Review of American River: Tributaries
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David Isaji
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Review of American River: Tributaries
[Following is a volunteer review of "American River: Tributaries" by Mallory M. O'Connor.]
Three immigrant families settle along the American River in Northern California in the mid-nineteenth century. These families are; the McPhalans, the Ashidas, and the Morales. The ancestor of the McPhalans was an Irish immigrant who arrived in California in 1849 during the Gold Rush. He ended up settling in a ranch in Sacramento Area. The ancestor of the Morales was a Mexican immigrant, Juan, who inherited Rancho Las Posas, located in the south of Sacramento. However, after California became a state, Juan lost his land. This incident caused him to move back to Mexico. The ancestor of the Ashida family moved to California as part of a Japanese colony — the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony. The colonist purchased 200 acres of land near Gold Run. They practiced agriculture; unfortunately, financial difficulties and drought caused the disbandment of the colony. The lives of these three families intertwine over the years.
American River: Tributaries is a historical fiction written by Mallory M. O'Connor. It is the first book of a trilogy that brings to light a multigenerational story of three families. It is a tale about self-awareness, love, and loss. For the most part, the setting of the story is in Northern California. Honestly, this story kept me engrossed, eager to know what is on the next page.
In my opinion, character development was the most impressive thing about this book. The characters in this book have depth, real personalities, and clear motivations. Most of them go through internal conflicts as they seek their place in the world. For instance, Kate and Tommy are in an interracial marriage in the 1960s. During this time, racial tension in America was at an all-time high. The couple struggled to find acceptance for their interracial marriage. It was easy to empathize with the struggles that the characters were going through in this book.
World-building added authenticity to this story and provided an incentive that made me fully immersed in it. The author included historical context in this book. There was information about the world in which this story took place balanced with exotic details of relatable times in history; this kept the story grounded. For example, there were details about the Second World War. Every part of the world-building contributed to the advancement of the storyline. The ending of this book was good enough, and it set the stage for the next book in the installment.
This book is well-crafted; there is nothing that irked me about it. The editing was exceptional; I did not encounter any grammatical errors. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. Fans of Historical fiction will enjoy reading it. It contains content that might not be suitable for all audiences, including sexual scenes and profanity.
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American River: Tributaries
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Three immigrant families settle along the American River in Northern California in the mid-nineteenth century. These families are; the McPhalans, the Ashidas, and the Morales. The ancestor of the McPhalans was an Irish immigrant who arrived in California in 1849 during the Gold Rush. He ended up settling in a ranch in Sacramento Area. The ancestor of the Morales was a Mexican immigrant, Juan, who inherited Rancho Las Posas, located in the south of Sacramento. However, after California became a state, Juan lost his land. This incident caused him to move back to Mexico. The ancestor of the Ashida family moved to California as part of a Japanese colony — the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony. The colonist purchased 200 acres of land near Gold Run. They practiced agriculture; unfortunately, financial difficulties and drought caused the disbandment of the colony. The lives of these three families intertwine over the years.
American River: Tributaries is a historical fiction written by Mallory M. O'Connor. It is the first book of a trilogy that brings to light a multigenerational story of three families. It is a tale about self-awareness, love, and loss. For the most part, the setting of the story is in Northern California. Honestly, this story kept me engrossed, eager to know what is on the next page.
In my opinion, character development was the most impressive thing about this book. The characters in this book have depth, real personalities, and clear motivations. Most of them go through internal conflicts as they seek their place in the world. For instance, Kate and Tommy are in an interracial marriage in the 1960s. During this time, racial tension in America was at an all-time high. The couple struggled to find acceptance for their interracial marriage. It was easy to empathize with the struggles that the characters were going through in this book.
World-building added authenticity to this story and provided an incentive that made me fully immersed in it. The author included historical context in this book. There was information about the world in which this story took place balanced with exotic details of relatable times in history; this kept the story grounded. For example, there were details about the Second World War. Every part of the world-building contributed to the advancement of the storyline. The ending of this book was good enough, and it set the stage for the next book in the installment.
This book is well-crafted; there is nothing that irked me about it. The editing was exceptional; I did not encounter any grammatical errors. I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. Fans of Historical fiction will enjoy reading it. It contains content that might not be suitable for all audiences, including sexual scenes and profanity.
******
American River: Tributaries
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Maestro Monologue by Rob White
