✨Swift River by Essie Chambers✨

I enjoyed this one!

I loved Diamond so much, especially when we get her POV before her Pop disappears. She’s inquisitive and quick and observant of all the adults around her. The POV of her as a teenager shows her humor and I thought the dialogue between her and her mom was done so well. She was very much the adult in most situations, her mom appearing younger and child like.

I thought this story really shined when we were with Diamond. While I understood the POV of the two older generations, I personally felt like I was getting pulled out of the story when it switch to them. What Diamond learns from that has an impact on who she is, and you do see her grow and change near the end of the novel because of these connections, but I really felt like the strength of the novel was in Diamond’s sections as the main thread, and I finished the book wanting more.

Overall, I thought this was a great novel. It was a quick, engaging read.

Thank you @netgalley and @simonbooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Immediately finished and had to talk about it. I have hardly seen any reviews but this debut novel by Essie Chambers is very good and heart wrenching.

The novel has a split timeline following Diamond and biracial teen whose Black father goes missing and her and her white mother are left to grapple with the loss and 7yrs later fight to have him legally declared dead in order to get the insurance money. The timeline is from the year of his disappearance 1980 and 1987, the year they can legally have him declared dead.

They live in Swift River a tiny Northern mill town, which is also a sundown town, where all the Black families left after the mill forced them out with unjust wages and continued racial violence. Diamond’s dad came back to live with his dad and Auntie Clara who was the only one to stay after The Leaving.

Diamond is alone in the world. Her mom in unhealthily attached to her while also having no understanding of the challenges Diamond faces as the only Black person in town. They are living in poverty as her mother has let the house rot around them after the disappearance of her father. She has no friends until she starts her driving classes in an attempt to give herself hope of leaving and meets Shelley.

Shelley befriends Diamond and this is one of my most favorite parts of the novel. Through Shelley, Diamond finds some normalcy and is able to begin really growing into herself.

This book is heartbreaking. It shows the effects of inter generational racial trauma, the complications of having a biracial identity, poverty, fatness, sexual molestation, having a parent who can’t care for themselves or their child, and the ways in which trauma compounds Nd makes it difficult to get out.

This book tackles so much hardship and really heavy, painful topics, yet as you start realizing Diamond’s self awareness and how she is finding ways to take control of her life you can’t help but root for her. I really loved this book. The ending made me ugly cry. Gah the final interaction with Shelley and Diamond confronting her mom, and her mom’s surprise for her 😭😭😭😭

Where I think I can see people getting lost:

It has a slow start. I understand why though. I feel like you really have to understand how hopeless and entrenched in trauma responses Diamond and her mom are in and why. They have had no closure and her mom has lost the love of her life and has not been able to live beyond the hope of insurance money for her daughter. They are stuck.

It’s not only a split timeline but randomly an aunt reaches out to Diamond and starts corresponding and also then shares correspondence from her dad’s Aunt Clara which serves to help give the racist history of Swift River. This ends up being a bit much I’ll admit and may have been better served with another stylistic choice but I did really enjoy reading both the correspondence of Lena and Aunt Clara so it wasn’t really to big of an issue for me.

There is a side plot where Shelley is flirting with the driving teacher, Mr. Jimmy who is trying to be the cool teacher, and it escalates. It is a sidebar, but I do think it’s a danger of youth and growing up that is being shown. The girls especially Shelley feel their burgeoning young adulthood and rush to mature and older men take advantage of them (yes TW statutory rape). It’s yet another danger of navigating coming of age especially without parental love and guidance that both girls lack.

That said for me I really enjoyed this book. I think it’s an excellent debut! I’m looking forward to reading more from Essie Chambers in the future.

Author Essie Chambers brings us an unforgettable character in her debut novel 𝗦𝗪𝗜𝗙𝗧 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥. It’s 1987 and nothing about Diamond Newberry’s life is easy. In the seven years since her father vanished she’s been the only Black person in her small New England town. Her mom is a mess, barely able to keep them afloat. Over the years Diamond has gained more and more weight and it’s now to the point where it’s impacting her day to day life. Without any real friends, the one thing Diamond dreams of is getting her driver’s license. She longs for escape, but to where she’s unclear.⁣⁣
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“That’s how it came to me: I may be too fat for my bike, but I’m going to learn how to drive. I haven’t told Ma. The thought is like a puddle with a river inside it.”⁣⁣
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Diamond knows there’s a different world out there somewhere, a world where she fits in, a world that makes sense. When she receives a letter from her father’s cousin, Diamond begins to see the legacy of her family and how their struggles and their love paved a path where she now walks.⁣⁣
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All the threads of this story were tied together beautifully. The more I read, the more invested I was in Diamond’s life, and the more I wanted for her. 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 is an impressive debut and a great choice for the @readwithjenna June pick. I know it’s a story I won’t soon forget and I’m betting many others will feel the same. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25⁣⁣
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“Something is happening. The past is gathering itself together, taking a solid shape somewhere I can’t see, like hands on my shoulders from behind.”⁣⁣
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Thanks to @simonbooks for an electronic copy of #SwiftRiver.

This book had so many feelings, sadness in how a family treats family, sadness in the demise of a small mill town, bravery in wanted to be the one in the family to make the change to better oneself and of course hope. This book was tragic and beautiful at the same time, painting a picture of crumbling American small towns in the 1980s. I really liked this book, I think Diamond will be with me for some time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book follows multiple generations of a Black family and their migration in and out of Swift River, a former mill town. It primarily focuses on Diamond, a girl coming of age in Swift River. As the child of an interracial couple, Diamond is left as the only Black person in the town when her Dad disappears. This follows her finding out more about her Dad's family history, as well as uncovering what may have happened to him. While this book sounded right up my alley, it disappointed. The concept was interesting but poorly executed. The plot felt slow and I did not feel a deep connection to any of the characters. I felt the book was trying to be too much at once without committing to anything enough to fully flesh it out and capture the reader's attention. 2.75 stars!

Swift River is a coming-of-age that follows Diamond, the only Black person in a small town that has a long history of prejudice. After her father disappeared when she was little, Diamond's mom has never quite been the same, and Diamond longs to get away. An unexpected letter from a long lost family member and a new friendship start to change Diamonds worldview.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was beautifully written and very moving.

The story did jump around a lot though, and I'm not sure I was always quite able to connect the dots.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

A teenager learns about her family's past as she struggles to navigate her future in this warm but realistic story of race, class, and coming of age. It's 1987, and Diamond Newburry is literally the only Black person in Swift River, MA since her father vanished seven years ago. Diamond's weight problems make her stand out even more, and her loving but eccentric mother can barely hold the household together. Against her mother's wishes, Diamond is learning to drive, and as she faces adult challenges, she begins corresponding with her Auntie Lena, whose letters share the sweet and painful sides of their family's history. First time novelist Essie Chambers paints a loving, unblinking portrait of life in Swift River in the 1980s and the 1910s, as well as Diamond's life with her unreliable mom. It's an often moving, occasionally shocking portrait of love, family, and the legacies we live with.

"SWIFT RIVER" by Essie Chambers is a coming of age story filled with beautiful prose and astute observations. Diamond may be only 16 as the story opens, but her ability to see the inequities within her short but impacted life are spot on. Loved (and kept more than a little socially isolated by two extremely flawed parents) adds layer upon layer of conflict and self-doubt to a beautiful young child who truly only wants to be both seen AND loved.

Adding to those layers of angst is the fact that Diamond is the ONLY black girl in the titular town of Swift River. Having a white Mama, and a now going on seven years missing black Pop, makes her solitary black presence within her community stand out even more to the insensitive people she encounters on a daily basis. While our smart, articulate, thoughtful Diamond absolutely should not care about their opinions nor seek their approval, in her quest for identity, validation, and acceptance, she does.

The book was released on June 4, 2024. It is also "Read with Jenna's" June book selection. My thanks for the opportunity to read a galley proof copy and the chance to share my thoughts on this debut novel by Essie Chambers.

#SwiftRiver
#EssieChambers
#NetGalley

This beautiful debut is the story of Diamond, whose father disappears, and with them, her legacy that she must rediscover as the only Black person in her northeastern town. Diamond and her mother scrape by, working towards the painful truth of proving that her father is dead, which will allow them to finally receive insurance funds. In the interim, Diamond works and navigates Swift River as an outcast, dealing with the unpredictable moods and decisions of her mother. Chambers captures the essence of a poverty I understand and have experienced, highlighting the daily struggles that compound into frustration and desperation to get out—to get away—even from people and places you may love.

Diamond reconnects with her Aunt Lena via letters, slowly discovering her family history and its tie to this town. This history reveals the legacy of racism, but also the agency, rootedness, and power of her ancestors. Through the movement between these letters and watching the way they affect Diamond’s sense of self, the novel follows her coming of age. Diamond reaches towards this rich inheritance, which also includes a way fully into her self

Part coming of age story, part family history and the challenges of growing up Black in the town of Swift River. Diamond Newberry's father, Rob went missing seven years ago. She and her mother Anna are struggling to make ends meet. It is now 1987 and they can finally have Rob declared legally dead and claim the insurance money. Meanwhile, Claire's cousin Lena gets in touch with Diamond and sends her letters that Clare, Rob's aunt who raised him, had sent to Lena's mother, detailing life in Swift River for colored people 1915 onwards. This is a story about growing up colored, family relationships, the consequences of history and family secrets. It is told from the perspective of three Black women over different time periods. The story started out pretty strong but then somewhere towards the end I thought there were a lot of unanswered questions. Maybe there will be a sequel. Overall a quick, entertaining read.

Thank you Netgalley, Essie Chambers and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

Delightful, poignant, heartwarming coming of age story of a teenage bi-racial girl in a small Massachusetts town in 1980s.

This book was incredibly sad, in a surprising way. I knew the themes of grief, loss, racism, and general dysfunction would lead to a heavy read; however, Diamond so clearly needed a reliable adult and some community in her life, and I spent the whole book wishing that for her. Diamond endured so many traumas throughout her childhood, and just like real life, the ending did not bring a clean or satisfying resolution. Swift River tells an important (and often overlooked) history of sundown towns through the narrative of a family which experienced every iteration of American racism. I found the style of writing to be a little disorganized and I struggled to stay engaged at times, but this is entirely because of my own preferences.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for the ARC!

Swift River takes us back to the 1980's and a New England mill town that has seen better days. It seems that the town is just filled with hateful and mean people "....where everything that ever happens to you is a stain that fades but won't ever come out."
Diamond Newberry is a biracial 16 year old in a town with no other black residents, except for her father. But, one day, he's gone and she's left with her mother, who's white, has problems holding down a job, and seems to have a substance abuse issue. Diamond's also severely overweight and very insecure. We do see a happier Diamond through flashbacks from when she was younger and her family was together, before her father began to experience his own challenges that presumably led to his disappearance.
The storyline is structured around Diamond's secret journey to learn how to drive, and through this, we gradually learn more about her father's family and their history. The story is primarily told by three Newberry women from three different generations: Diamond, her Aunt Lena, and through letters from her Great Aunt Clara. Ms. Chambers effectively tackles themes of racism and prejudice, mental illness, love and loss.
There were a few challenges with Swift River. The story does jump around and can be confusing at times. The storylines for Shelley (Diamond's driving school friend) and Diamond's father sort of drift away. Swift River is an impressive debut novel and I look forward to read more from Ms. Chambers.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read Swift River in exchange for an honest review.

*3.5 stars rounded up.

Diamond Newberry is the only black kid growing up in the New England town of Swift River. But that's not her only problem: she's also quite obese and her father, Robert Vaughn Newberry, disappeared when she was seven. So her life has been quite tough; she has no friends and her mother Annabelle hasn't been stable enough to provide decently for them. Now, seven years have passed, and Annabelle's hope is to have Robbie declared dead so she can finally get her hands on his insurance money. THEN all their problems will be solved. But Diamond has other plans. She's been learning to drive and her father's aunt Lena from Georgia has been in secret contact, finally filling in the details about their family, so Diamond is getting a sense of who she really is.

Diamond is an interesting character whose experiences shed light on dealing with racial issues, the problem of weight shaming and a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship. The story ends leaving us hoping for the best for Diamond.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this debut novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

so beyond words good. I bought this on a whim and was not disappointed. I learned a lot about sundown towns, particularly the history of them in the story and authors note. I really loved Diamond and watching her come of age in a place and time unkind to her.

Diamond is the only black person in her small town in Massachusetts in the late 1980s, which makes everything about being an outcast at school even worse. Her father disappeared years ago, but was never legally declared dead. She lives with her white mother and they're barely able to make ends meet after her mother's poor life choices. When Diamond receives letters from a family member she never knew she had, she begins to learn more about her father and herself, and how she can fit into the world. This was a raw coming of age novel, but there were parts that dragged and I had a hard time sticking with it.

I love a good coming of age story and this one did not disappoint.
This book takes place in 1987,S Diamond lives in a sundowner town with her white mother and Black father. she and her dad were the only blacks. he father disappears and our story opens as Diamond's mother is trying to get her father declared dead so that they can collect his life insurance money.
The book packed a lot in: racism, family history, secrets, mother-daughter relationships, abandonment, and more.

I wanted more? Which sounds weird. Especially from the ending.
But i enjoyed this book a lot!

The debut novel SWIFT RIVER by Essie Chambers involves a narrator with whom it is hard to empathize. 16-year-old Diamond Newberry is obviously struggling with being biracial in a rural all white area and with some eating habits that have resulted in her being massively overweight. Reviews that say this story will break your heart are correct ... Diamond is not happy with herself and doesn't have a clear understanding of the causes or ways to escape her situation. After her father abandoned the family seven years earlier, Diamond has had little, if any, other immediate adult support and few clear goals, but plenty of acts of self-sabotage like purposefully leaving her bike to be stolen. I would be inclined to choose a different story, but SWIFT RIVER is a LibraryReads selection for June and a Read with Jenna selection. If members are inclined towards slow paced coming of age stories, there is much for book clubs to contemplate.

I liked this book. I like seeing how Diamond came into herself and learning more about her family history. I wish there were times where she stood up for herself more with her mom and told her look we have to do better. I think my favorite part of the book was the letters from her Aunt Clara and Lena. It was refreshing to see their take on Diamond’s dad paat and how the family became to live in Swift River. I wish though that there was some conclusion to what truly happened with Diamond’s dad. That plot line was left so open unless I missed it. The writing was very vivid and I felt like I was right there in Swift River experiencing everything with Diamond.

"Swift River" is a coming-of-age tale by Essie Chambers that takes us into the life of Diamond, a biracial teenager grappling with questions of identity, belonging, and heritage. Once her father suddenly disappears, Diamond must figure out how to make it through life without his presence (both the good and the bad), especially in the face of tending to her mother. As she is now the only Black resident of her town, she has to deal with growing up as an outsider as well as contending with rampant, salacious gossip involving her father.

Then, a relative from her father's side reaches out to her, and Diamond must continue to put the pieces of her family together, mostly behind her mother's back. The book alternates between several narrative windows: 1980 (right when Diamond's father disappears), 1987 (present-day, right before her father will be legally declared dead), and letters written from both present-day family members and her ancestors.

First off, I absolutely cherished Diamond's voice. I really got to know her character and felt the writing was strongest when she was in charge of her own story, telling me about her feelings and what she sees happening all around her. Chambers captured her moods, the uncertainty of that liminal space not only as a teenager but in the midst of familial and demographic upheaval, quite well. Without giving too many details away, there is a flashback scene involving an amusement park that was profound and poignant, a glimpse into the uncertainty of a young child amid tense family dynamics. That will stay with me for a long while.

I did, however, feel the story meandered in parts, especially in the second half. I would have loved to have more centralized focus being about Diamond and her coming to terms with what happened with her father: Did he leave? Did he disappear? Did something happen to him? That was the most propulsive part of the narrative, and I felt the resolution for that could have been stronger. I also didn't feel two side characters, Shelly and Mr. Jimmy, added much to the story and really felt they kind of got the strongest part of the story (Diamond's visceral voice) off the beaten path.

With that being said, I am glad I read this and will absolutely read more by this author. This story felt raw and compelling, and Chambers did do a great job getting us to explore Diamond's identity, especially on the cusp of the uncertainties of adulthood.