Go as a River by Shelley Read caught my attention because of the time period and setting - 1940's western Colorado, where a young woman runs a peach farm with the troubled men in her family after her mother's tragic death. Victoria Nash is largely ignored by said troubled men except when they need something from her. When she meets a forbidden young man and has a secret relationship with him, she is dealt more tragedy, eventually making decisions about her life and home that will change the course of her life forever.

I loved the writing style and lush descriptions of the peach farm and the natural world, which plays a big part in the story. I learned about the history of the land, as I was amazed that Iola, Colorado, along with a few other towns, was actually destroyed by the creation of the Blue Mesa Reservoir in the 1960's. The impact this had on real families is described in vivid and heart-wrenching detail. In fact, the town's destruction runs parallel to the upending of Victoria's life around the same time.

Victoria's character is described so distinctly that I ached and cheered for her in equal measure. Although she had few relationships with people, her introspection and love for the land were striking. The ending stole my heart and the beautiful language made this book a solid 5 stars.

I will recommend this to readers who like family dramas that involve nature.

Thank you to Spiegel & Grau and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Torie meets a young man only to lose him due to the prejudices of her brother and father. Tragedy causes her to make gut wrenching choices, and she gives up a part of herself. The ending is redemptive.

Set in the 1940s, a young woman, the sole woman in her family, keeps house on her family's peach farm in Colorado. When she meets and falls in love with an indigenous man, her family is not best pleased. Beautifully written, this sweeping novel follows the lovers as they experience the changes of their times - and circumstances, both wonderful and tragic. Fans of sweeping family sagas will enjoy it.

📚 Go As A River by Shelly Read
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every once in awhile a book comes along that I know I will never forget. Go As A River is one of the best books I have ever read. It’s a story of love and loss and the Colorado wilderness. A coming of age story about a girl on peach farm in Colorado. A story about how one moment can change the entire course of your life. The little decisions that can set life changing events into motion.

“Just as a single rainstorm can erode the banks and change the course of a river, so can a single circumstance of a girl’s life erase who she was before.”

The writing in this book is stunning. I can’t believe this is Read’s debit novel. Her characters a deep and real and I connected with them from the first page. The Colorado landscape and the orchards full of peaches are their own characters brought to life by Read. Thank you to the publisher Spiegel & Grau for this advanced copy to review. Go As A River will be released on March 7th. I have no doubt it will be one of the most talked about and most loved books this year.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Spiegel & Grau for an advanced copy of this e-book.
*Pub Day March 7, 2023*

4.5 This beautiful story takes places in 1940's Colorado. 17 year old Victoria is the lone female on her family's peach orchard after her mother, aunt and favorite cousin are killed in a car accident. It is sunup to sundown to work, but life takes an interesting twist as she is walking in town and sees an interesting drifter about her age. She meets Wil Moon, who is from an Indian tribe from the Four Corners area, but she never knew which one. We follow Victoria as she makes some life changing decisions which haunt her all her life. But seeing her find her inner strength without losing the love for those who matter most. The reader wants so much for Victoria to find what is most important to her and her story plays out in this page-turner that I highly recommend.

What a moving, gorgeous book this is. The story of the life of Victoria, born and raised on a peach farm in the US is one of love, loss and resilience, and is intrinsically linked to the natural world in a lyrical way. A life full of heartbreak and yet ultimately hope and redemption, it is a beautiful read.

Gorgeous writing - beyond gorgeous. As I read other reviews, I see I’m in the minority. Although I loved the writing and the concept for the plot, I felt the pacing was off. Some areas felt slow and drawn out while the last 1/3 felt incredibly rushed. A few of the relationships, to me, seemed missing details or more information to make them full and whole. Enjoy this one for the writing - what a gift this author has. I felt like I could see the town, smell the peaches as they ripened, and hear the men come through the door for breakfast. Stunning writing.

Such a beautiful but heart-wrenching novel! This historical fiction novel contains well developed characters and amazing descriptions. Torie's story is one of great loss and great love while dealing with the decisions you make. Such a well written story that I'll definitely being recommending to others!

It's early yet in 2023, and yet I can predict that this will end up as one of my best reads of the year. A remarkable debut by Shelley Read, GO AS A RIVER tells the story of Victoria "Torrie" Nash, a young motherless women doing her best to figure out how to keep her family afloat in the wake of a tragic accident. When she meets and falls madly and immediately for the mysterious and self-assured Wilson Moon, she careens towards a new and complicated trajectory.

Following the tragedy that upends her life, Torrie becomes Victoria, and pledges to live her life as Wilson taught her - as a river. It takes decades for her to learn the true meaning of the phrase, as well as to come to terms with the decisions she's made along the way. With lyrical prose that is boldly powerful in its understated quietness, I was completely absorbed by this book. I both barely wanted to put it down and never wanted it to end. This is an enthusiastic five star read for me. Thank you to NetGalley Spiegel & Grau for the ARC.

This coming of Age Historical fiction tale takes us to a family owned Peach farm in a rural town called Iowa in Colorado in the late 1940's.Sixteen year old Tori is the only surviving female in her family.Her daily tasks are endless as she struggles with growing up in a male dominated household with a volatile brother, a grieving father and bitter uncle confined to a wheelchair after he was sent home from war.
Everything changes when Tori happens upon a young drifter,Wilson Moon, in her local town. Their connection is instant, life changing and tragic all at once. Tori finds herself in an impossible situation and must leave everything she knows in order to survive and protect her scandalous secret.

The writing of this novel is sublime and you will feel instantly transported to the beautiful landscapes of Colorado, the harsh realities of Mother Nature and all its beauty and forgiveness. I adore tales about strong resilient women and this does not dissapoint. This unique story pulls you in from the very first page and you will not want to put it down.

A tale of forbidden love, resilience, family bonds and never giving up. A mothers love is a bond that can never be broken but sometimes our choices are born of this stoic and purest of love.

This will surely be on everyones must read for 2023.


*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Doubleday for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *

My honest review is freely provided in return for the kindness by NetGalley and the publisher in providing me with an advance copy.

Read this sweetly-written book patiently to really enjoy its lyrical prose. The reader is drawn in to experience everything about Victoria’s hardscrabble coming-of-age story. Her life’s heart-breaking journey is beautifully told by Shelley Read. Bookgroups will love this selection - lots to discuss.

Go as a River by Shelley Read was a stunning novel. It is described as a novel in the vein of “Where the Crawdads Sing”, and while it does give those vibes, it is its own unique story.
The writing is descriptive, and it makes you feel as though you are alongside the main character.
The novel is heart wrenching, but does give the main character some semblance of redemption.
It should be noted for the content warning throughout - death, racism, and some abuse.
After a bit of a slow start for me to become engaged, the middle and the end went so fast and I could not put down. My critique of the novel would be that I wanted more from the ending.
Highly recommend, especially if the readers loved “Where the Crawdads Sing” and historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Shelley Read for providing me a copy of this novel in exchange for a review.

We were pleased to share this title at our live Spring Book Preview event for the Modern Mrs Darcy and What Should I Read Next communities on January 10, 2023, when 1200 readers attended live and twice that many watched the replay in the following week. The PDF from that event is attached. Long story short: I so enjoyed this character driven and quiet (though not boring, and at times brutal and heartbreaking) story about love in the midst of hardship and loss. The writing very much reminded me of Mary Lawson, who also doesn’t flinch at letting terrible harm befall her characters.

I was immediately drawn to this cover and the description of 1940s Colorado. What a great read! I devoured this book. The writing was beautiful and descriptive as we followed Torie over decades of life in the beautiful, yet harsh backdrop of the Colorado wilderness. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves an atmospheric novel. It is hard to believe this was a debut novel and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author in the future!

Stunning. What an immaculately told work of perfection! This will be a book I talk about and push everyone to read, no doubt.
The book begins with young Victoria, a girl on a Peach farm in Colorado in the 40s. We follow her life as those close to her pass away, as she finds her own strengths. The writing is just exquisite and the depth of character, surroundings and dialogue will pull you in. I absolutely could not put this book down and flew through it in about a day (staying up wayyyy to late). This will no doubt make my top 10 books of the year. Just read it. Trust me.

Go as a River is an amazing coming-of-age historical novel set in Colorado about forbidden love, loss, and survival. From the first page, this book held me captive. Historical history fans will love this book. I'm looking forward to the next book by this author. Thanks to Shelley Read, publishers Spiegel & Grau, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Inspired and set during the time of damming a river to create a reservoir in Colorado, despite what the blurb says this story is not about that other than as a narrative device. 17 yo Victoria has lost most of her family in a car crash and lives with her sullen father, evil brother, and war crippled morose uncle on the family peach orchard. She does all the housework, yard work, and helps on the farm as well. She meets a young Native American boy, Wil, and falls in love, forbidden due to his race. After he meets a horrid end, she flees the farm to survive and triumph on her own. To live life and “go as a river” as Wil has taught her. Gaining strength from nature, both wild and cultivated. Lyrical writing, I kept highlighting passages so I could go back and reread them. This is a love story but so much more. Set from the 1940s thru 1970s.

I am so blown away by this title. I can’t believe how engrossing, well-researched, and spiritual it was. This is the kind of book that will stay with you. Weaving in themes of grief, faith, loss, erasure, memory, and how the landscape my change but certain lines that bind us can never be obliterated. This author reminded me of Delia Owens, Marilyn Robinson, and Ruth Ozeki. She’s such a powerhouse and I cannot thank her enough for writing this love letter to the beauty and brutality of the west. Thank you to Netgalley and Spiegel & Grau for this ARC. Full review coming closer to pub date.

Go As a River by Shelley Read published March 2023 If you are a fan of where the crawdad sing, you will enjoy this book of a young poor Colorado girl in the 40s. Her life is a great struggle with her mother dead and dealing with a dad , war handicapped uncle . Good for nothing brother and a strange man who she meets. Hope you enjoy in march

An epic coming of age story, Go as a River follows the life of Victoria Nash as she navigates the life of a young woman caught between expectation and desire. Victoria’s story is full of both tragedy and hope, anguish and beauty. Read’s prose reads as poetry at times and flows just as rhythmically as the rivers she describes.