Simon & Schuster
Swift River: A Read with Jenna Pick
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A READ WITH JENNA TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK A National Bestseller Winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Award Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize One of The Washington Post's Best Books of 2024 An NPR Best Book of 2024 An Elle Best Book of 2024 A Boston Globe Best Book of 2024 An NAACP Image Award Nominee
"A book we all need to revive our souls" (Nicole Dennis-Benn): A "powerful novel...[that] broke my heart, and then offered me hope" (Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful) about a complicated bond between mothers and daughters, the disappearance of a father, and the long-hidden history of a declining New England mill town.
It's the summer of 1987 in Swift River, and Diamond Newberry is learning how to drive. Ever since her Pop disappeared seven years ago, she and her mother hitchhike everywhere they go. But that's not the only reason Diamond stands out: she's teased relentlessly about her weight, and since Pop's been gone, she is the only Black person in all of Swift River. This summer, Ma is determined to declare Pop legally dead so they can collect his life insurance money, get their house back from the bank, and finally move on.
But when Diamond receives a letter from a relative she's never met, key elements of Pop's life are uncovered, and she is introduced to two generations of African American Newberry women, whose lives span the 20th century and reveal a much larger picture of prejudice and abandonment, of love and devotion. As pieces of their shared past become clearer, Diamond gains a sense of her place in the world and in her family. But how will what she's learned of the past change her future?
A "sparkling" (The Washington Post), "poetic, and propulsive" (NPR) debut of first friendships, family secrets, and finding the courage to let go, Swift River heralds the arrival of a major new literary talent.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9781668027912
EAN:
9781668027912
Binding:
Hardcover
Pages:
304
Authors:
Essie Chambers
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
Published Date: 2024-04-06
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Swift River is a combination of a coming of age story, a bit of mystery, and historical fiction.Diamond Newberry is turning 18 in the summer of 1987 . She has grown up in the town of Swift River her entire life. The town hasn't really been a haven for her, she has never felt especially part of it's fabric. That summer, her father has been gone for 7 years and her mother is finally going to have him legally declared dead. After her father's disappearance Diamond was the only black person still living in Swift River. One of her Aunts on her father's starts to share letters with her, explaining their family history and the strength of the women that came before her. She learned about the shadowy day when all of the black people fled the town her people her people had called home for over a hundred years and how she and her father came to live there.The reader definitely hopes Diamond finds the future she deserves and learns to thrive.
I enjoyed the book, the story was powerful. I have already been recommending to friends as I was reading it. The truths in this story really hit me hard. Its unimaginable what the people of this era lived through.
There were some aspects of the story I liked. An okay read
I loved this book! I think everyone has known families that lived like the main character, but this book gives you a real feel for what it would be like to live like this! Best book that I have read in 2024! It reminds me of Kent Krueger at bit. In the since that it reads as sort of an adventure. Excellent read!
Nothing is or should be black and white. However, Swift River has seen transformation from an all-black community to a nearly all-white community, such that a single family has any black members. And for one family, the past and present finally merge closing gaps, filling space, and forging identity.This is not a light, easy-to-read book, not escapism. Instead, it is a slip inside these moments and see more fully. Examine the gray bits, strands, and times.
