“The River’s Daughter” is a powerful memoir about a woman embracing adventure to overcome adversity. Bridget Crocker’s life was spent on numerous rivers guiding rafting trips, from which she learned how to survive and recover from childhood trauma. Throughout her life she carried many external and internal scars from her mother’s neglect and her father’s anger. She had to let go of her past, which kept her imprisoned and unable to move forward. It took her many years to understand that releasing that anger would help her heal, both personally and in her relationships with others, particularly her mother and father.

The book was beautifully written, although I struggled with many of the descriptions about the white-water rapids and how the raft had to navigate them. It’s obvious she had a turbulent upbringing and found solace and peace on the water; however, she also turned to alcohol and drugs at the slightest adversity or sign of anxiety. Her descriptions about Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the differences between the two countries, was enlightening.

It’s amazing she found the forgiveness to reconcile with her father and end the cycle of abuse with her own children. The biggest problem I had with the book is that it is extremely detailed until the end, when it seems to rush through the next twenty years in the epilogue. On one page she writes about marrying her old boyfriend when she was twenty-five. Then several pages later she talks about her estrangement from her mother when she was in her thirties and forties. Then all the sudden she is married again with children and graduated college. Maybe it would not have added to the story, but I would have liked to learn more about her later life and what happened to her mother.

I recommend this memoir to people who like adventure and travel stories as well as to those who like reading how people overcome tremendous obstacles and childhood trauma. More importantly, how to learn to forgive those who caused tremendous pain.

There’s something uniquely difficult about critiquing a memoir that bravely recounts childhood trauma, especially when it centers experiences of abuse and survival. And in many ways, this book is commendable for the raw vulnerability it offers. The author’s prose is lyrical and often striking, and I appreciated how she draws on the natural world—especially rivers—as a quiet undercurrent to her story. Her love of the water and the solace it brings is palpable, and moments of introspection tied to place or landscape were among the most powerful in the book.

That said, I sometimes struggled with the way certain events were framed. The moral lines in the story felt a bit too clean, with the author often portrayed as the only one seeing clearly in moments of conflict. This left me wishing for more nuance, especially in the treatment of her father’s redemption and the unsettling dynamic with Steve. I also found myself wanting more “showing” than “telling”—more room to feel the emotional weight rather than being instructed on how to receive it. And while the rivers she travels hold symbolic meaning, I had hoped for a deeper exploration of river ecology to accompany the memoir’s emotional journey. Still, this book offered moments of resonance and reflection that stayed with me long after I finished it.

Wow, this was a really good memoir! There was some backstory about her shitty parents, but not an excess of navel gazing. Her parents seemed to have remained shitty, for the most part throughout the story, but she didn't dwell on it overly much. I really loved the whitewater stories - it was like reading a thriller and waiting for something bad to happen, which it sometimes did. What a ride!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to read and review.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the DRC of #TheRiversDaughter. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This heartbreaking memoir of a difficult childhood combined with excellent adventure/travel writing is a really great read. Crocker writes honestly about her turbulent upbringing - physical & sexual abuse, drinking and drugs. But she finds peace on the water and the resilience she learned surviving helps her become a world-class whitewater rafting guide. From Wyoming and California to Zambia and back, Crocker writes about finding the strength that helped her reconcile with her family and end the cycle of abuse and trauma.

Really well done!

What an incredible life captured in this memoir. I thought Crocker did a great job in pacing, bringing the reader around the world in her outdoor leadership experiences, and tackling heavy subjects. Her resilience in the challenges she faced early in life is astonishing. What I found particularly captivating is the way she described her relationship with nature - water specifically; she learned about the spaces she occupied and let the water guide her. Her descriptions of the nuances of racism in the outdoor recreation business were very informative as well.
That being said, that was the craziest epilogue I have ever read and I would absolutely read another memoir of hers covering any and everything she mentioned in the epilogue.

Bridget had a few good years with a decent stepfather. They were poor and lived in a trailer, but they had the outdoors to nourish them in a way material goods could not. But when her mother went through some kind of psychological change and fell for an eco-warrior, Bridget’s existence became unsafe. From a young age her mother was supplying her drugs and alcohol. Moving in with her biological father in California meant having money, but it also meant constant physical and emotional beatings. She had to look out for herself from a young age, and she did that by becoming a world-class white water rafting guide. This career took her all over the world in a role that not many women held, at least at the time. As you can imagine, the memoir is perilous on and off the river.
NetGalley provided an advance copy of this book, which RELEASES JUNE 3, 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for the ARC of this book on exchange for an honest review. I was hoping to enjoy this story more than I did. Although it was well written I just could not get into the story at all and found myself reading just to finish it. I seem to be in the minority on my review so maybe it just was not for me at this current time. Just not for me but maybe worth a try if you’re into memoirs and whitewater rafting.

This memoir takes a profound look into the author's childhood and the challenges she faced growing up in an abusive environment. Crocker grapples with creating meaningful connections, largely influenced by her parents' turbulent marriage and eventual divorce.

Wanting to escape from her environment, Bridget signs up to lead tours in the Zambian river in Africa. While there Bridget comes into her own more and discovers how to put herself and her needs first.

The River's Daughter brings in themes of abuse, independence, resiliency and forgiveness all through one woman's personal story. It will have a profound effect on how you view survivors of personal circumstance.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

As I have said before, I love books, fiction and nonfiction, that take place in the wilderness or just the outdoors in general. This book had that and I was delighted and learned a lot. This writer, Bridget Crocker, grew up with neglect and abuse as a child. The only thing that seemed to make her happy was the river behind her trailer park. Because of this, she grew up to become a river guide learning on white water rapids. There are several classes of rapids and I learned a lot about this and also how to row properly on the water to make the raft turn and how to run the rapids. She guided the Snake River behind her trailer park in Wyoming and also Zambia, which I thought was so interesting. She healed herself working as a river guide. If you have ever gone white water rafting or have thought about doing it, I think you would enjoy this book. She lists the content warnings at the beginning of the book, so read those first before you decide if this book is for you.

This read was ok it didn’t grab my attention as much as I would like but I would give this author another try

When reading this powerful story I had to remind myself it was a true story, a memoir of Bridget Crocker’s life, and not just a fictional tale. This is a powerful story of survival, it has heavy themes (there’s messages at start of book), but it’s about courage, strength and resilience, and the power the river had in helping shape her life. There’s a large amount of the story based around Bridget’s whitewater rafting and being a water guide, and, although something I’d never take part in, I throughly enjoyed the whole story. I found this story very moving and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a memoir

The River’s daughter is a memoir of a woman’s journey through h*ll to a place of strength and peace. The first half or so deals with Bridget’s tumultuous childhood. It’s difficult to read what she went through but necessary to know to understand her fight to escape the hurt and pain and find happiness. I give her so much credit for getting herself out of that place and into one where she emerges as a leader and a kind person. Bridget finds that through learning how to be one with the rivers she is on as she guides people on river rafting excursions. The second half of the book follows this journey. It tells about her learning how to be strong mentally as well as physically and emotionally. There were times that I felt there was too much detail about going through river rapids where I ending up skimming through those parts. Once I got past that and it delves more into Bridget’s interpersonal relationships with the people around her I was kept interested. I enjoyed learning about the cultural differences in Africa, where she spent a great deal of time as a guide, as sad as some of those differences are. It comes together well at the end, giving us readers information on what happens with her relationship with her family. This was a well written memoir that gives a feeling of hope and optimism.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this unreal life story! The River’s Daughter was an amazing story of Bridget Crocker a white water rafting guide and travel writer and her trials and tribulations she faced growing up in an abusive household. She’s then moved across a state to learn how to basically live and on her own after her mother had a midlife crisis from her previous trauma as a child. Bridget learns her mom has lost all her motherly instincts as a caregiver and decides it would be better to move back with her father which leads to physical abuse. She returns to Jackson hole where she meets again with Steve, a former boyfriend of her young aunt and begins her love of rafting. Bridget learns a lot about herself and her family traveling back and forth from Wyoming to Africa guiding and floating multiple river rapids. She learns a lot about African culture and how culture is hard to change.
The imagery and descriptions of all the white water trips she sets forth on were fantastic! Bridget makes the reader feel as though we’re right there in the boat with them. The stress and adrenaline reading some of these passages was unreal! I loved it! I don’t even like rafting! I can see this book in film some way or another. I highly recommend this book!

The River's Daughter is a breathtaking memoir by Bridget Crocker. Not just an account of an experienced whitewater rafting guide, it is also a heartbreaking take of a young lady having to grow up in broken homes. Bridget's life has been hard, and the river has always been a place she can feel herself at. This is a memoir filled with trauma, growth, beauty and brokenness. This is a novel of resilience and breaking free of generational abuse and poverty. This is a memoir of hope.

When I first started reading The River's Daughter and saw the trigger warnings (domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, sexual assault, and racism, I thought "Uh oh..." I'm glad I kept reading, however. Sadly, these wretched things do happen. I feel the author had more than her fair share but she didn't allow it to shape her entire life.

The author's descriptions of her work as a world-class whitewater rafting guide kept me enthralled. One of my favorite parts was the great respect the author showed water. I loved when she would speak to the river before each rafting trip.

I recommend this inspiring story of perseverance, bravery, and strength!

Thank you, #SpiegelAndGrau, for providing this book for review and consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The River's Daughter has an expected publication date of June 3, 2025.

#BridgetCrocker #MemoirBiography #WhiteWaterRafting #StrongFemaleProtagonist

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. I absolutely loved this one! Crocker's writing is pure and beautiful. I highlighted many passages not only for the beautiful prose but the powerful messages. I have to say that I love white water rafting, and when on a trip, I envy the guides' freedom and connection to nature. Crocker captures that spirit perfectly.

But this is not just a book about an exciting sport, it's the story of Crocker's own early experiences with the Snake River and her very troubled parents who although were abusive, still gave her gifts that have allowed her to create her adventurous and fulfilling life. It's disturbing and frustrating to read of her terrible experiences in childhood, and the insensitive adults who allow the abuse to continue, not believing what she tells them. But Bridget's spirit and determination to escape carry her through the terrible times and she emerges a strong, confident, capable woman in the end.

I look forward to reading more by this author. This must be her first book as her other works are all magazine articles.I hope she's working on another book!

It's never easy to read about abuse, but a theme of finding healing and peace in nature gives some relief. I was not able to get far enough along to find as much of that as the very beginning alluded to, but hope that it developed as the story went along. The comparison to Educated seemed apt as far as I read.

Bridget Crocker's book, The River's Daughter, is a vivid and exciting account of her work as a world-class whitewater rafting guide. When Bridget's mother unexpectedly changed the way she lived and related to her family, Bridget looked to rivers for her life's purpose. This is a fascinating story of adventure, trauma, pain and transformation.

The River's Daughter is the kind of book that pulls you right into the story. I could practically feel the water splashing and hear the rapids rushing. Bridget Crocker does an amazing job of making you feel like you're rafting alongside her.
This memoir kept me hooked, with a good balance of adventure and personal growth. Crocker navigates the complex and painful relationships in her life as deftly as she navigates the churning waters of rivers across the world. While it felt slow at times, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend giving it a read. If you're into adventure stories or just want to experience a wild river trip from the comfort of your couch, this book is for you. 4 stars!

This was an unusual book, dealing with a whole lot of trauma from family and coming out on the other side with a strong affinity for rivers and wild water. She relates to the river as a surrogate parent and gets support from just being around it.
Her talent at white water rafting is quite detailed and hair raising, but interesting, to those of us who would never dream of such a dangerous pursuit.
She became a strong person in the community and had gained a lot of life-skills though her involvement with the business of taking tourists down some of the most dangerous rivers in the world.
I enjoyed it