
Member Reviews

What the River Keeps is a beautifully told story about confronting a painful and confusing childhood for one character (Hildy) and overcoming a family tragedy for another (Luke). Set on the stunning Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, Hildy’s healing mirrors that of the long-dammed Elwha River that she participates in restoring as a fisheries biologist. While the story does contain brief relationship violence and childhood psychological abuse, it is truly a story about the resilience and healing power of love of all kinds—spiritual, familial, romantic, and that for the natural world. Vivid, skillful writing and deep emotions kept me up late reading this powerful book. I highly recommend it. I received an advanced reader copy of What the River Keeps to review. All opinions are my own.

Bostrom has done it again! What the River Keeps delivers all of what I’ve come to expect from Bostrom, and so much more: lyrical writing that slowly drew me into the story, deeply nuanced and authentic characters that kept me there, and a plot with more twists and turns than the Elwha River. This redemption story is all about healing—healing nature and healing hearts. A must-read!

As an avid reader, I’ve read countless books, but What the River Keeps truly stood out as a story of redemption, depth, and surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel—not only for its engaging plot but also for its ability to genuinely surprise me. Despite my experience with many storylines, I found myself guessing incorrectly more than once, which made the twists all the more enjoyable. I love a well-crafted surprise, and this book delivered.
One of the most personal moments for me came during the chapter involving packing animals into the mountains. Having done that with my family as a child, I was struck by the author’s accuracy in describing the experience. It brought back vivid memories and added another layer of connection to the story.
But this novel is more than just scenic accuracy or plot twists. The characters are fully developed and authentic, and the emotional undercurrents run deep. It’s a thoughtful, engaging read from start to finish.
I would highly recommend What the River Keeps to anyone who appreciates a compelling story with heart, surprises, and beautifully drawn characters.

What the River Keeps is a beautifully written book that will affect you deep in your bones. I felt every single emotion that Hildy felt; her anguish, her fear, her mistrust, and slowly, eventually, that shimmer of hope. Luke was a perfect counterpart to Hildy, his own grief still raw and tender, but he saw strength and resilience in Hildy that she couldn’t see for herself, and I loved his gentleness, his kindness, and his devotion—even when things looked bleak. This story takes us to the heart of nature and all its beauty, its own resilience when unnatural means try to stop its force and its lifeblood. There is also a mysteriousness to this story, as Hildy shares moments from her past that are confusing and painful; memories and mysteries that shape her present and her future, as she shields herself from being hurt again. I hope readers will embrace these characters and their stories as I have. I hope readers will hold its wisdom, its love, its redemption, its hope, and its gentleness in their hearts and minds. I received an advance reader copy of this book.

I went into What the River Keeps with great expectation having read Cheryl Bostrom’s other recent books, Sugar Birds and Leaning on Air. I was not disappointed! From the first page, Bostrom had me hooked. Her writing is beautiful, evocative, believable. Her characters are real and her knowledge and experience of the location add a depth and authenticity that put me smack dab in the scenes. Hildy is a complex protagonist I truly came to love. I have already recommended What the River Keeps to a young-adult fiction aficionado who wants faith-based stories that are not preachy. All of Bostrom’s fiction does that bill.

Hildy Nybo guards her privacy as tightly as she guards her fear of forgetting. From the continual disappearance of meaningful things in her childhood, Hildy’s obsession with collecting, preserving, numbering and documenting the details of each waking moment presents itself as systematic and obsessive behavior. Her attention to detail serves her well in her professional life, but Hildy must find a way to dismantle the mental and spiritual dams created by the trauma of loss in her younger years.
Hildy journeys through faith-finding, doubting and gifting in an unglossed manner. Her detour from developing authentic relationships reflects a common phenomenon of “settling for less,” when that which is genuine seemingly costs too much.
Supporting characters include the vibrant waters that wash and flow through Hildy’s story, where both humans and nature twist through their own tumultuous meanderings. The journey to redemption of the Elwha river provides a companion protagonist as Hildy unwittingly confronts her own blockades. Their paths interweave and intersect to unfold the truths necessary to set free and redeem that which was lost.
What the River Keeps is a story well worth a slow read. I’m typically a fast reader, always hungry to know the next turn in the plot, but this book required a second, slower read for me to soak in the details and the characters that bring depth, color and movement to the rhythm of the story. As in Sugar Birds and Leaning on Air, Cheryl Bostrom has crafted a novel rich in descriptive artistry and the continual intrigue of the human spirit. What the River Keeps now sits on top my recommended reading list for book-loving friends and family.

Oh my -- this is an amazing book! I loved the flawed characters. Dysfunctional family. Gaslighting. Broken people who find love. Highly recommend!

Secrets. Lost history. A missing past. The river keeps many things from the main character, biologist, Hildy. I found myself hoping she would find all that matters on the banks of that same river as I turned the pages. Beautiful Story.

WHAT THE RIVER KEEPS – Book Review Colleen Evans
This book is a fictional account of a woman (Hildy Nybo), raised in a dysfunctional family with many “family secrets”. She develops coping mechanisms to deal with those secrets, rooted in a need to survive childhood trauma. Unfortunately, most childhood coping mechanisms do not translate well into healthy adulthood; yet, oftentimes an adult will continue to rely on what is so familiar. And so does Hildy, until both circumstances and sympathetic adults enter her life, compelling her to set aside her assumptions about herself and the lies she has been told.
This story of dysfunction, healing, forgiveness, and redemption, occurs in a setting of magnificent natural beauty, pulsating with life in the verdant forests of the Pacific Northwest. Hildy’s occupation involves removing old dams, reviving a dead river, releasing cleansing water, and providing new life to her beloved fish. All of this is a metaphor for Hildy coming to terms with her old life filled with painful anxiety and personal limitations; and her new life briming with freedom and possibilities.
Hildy’s story is a roadmap to healing for all those who have been wounded by childhood family secrets and the lies they hold. It is a story of hope and the redeeming power of love and forgiveness.
I received an advanced copy of the book and the above is my personal opinion. I also pre-ordered a personal copy to be released August, 2025.

I going to be honest and say that I really don't like sad books. I almost decided not to finish and review it because it talks about hard subjects and in all honesty it scares me.
This is a subject that I don't like to think about losing one's mind and not remembering anything. To me, it's a slow and painful death.
I do feel sorry for Hildy. In my opinion she comes out the true heroine of this story.
June and Otis are cool characters too. I love June's support of Hildy.
I love her saying; "Many hands make light work."
I feel that this is a healing story for Hildy because family secrets do come out eventually. No matter how hard you try.
This story also talks about Forgiveness and Redemption along with healing.
I loved the many biblical verses scattered throughout the book. They are gentle reminders that God is always near that He does answer prayers just not the way we want sometimes.
4 stars for how this book made feel and the slow p
I had a hard time getting into this one but as I kept reading it finally turned out ok. Just not my favorite
My thanks for a copy of this book from Interviews and Reviews via Netgalley from Tyndale publishers

Hildy Nybo has a career she enjoys as a biologist. Past trauma compels her to document her entire life so that no detail is forgotten, and her job makes it easy for her to do those things that keep her on an even keel. When her mother becomes ill, Hildy somewhat reluctantly returns to her childhood hometown, both to care for her mother, and to help with an exciting project to reclaim her beloved river. When she begins a relationship with her neighbor's brother, Luke, something she said she'd never do, he gently helps her to examine the reasons for her trauma, as he has had to do for himself.
This is a beautifully written story of flawed humans, which we all are, seeking to find joy in spite of difficult memories that threaten to overwhelm the soul. I loved the descriptions of the mountains and rivers of the Pacific Northwest and could easily picture the camp where Hildy grew up. I would gladly read other titles by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love Cheryl Bostrom’s writing and this is my favorite book of hers. Like her other books, this one displays her talent for vivid descriptions, unique characters, and development of meaningful themes. What the River Keeps contains pain and heartache, but is all about healing. Healing of rivers and nature. Healing minds and hearts. Healing of trust and relationships. Healing of faith in God and His Word. The story grabbed me from the start and held my attention to the end!

Cheryl Grey Bostrom once again delivers a story that makes my heart ache, sing and feel full to bursting. What does the river keep? It keeps chilling secrets, hidden in its cold, murky depths. It keeps the wild, giddy hope of an abundant and free life, for the fish trying so desperately to return to their spawning waters and for the young woman trying so desperately to hide from the very love that will rescue her. It keeps my undivided attention. A must read!

!!!!This is Cheryl's best book yet!
I can't put it down... I'm on the last few chapters and really don't want it to end.
I love love love the way she phrases things.
For example:
• "You'll never forget her, sweetie, your heart's big enough for a past and a future. Love's not either or you know."
• A soup of feelings she didn't understand and couldn't describe washed over her.
• His truck retreated in Hildy's rearview mirror above her bright red cheeks.
• A near shore fogbank wafted inland, gauzing river and sky.
• ....frowned into his story
• She tucked a calf under her thigh, her hand to her mouth, wishing his pain into the mossy cliffs.
• I'm all in Hildy. Not with some God I tap for favors, but with a living tsunami who raises the dead.
• Those river water eyes of hers darted left.
• She tasted the descriptions that crossed her tongue.
• Hildy between his bumper and the trunk of the high limb fire, sniffling wet runnels on her cheeks, shone in the lashes.
• She floated like that stream over the lake. Her fluidity a descant to the foot stomping fiddle music.
The vocabulary.... the imagery....the story line....the depth of feeling, ...the rich spiritual aspect...all of it!

What the River Keeps got my attention from the first pages and kept me reading. I love complicated characters who are dealing with real life issues. Messy relationships, strong faith element, fully fleshed out characters, sweet and tender romance. I love stories that illustrate the concept of beauty from ashes. While mystery and a romantic relationship is threaded throughout the story, the main message I got was one of overcoming deep emotional wounds and dealing with the past.
The writing is lovely, and Cheryl Grey Bostrom’s attention to detail of the setting shows both her knowledge of the natural world and her writing skill.
The depictions and interactions between Hildy and her mother, in the past and the present, felt very realistically portrayed for this type of dysfunctional family dynamic. I was so into the story, I was feeling all the things about this relationship.
When I finished the book, my knee-jerk reaction was to want a different (less kinder) resolution between the mother and daughter, but on reflection, the author’s choice was probably the best one to make. I think books that make readers pause, think, and examine their own hearts are some of the best types of fiction.
I liked that the idea of people being responsible for their own healing is addressed. Kudos to the author for tackling such a sensitive and complicated subject.
A one-sitting read for me. (Unusual, as I tend to hop between books, but this one had my full attention and ticked all my boxes.)
I would’ve liked for the ending to be a bit more fleshed out in some aspects, but overall found it a very enjoyable read with a satisfactory resolution. Recommended for readers looking for interesting, character-driven, Christian women’s fiction that has romance and deals with mental health issues and overcoming past hurts.
I was blessed with an early copy of What the River Keeps. All opinions are my own.

What the River Keeps is a story focused on healing. Hildy and Luke need to figure out how to look to the future and not focus on the past. This was in interesting book covering struggles not typically talked about and the beautiful story of restoration that comes through the pages is one that will linger on in my mind.

What the River Keeps paints a beautiful picture of the power of persevering love to bring healing to those who have given up on themselves. When Luke meets Hildy, he’s dealing with the devastation of losing his family, but his heart tells him it’s time to move on. Hildy is convinced her past will control her future. Can Luke help her escape the lies that hold her captive? Cheryl Gray Bostrom provides us with another insightful story, and once again, her research adds a depth of substance not usually found in novels of this genre.

When I took a sneak peek at the prologue just to dip my toes in, I knew I was going to love this literary masterpiece. Right from the start, the character depth is undeniable.
I loved CGB's two previous books so there's a little apprehension starting this 3rd work because... what if it disappoints? I mean, even a prologue can be misleading.
Y'all. This book does not disappoint.
A few chapters in, my husband asked me what the book is about. Honestly, I couldn't tell him. It's about God songs and fish. How do you tell someone that without sounding crazy?
Oh, it's also about being crazy. And about a river being set free. It's about a daughter being set free. It's about all of us. Being set free. And being a little crazy.
It's about generations.
I read this entire book with my whole heart- hoping, praying, that it hit the mark. It did. It hit every mark I could have hoped for it to hit. I lived in this book while I read it. I didn't want to leave.
Upon completion, I started it anew to read it again with eyes that already knew the end. The beautiful, heart wrenching, wonderful, difficult end. That's all the spoiler I'm willing to give.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tyndale Fiction for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom
There is much to like about this book: the unusual setting and topic, the quirky characters, the unusual storyline, the plot twists that keep the reader guessing, the lyrical writing.
I totally enjoyed this book. It is infused with hope and unconditional love despite some desperate circumstances the characters experience. Readers looking for a clean romantic read with imperfect characters who live out Christian principles, and a beautifully written story, should grab this book.
I am grateful to the publisher for the complimentary arc in return for this, my honest review.

So this book, What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom was not what I expected, but yet it was so much more!! Sometimes lies are not what they seem! This is a story of working through trauma and overcoming it with God and friends.
The first part of the book was a bit slow going for me, but once I got to the middle I understood why, and oh the ending, so not what I expected. So that was a shock!
I enjoyed the characters, relationships, and Hildy’s job, since I have some close friends that work in that field.
It is an inspiring story of faith and the importance of friendships, and learning to trust.
So readers, be sure to add this book to your list and pick it up when it releases later this summer!