Where the Rivers Merge is a sweeping, multigenerational Southern epic that blends historical fiction, environmental themes, and emotional depth into a truly unforgettable story. The dual timeline structure works beautifully, following Eliza from childhood to her senior years. This novel honors the past while also reminding us of the need to protect the future.

I don't often think of Mary Alice Monroe as an historical fiction writer, but I really enjoyed this book. I love coastal South Carolina so I really enjoyed the setting and history of the area. The characters were well developed and I was engrossed by Eliza's childhood reflections. I can't wait to read the next book!!

Such a powerful and insightful read! I absolutely loved the characters, the storyline and the underlying message about the urgent need for all of us to be aware of when it comes to taking care of our planet is very poignant. I will warn you - you will easily get hooked into the storytelling presentation of the narrator and like me, be disappointed at the end of the last chapter, so definitely read the Author's notes (*spoiler alert, a second book follows to complete the tale!)!
Eliza tells a story of love, loss and change throughout the first 80 years of the 1900's and brings the reader along on a journey to fully appreciate the importance that being connected to not only history, but the land around us brings. Highly recommend - 5 stars! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this gem!

Thank you to the book’s publisher and NetGalley for the ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

Grateful to have been a part of the Rivers’ family while reading this audiobook! Thoroughly enjoyed the characters and descriptive setting. I did not know this was the first installment of a series and felt a bit let down at the end because the resolution was left incomplete. I will definitely be checking out the second book when it becomes available!!

4 out of 5 stars and my respect to the author.

Eliza Rivers looks back on the story of her life in the place she loves the most: her estate, Mayfield, in South Carolina's low country. It's a family saga and an eco-novel. I enjoyed the prose, but beware it's part one of a duology and doesn't wrap up neatly..

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-copy of Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe in exchange for a honest review.This is a wonderful, well-written piece of historical fiction set in the Low Country of South Carolina in different time periods between 1908-1988 when the main character Eliza ages between 8 and 88. Eliza is a strong female born at a time where women were supposed to be seen and not heard.She lives her life at Mayfield with her best friend Covey who is black.Eliza faces many challenges throughout her life from trying to be accepted by her parents for the person she is, to dealing with tragedy when her love is killed in the war and she is shunned by her best friend to finally trying to save the land she loves for future generations.Truly a story of a strong, courageous woman who faces many trials and tribulations in her life only to emerge as a force of nature.

Really nice beginning to a two part series. It works as a read-alone, but will do much better with the second half of the story. It is a dual timeline story of Eliza’s life, starting near the end but picking back up the thread of her childhood and young adulthood. Eliza is a fascinating character, a strong woman who has controlled her destiny for a good part of her life and is fighting to pass on a legacy to the younger generation of her granddaughter and niece. It is an extremely well-written and engaging story, and I enjoyed it even without the culmination.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I loved Where the Rivers Merge! It’s a wonderful Southern story with a setting that feels alive and a strong female lead you can’t help but root for. Mary Alice Monroe does such a great job weaving together family, nature, and resilience.

The only downside? Now I have to wait for the next book to find out what happens to the property! Already looking forward to the next installment.

Where the Rivers Merge is Historical Fiction at it's finest! Monroe is a beautiful storyteller, describing the Southern way of life on a South Carolina plantation in the early 1900's. The novel begins in 1988 with Eliza, the matriarch of the family, and the CEO of the family company. She is in her 80's and contemplating retirement. However, her greedy son wants to sell the family land, Mayfield. Eliza is attached to the land, and for good reason, is trying to set it up in a conservation so that the land cannot be developed.

The bulk of the novel takes place in the early 1900's into the 1920's where young Eliza Rivers, the middle child and only daughter of the Rivers family, roams the family farm without a care in the world, other than the fact that she wasn't born a boy. She is a free spirit- she loves adventure, all things nature, and her horse, Capitano. This part of the novel is where 1988 Eliza is telling her story and the importance of Mayfield to her granddaughter and great niece.

I quickly grew attached to Eliza and Covey, her best friend at Mayfield. I loved the relationship the two shared. Monroe did a great job of navigating the racism at the time and how naive young Eliza was to it all. There were so many heart breaking moments throughout the novel, I cried at a point. As an avid reader, I could deduct what was going to happen, but it still hurt nonetheless as Monroe made you attached to the characters. One thing that I did not see coming that I think should be told from the beginning is that this is book one in a series. It does not have a resolution and it ends on a cliffhanger. I was a bit disappointed that this was not disclosed from the beginning, but with only a few chapters to go, I knew the author wasn't going to be able to wrap it up neatly and figured something was up. I am looking forward to a continuation and having these characters back, but I am not looking forward to having to wait for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this richly layered Southern historical novel—its vivid setting and compelling characters drew me in from the start. However, the ending felt a bit rushed but learning it's to be part of a series would explain that.

📚 Title: Where the Rivers Merge
Author: Mary Alice Monroe
Genre: Historical Fiction / Environmental Saga

Atmospheric and sweeping — a multigenerational tale rooted in land, legacy, and the resilience of one remarkable woman. Set between 1908 and 1988, the novel follows Eliza Rivers as she fights to preserve her family’s Mayfield estate in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Through wars, storms, and generational strife, Eliza's fierce connection to the land defines her life and the legacy she leaves behind.

Mood: 🌿🏡🌊🕰️
🌿: The rich Lowcountry flora and wildlife
🏡: A family estate passed through generations
🌊: Storms, rivers, and nature’s ever-present influence
🕰️: A story woven across decades

Lush, heartfelt, and deeply restorative — this saga masterfully blends environmental care with a matriarch’s love for land and family. It’s perfect for readers who treasure nature-driven historical fiction.

This novel spans multiple generations and features a dual timeline from 1908 to 1988, centering on Eliza Rivers and her cherished home, Mayfield.
Eliza shares her stories, as well as those of her family and her childhood friend, Covey, to her granddaughter Savannah and great-niece Norah.
It’s a remarkable tale of strength, friendship, love, and sadness, all while providing rich details about animals, nature and land conservation. Discussions of war and racism are also prevalent in this narrative.
For me, the ending was unexpectedly abrupt since I was unaware of the sequel and I am now eagerly anticipating The Rivers End.
Mary Alice Monroe's role as one of the narrators added depth to my listening experience, creating a stronger connection to the story.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to listen to this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book is set in two different time periods, the early 1900's and the 1980's. Eliza is a precocious young girl growing up in the South Carolina low country with her brothers and best friend. In the 1980's she is slowly rolling her story of love and loss out for her granddaughter. I couldn't put the book down and was so disappointed to find out I had to wait for another book for her story to finish, but that just means I get a whole other book to read!

Is it possible for a novel to change the way you view the world around you? Author Mary Alice Monroe has been writing environmentally-focused fiction set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina for decades. Told with much heart and a touch of humor, many of her novels have brought to the forefront conservation concerns, including sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, monarch butterflies, and shorebirds. In her new novel, Where the Rivers Merge, Monroe aims even bigger by bringing to readers’ attention the ACE Basin, an estuary formed at the convergence of the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto at St. Helena Sound with the Atlantic Ocean. If you’re not from that area (like me), you may never have heard of this expansive home to marshes, wetlands, hardwood forests, and riverine systems.

As a fan of Monroe’s Beach House series (about sea turtle conservation), I could not wait to read this newest novel, which has been years in the making. I was so excited I didn’t even bother to read reviews for what it was about and then was blindsided when the book ended with a cliffhanger. So, I am here to warn you about what I apparently missed in all of the summaries: Where the Rivers Merge is the first of two novels telling the story of the ACE Basin, as it relates to her main characters. Set in 1988, Eliza Rivers Chalmers shares her story of personal challenges, mistakes, tragedies, and triumphs, as it relates to her beloved home Mayfield over the past 70 years.

Apparently, this is Monroe’s first historical novel, and she has done her homework. She carefully weaves in details to bring the past to life, though often her main character seems to forget the time period in which she lived (as demonstrated by her foolish and stubborn behavior, constantly coming up against patriarchy, racism, and primogeniture and being blindsided by the results). Perhaps she was demonstrating Eliza’s naivete with these instances, but her constant surprise regarding this would be my only true complaint about the book (and it’s minor).

Monroe’s lovely writing and masterful storytelling drew me in immediately and left me wanting more as the book suddenly ended without resolution. I am excited to read the conclusion, The River’s End, which is scheduled to be released in 2026. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This delightful book is set in the Lowcountry and takes the reader on a wonderful story line of the Rivers Family in the past and present. The Rivers family owns a beautiful estate called, Mayfield. Eliza, the young child in the family, spends her summer days enjoying the land and riding horses. The Great War tears the family apart and causes the family to take sides on important issues concerning the family estate.

The present-day Eliza, who is 88 years old, tries to explain to her granddaughter and relative of a former housekeeper the memories behind the days at Mayfield. The younger generation learns through Eliza's stories of the past just what happened at Mayfield and why this estate must be kept in the family.

This plot had my full attention since the first chapter. Monroe knows to weave together a story of multiple generations to deliver a beautifully written novel. I immediately looked up when the sequel would be released when I finished this book.

4.5⭐ rounded up
Told in two timelines, this hauntingly beautiful novel showcases the lowlands and the it's flora and fauna. In 1988, Eliza Rivers Chalmers DeLancy has shepherded her family's land and has initiated conservation easements and trusts. Her son attempts to upstage and oust her. At the shareholder meeting, she rises to the challenge and escapes to her beloved Mayfield with her granddaughter and grandniece. Once there, she tells them the story of Mayfield andher childhood. Entrancing and engaging. I can't wait for the second book that will finish the saga. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate enough to be able to both read and listen to this one. It’s a sweeping tale of the South Carolina Low Country. The timeline switches from the early 1900’s to 1988 and it concerns Eliza Rivers, who at the age of 88 is remembering her childhood and all that followed on the grand estate of Mayfield. The story touches on love, friendship, sorrow, war, segregation. The ending leaves us with questions unanswered, but another book is planned to follow this one.

The narration is excellent and the story flows at a beautiful pace. My compliments to the author for a compelling family story to be concluded later.

Four stars!

I received a copy of the digital ARC and ALC via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I was so excited to read Mary Alice Monroe's newest book. I really liked the alternating timelines and the strong strong FMC. At times this story did feel a bit dry and I had to take breaks from reading it. Overall, I think if you enjoy historical fiction, you'll really enjoy this story.

This is a dual timeline historical fiction book which takes place in Lowcountry, South Carolina.

The first timeline - starting in 1908, follows Eliza Rivers as she grows, wrestling with her place in her family as the only daughter and in society, both at the farm and in Charleston.

The second timeline - in 1988, starts with Eliza's 88th birthday and being the CEO and matriach of her family.

The majority of the book is during the early 1900s, and the talkes of Eliza's escapades and growing in to adulthood are so well told.

I've read several books by this author before and love her writing style. I believe this is Mary Alice Monroe's first historical fiction book and it is so good. This book did not disappoint. The way she weaves the native wildlife into the story really brings the setting of the story to life. You can feel the moss under foot and hear the songs of the birds that are the backdrop to the story.
Only issue I have with this book is that there is a book 2 and I can't wait until it is published to continue to read this story.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley and so glad I was able to read it.

A beautiful classic Mary Alice Monroe. Told over dual timelines this is the first book of two. A family saga based in the beautiful South with wonderful atmosphere and strong characters. I loved this story. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

You will find much to enjoy and absorb of the low country as you savor each chapter. A lovely story. I look forward to the next in series.