet one summer--1888--and fall madly in love. Celestia isn't the only daughter falling in love; her older sister, Estrella, is also having her first taste of love, for better or worse. Unfortunately, her one "true love" isn't honorable. Estrella makes a hasty exit with an elderly aunt hoping that the society matrons won't notice. Her future is uncertain: will her family ever acknowledge her again? The summer ends with Celestia and Peter still in love and promising to write one another faithfully. A year later they meet again, though her father has arranged for Celestia to marry someone, Celestia KNOWS that Peter is the only husband she'll ever have. So she leaves her old life behind and goes to the valley, to Johnston to be with Peter. Days later, the flood occurs. Almost a third of this romance novel focuses on the flood itself. This is where the other narrative voices become very useful!

Overall, I did enjoy this one! The romance is lovely in this one. I thought it was well written.

© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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