This book brought me back to my teenage years, specifically difficulties I had with my own mother. The main character Diamond was so interesting to me. Her life was incomprehensible to me but yet I related to her hopes and dreams for her future. It did jump around a little bit and it wasn't always easy for me to follow, but I am extremely glad I read this book and would recommend it to anyone!

Swift River by Essie Chambers is such a poignant and phenomenal debut novel. The representation and character descriptions were very well executed, and I think Essie does a fantastic job of capturing the complexities and joys of being a biracial adolescent who is trying to figure out their identity while learning more about a side of their family previously unknown. There's this amazing exploration that the reader gets to witness. Also, fantastic freaking job on capturing the beauty of Blackness and Black culture--its written more like an invitation to this sneak peak into this world where the readers gets to go on this journey and weather the highs and lows of the experience. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Do you have any idea what it's like to be a fat adolescent girl? How about a black kid in a white family living in a scrappy mill town? How about both? Here's one perspective on that kind of life. But it's not all depressing - not at all. There are cheerful moments, hilarious situations, and some bright shining characters. It's not quite a can't-put-down title, but it certainly does pull the reader along into the current of the lives and river, family and community, roads (that mostly have to be hitch-hiked in the beginning) and landscape. The dialog is as real as can be, especially when Diamond forgets that she's not speaking to her mother for the next two days. Full of hope, mostly knocked down but surviving to lift its head another day, the book is a window into the lives you might imagine as you drive through a town with disheveled homes, dilapidated out buildings, and skinny dogs roaming the street. But you would be wrong, and here you can read something more like how it really is.

I am floored that this poignant, heartbreaking, and beautifully crafted book is a debut novel!

Diamond Newburry is a teen girl in a small, fading New England mill town. Since her Pop disappeared in 1980, Diamond is now the only Black girl she knows. She is relentlessly teased for her skin color and her weight, and struggles with her home life where she is raised in poverty by her white mother. In the summer of 1987, when Diamond is 16, she dreams of getting her license and breaking free from her hometown, while her mother tries to get her Pop legally declared dead so they can collect on his life insurance money and finally buy their house back from the bank. That summer, Diamond also begins writing letters back and forth with her father's cousin in Georgia, and begins connecting to the history of the Black side of her family that was lost to her.

The character work in this novel was masterful. Of course, Diamond herself was the standout in the story as she struggled to find herself and keep from disappearing inward under the pressure of her hometown, the bullying and suffocating home life and atrempts to come to terms with her own identity. But also, her parents were their own tragic characters, one of the many examples in life where love isn't enough to keep a relationship from turning toxic under the strain of survival. Diamond's friend Shelley, too, shows another complex story of a young girl trapped under the weight of her family, trying to break free.

The book explored many layers of identity through Diamond, her family, her town, and their history -- race, class, gender, body image, family dynamics. I really liked how the author used the letters from Diamond's aunt as a way to reveal the painful history of her family and of their town. While simple flashbacks also could have accomplished this, the decision to use letters made it feel like the three generations of women were in conversation with one another, which created a sense of connection between the past and present. I thought that was so well done.

I'm normally someone who needs a <i>little</i> more of a plot to drive my reading, and sometimes I did feel things were moving a bit slow, but I did get very emotionally connected to the characters and that kept me invested in finding out how the summer would end for all of them.

4.75 stars 🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC to read and review.

It’s the summer of 1987 in Swift River, and Diamond is secretly learning to drive. She and her mom tend to hitchhike or walk everywhere since her father disappeared seven years ago. This is especially difficult for Diamond as she’s overweight and, since her father is gone, the only Black person in Swift River. But Diamond receives a letter from a relative on her dad’s side of the family she didn’t know existed, and soon learns more about her father and family. As she and her mom try to declare her dad legally dead so they can collect his life insurance, Diamond begins to learn about her father’s past, and slowly begins to uncover the truth of who she is.

This is a literary work that is character-driven rather than plot heavy. I loved the characters and they were wonderfully written. They were unique with interesting and varied personalities, and most of them were relatable in their own way. I really liked Diamond as a character and how she was written. She’s overweight, and while it is a part of her character, the author didn’t choose to make it her defining feature as is so often the case. I also really liked the portrayal of Shelly and Diamond’s mom; honestly, the secondary characters were all quite strong.

There are letters interspersed throughout the chapters that provide some family background and history. The letters date to the 1980s and 1910s. There are also flashbacks to when Diamond was young, giving insight into her father and her childhood. I enjoyed getting to read these letters as they provided interesting family background, and it was fascinating getting to learn about Diamond’s heritage at the same time that she was.

This coming-of-age literary fiction with themes of racism, poverty, and family was strongly written with an atmospheric setting. I highly recommend checking this one out. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read this work, which will be published June 4th, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The book evokes a range of emotions but ultimately feels disjointed, with gaps that I had to fill in myself. While the story is engaging, the characters lack depth and connection. Diamond feels somewhat flat, though this may have been intentional as she's a teenager. The letters were a highlight for me, and I found myself wishing that the main storyline could have flowed in the same captivating manner. Overall, it's a good read but left me wanting more from the characters and the story itself.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

This book took me a while to read. I’m not sure why. It kept me wanting more, to know how the story ended. Mainly to find out about “Pops”. The book packed up racism, family history, secrets, mother-daughter relationships, abandonment, courage, determination, and resilience all into one with a story told from Diamond’s perspective. The author gathered Diamond’s thought process as she grew and became more knowledgeable of her family history. You could see the changes as the pages turned. I enjoyed all of this as well as the letters from her relatives letting us in on the secrets. I did however, feel like it was left unfinished. The author summed up the book pretty quickly. The whereabouts of “Pops” was never truly confirmed, it sort of was left to the imagination of the reader (I suspected the worst from the beginning). I guess it is supposed to be insinuated, but I like endings to be clear to provide some sort of closure. That was the main part that was lacking to me. Overall, it made me FEEL. It made me want to get to know more about my family and it made me feel happy that Diamond was able to do so amongst other things that she wanted to achieve.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this novel.

Swift River is a very powerful debut novel. Diamond is a mixed race teenager trying to find her way in the world and discovers a lot about life, poverty, racism, and the meaning of family. Through family letters from the past, she learns a lot about her family’s history and culture. It is a very emotional coming of age story, worthy of 4 ⭐️s.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Publishing for ARC to read and review.

It’s 1987, in an old mill town that seems like a dead end for most who reside there. Diamond’s father is 7 years missing, her relationship with her mother is tenuous at best, and as the lone black teenager in a predominantly white town, she stands out in more ways than she fits in.

This brilliant debut from author Essie Chambers tugged on all my heartstrings; a story that took me right back to what it felt like to be a child eager to please, to a teenager trying to pave a path in life. The backstory is told through creative (albeit sometimes disorienting) timelines by way of letters from Diamond’s Aunt Lena in present day, as well as preserved letters from her great Aunt Clara, who anchored the family in Swift River in the early 1900s. The points of the protagonist Diamond’s development throughout the story are subtle, but ultimately pivotal to her self discovery. It’s a complicated story with themes of racism, self-esteem, and broken families, woven together in a plain but powerful narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eARC of this novel.

Swift River tells the story of Diamond Newberry, an overweight Black adolescent in a mostly white New England town. It also tells a bit of Diamond’s family history, but those sections didn’t resonate as strongly with me.

Diamond is in high school. She doesn’t fit in. Diamond’s father is missing, and while she and her mother presume him dead, rumors abound regarding his whereabouts. Diamond is eager to escape her life, her town, everything. Diamond’s mother is in turns loving, self-absorbed, helpful, neglectful, and more. And they’re poor, which is a thread woven through the entire story. Diamond’s mother is convinced that their lives will turn around once seven years have passed and she can claim the life insurance policy of her husband (since he can be declared legally dead).

Diamond’s relationship with her only friend, Shelly, is sweet to watch unfold—and painful in the way of adolescent girl relationships.

Overall, I liked this book. It’s tender, sad, funny, and more. I didn’t love how the author wove in the letters from past eras because it didn’t feel cohesive to me. I appreciated the concept, but not the execution. Recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an emotional ride. Words cannot describe how I felt reading this book. I now have a new fav author.

A lovely first novel about a biracial girl who is trying to find her place in the world after her father has gone missing. Swift River is told in multiple timelines and while I enjoyed it, it was difficult to keep track at times. Perhaps in the print version the eras will be more apparent and help keep the characters and their connections straight.

I feel like a written review of Swift River won’t do it justice because this book is a feeling. It’s incredibly powerful writing & I unfortunately don’t have the correct words to review this book at the moment without making myself seem like an idiot. A great story with a lot to think about & mull over. Beautiful writing. My only complaint is the cover - I don’t think it reflects Diamond well. My only complaint is the cover - Diamond is described as very overweight, but that is not reflected in the cover. Overall, Well done!

Let me review this beautiful book while I still have tears in my eyes after having just finished it. This book kept breaking my heart over and over again, but ultimately, it is a story full of hope and love. I was initially drawn into this book because it takes place in MA, my home state. Swift River is a tender, poignant examination of love among family members, as well as tensions and moments of hope among races. Diamond quietly persists against such difficult challenges until she is able to create an identity for herself that she can believe in. The book makes us question how much of ourselves we should choose to sacrifice for the people we love. Such a good read.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for an early copy of Swift River by Essie Chambers

Diamond Newberry is a 15-year old biracial girl, dangerously overweight and struggling to find her place in a small town where she is the only person of color since her father disappeared. The story is driven by her mother's attempt to declare the father dead and collect life insurance money.

Swift River is a difficult read. Told in four timelines, the reader may find it frustrating to remember which of Diamond's characters belong in which time frame. While they all bring something to the back story, a more chronological retelling would have been helpful.

Diamond's white mother is a lesson in frustration. She hitchhikes with young Diamond and gets into cars with strangers, she is in no way helpful in curbing Diamond's eating habits, and she continuously puts dreamy ideas into Diamond's head of all the things they will have when she collects the insurance money yet she does no prep work for the lawyer regarding the declaration of death.

Diamond wants a drivers' license (a sure sign of maturity in her eyes). The scenes with the drivers' education instructor are disturbing and point once again to Diamond living in a world with no instruction booklet.

Essie Chambers's strongest writing appears in the form of letters written by Diamond's midwife ancestor Aunt Clara circa 1915. If there is any role model for young Diamond, Clara is it.

The author has made strong use of irony when Diamond gives away her bicycle at the beginning of the book, perhaps Diamond's way of giving up on her childhood. At the conclusion, Diamond's mother purchases two bicycles and lays the foundation for a new relationship with her daughter.

This is a moving account of a girl and her mother living in a racist town and barely getting by. The mother is white but the girl is mixed.
The story covers a lot of ground - self esteem, first friendships, mother/daughter relationships, identity, family history and how to make sense of a world where many things make no sense at all.

It's 1987 and Diamond is learning how to drive in her rural town of Swift River. It's just Diamond and her mom now that "Pop" has disappeared and it's important that Diamond learn to drive to fit in with the school crowd as well as help with family responsibilities. When Diamone receives a letter from an Aunt that she didn't realize existed she is transformed to a new life - a life where she isn't the only African-American in town, a life where she truly has a place in her family.

This story is a heart string puller! I loved Diamond and enjoyed the ride with her as she began to mature and "come of age." The flashback were interesting but Diamond was my favorite. This is a great novel for anyone who is looking to fit in and especially great for the many African American students that find themselves the sole Black learner in a classroom. #simon&schuster #essiechambers #swiftriver

Swift River by Essie Chambers is a swirling generational saga describing an absent father and the women who suffer the ripple effect of his disappearance. It opens in 1987 with his now 16-year-old daughter, Diamond Newberry, telling her story as the only black person in her town of Swift River. She and her mother have to hitch rides to get anywhere and are trying to make ends meet after Diamond's dad left them eight years earlier. The storyline dips back into this time, revealing Robbie Newberry’s character and complicated past, as well as the turbulent relationship between he and Diamond’s mom.

Meanwhile, Diamond, who is significantly overweight and isolated, is learning to drive in secret and dreams of breaking free from her drug dependent, co-dependent mother. About this time she gets a letter from a relative who tells her more about her dad’s family and offers Diamond a life-raft at a time she is about to be swallowed up by her life with her mom and their problems. A third timeline in the novel comes in the epistolary story of Diamond’s great-aunt and her life as a midwife working in Swift River after “the leaving,” when all the other blacks in town chose to leave rather than live in fear of their lives.

These three time periods and alternating perspectives of women in the Newberry family make for a captivating story, although I found the storyline around Diamond’s life to be the most engaging. Diamond's character-driven life is nuanced and hard-hitting while the other places and times seem two-dimensional. Chamber's writing is strong and peppered with poignant and original observations. Overall, I enjoyed the journey down Swift River and found myself wishing I could accompany Diamond on the next phase of her life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for the opportunity to slip into the lives shared in this touching debut.

Reading “Swift River” before its full release was truly a gift. This novel further reminds of the beauty in the way words can convey and hold so much. The character-building in this novel was done with such care and honesty that you could feel their joys and sorrows. This novel explored so many realms of life: the highs and lows that coming-of-age and navigating the complexity of one’s identity brings as well as explored the immense impact of intergenerational trauma due to racism, erasure, and historical displacement.

I truly appreciated the structure and inclusion of the letters from Diamond’s relatives. This novel reminded me of the power of letter writing and how they serve to document lived realities as well as bring healing and understanding to loved ones long after one has passed. A letter is a way of affirming life and preserving both its beauties and horrors. I look forward to more of Essie Chamber’s writing and am deeply grateful this novel exists.

****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an ARC of this inspirational read. Diamond is a young brown girl, the only one in fact in her entire town. Her father was a large black man and mom Caucasian. Seven years prior, her father disappears presumably drowned, but questions arise as to whether this is actually the case. While awaiting the seven year window to obtain an official death certificate in order to declare him officially deceased and collect his life insurance we follow their existence.

Diamond is resilient and smart. She preserveres through much adversity. Her mom is loving and over protective on one hand, on the other is somewhat unstable and quirky. Diamond faces prejudices from others for her excessive weight and the color of her skin. She takes it upon herself to save money and enrolls in a Drivers Ed class in order to learn to drive and gain independence. She enrolls without her mother’s permission, it is here she finally makes a friend.

During this time (she’s about 16) a family member of her father’s begins to write letters to Diamond. She has lots of family details and history to share. This has a profound effect on Diamond’s life.

Visiting Swift River was a beautiful trip. This is an excellent read. Believable with likable, realistic characters. Intrigue (was her dad really dead? I’m still not sure). The letters from Aunt Sweetie were informative and loving. Her family never gave up wanting to be part of her life.