The River by Starlight tells the true story of a couple who struggles with depression. I really admired Annie. She was a strong woman. She fought to overcome her difficulties. However, I loved Adam more. He was loyal husband and stood by his wife side. They both start out as optimistic but when they are faced with many trials, they have to fight to overcome them. This is a story of love, devotion, and loyalty. I highly recommend it!

Sometimes we just don’t know how strong we are. And then, sometimes we do.
Annie Rushton was living in Iowa with her parents after her marriage collapsed. She had a good husband and a new baby and deep, black post partum depression that debilitated her to the point she had to give both of them up to survive herself. Now she lives with stares and whispers as she walks down the street because who gives up their family for themselves? When her parents’ death frees her of their care she accepts her brother’s offer to come live with him in Montana. She couldn’t pack her bags fast enough and she set off to start fresh.
Annie loves Montana, she loves everything about it, especially her freedom.
Adam Fielding shows up and Annie is taken with his idea of financial freedom, of his industriousness that matches her own, his new ideas and she’s willing to let herself fall for him and the life he offers. But Annie is still haunted or rather plagued with the past depression and her body responds with many miscarriages, which only makes matters worse. The couples’ businesses falter and eventually their marriage.
But it takes a strong person to survive what Annie endures and she continues to put one foot in front of the other, convincing those around her she has worth as a person and is given chances.
In the end I did not think this was what we call “chick lit.” All the elements are there – young woman, young man, love, etc., but this was a really smart story, a story with a future, a story that, in parts, surprised me and it’s based on true events. As they say, truth is stranger than fiction and there is no denying the spirit within us that strives to survive.

This book was heartbreaking at times as Annie tried to gain control of her own destiny in the face of social injustice and misfortune. The author's writing made me feel connected to the characters.

The River by Starlight started out strong, with likeable, interesting characters. I especially liked the storyline of Annie, taking a chance to start her life over. However, instead of continuing to strengthen, the book weakened. I pushed, hoping it would get better, but it didn't. I read about 60% but couldn't finish the book.

Annie made the quilt for her future husband, for his eyes only.

There was a block with a sliver of chrome orange moon and a fabric with a chrome yellow shower of stars. The twilight sky was represented with a dark sapphire with a swirl of white dots and a cadet blue shot with white. At the bottom curved a river in green fabric. She called it River By Starlight.

In 1911 Annie Rushton had received a letter from her older brother Cal, inviting her to come to Montana where he had settled. At age 26, Annie was living with her mother after postpartum psychosis destroyed her marriage and separated her from her baby daughter.

Annie hopes that Montana will bring the freedom she craves and the new beginning she desperately needs. Annie travels light, only taking her ivory knitting needles, her Emily Dickinson inscribed "with everlasting love" by her ex-husband, and her grandmother's rose glass jar.

She never expected that Montana would bring a man who would claim her, body and soul, or imagine the ecstasy and the crippling pain and loss their love would endure, driving Annie to a desperate choice.

Ellen Notbohm's novel The River by Starlight is based on true events which she spent years researching. Notbohm wanted to give voice to the women, who a hundred years ago and with few resources, suffered mental health issues in a male-dominated health and justice system.

Annie is an amazing character, strong and feisty, quick-witted and quick-tempered. I loved the dialogue between the characters. Although Annie suffers many losses, she also is resilient and a survivor. The misunderstandings between men and women and the compromises they make ring true. The writing is gorgeous.

Readers will be swept back in time and won't soon forget the vivid characters.

I received a free book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I received an advanced reader copy of "The River by Starlight" by Ellen Notbohm and I'm so glad I did. My goodness from the first chapter the author weaves a tale of love, tragic loss, heart-breaking details of life, along with a beautifully descriptive writing style that encompasses the story in a way that confides in the reader.

The details of the story are set in the early 1910's to 1940's as it trails the main character, Annie as she receives a letter from her brother Cal, to join him on his homestead in Montana to help care for him and the house. She accepts the offer and after settling in she meets her brother's boss, Adam Fielding. It was certainly not love at first sight, but in time Adam is taken by her strong character and proceeds to court her. Part of the author's charm shines through her descriptions of historical events and through her dialogue between characters. On one encounter with Adam, Annie describes a detail about Adam's horse and finds herself falling privy to his questioning conversation. "I see he's missing something," she says, and kicks herself for falling into yet another prickly conversation with him. Stuck now, like a hair in a biscuit." The author's style of writing had me laughing, rooting for the characters, and crying alongside all of the tragic loss and heartache.

Even with how beautifully written this story was, I was really impressed with the author's prose in writing about mental illness and postpartum depression, showing that it isn't pretty but it's REAL. It not only affects the individual struggling with it, but Ellen Notbohm shows how it affects others around them. Mental illness is still as subject that doesn't seem to get enough attention in today's world, let alone the time period in which this story takes place. I applaud the author for taking those risks and for writing a beautifully and heart-wrenching story that became, "The River of Starlight".

#TheRiverByStarlight #NetGalley

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately I’m unable to read it as it’s not in Kindle format.