Review by GathuaM -- American River: Tributaries

[GathuaM]

[Following is a volunteer review of "American River: Tributaries" by Mallory M. O'Connor.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Ever wondered how your family got to live where it is? Have you ever been told of historical tales about the previous generation, especially their immigration stories? American River: Tributaries is one such novel. It the first book in the series hence a good beginning for one who intends on reading the second book in the series.

The novel is a historical tale of three families whose lives get to intersect at one point in their lives. The McPhalan's is an Irish family, the Morales'- a Mexican family and the Ashida's who are of Japanese descent. The novel starts off by the author giving the readers a pictorial view of the American river and it tributaries. Then the main characters are introduced to enable the reader remember them throughout the book. The reader is then introduced to the forefathers of each of the families and how each came to settle along the three tributaries of the American River.

The story line is quite interesting and remarkable. The characters' lives are interesting and its fun to see how fate brings the three families together. The drama that unfolds in each family kept me engrossed in the book. The story flowed seamlessly from the first page to the last. I really enjoyed the book since I love history. The title of the book was metaphorically used to demonstrate that just as the three tributaries join to form one big river, so do the three families join to form one nation/state. The families though very different in terms of heritage and culture are able to blend in together to give the readers a good read.

At first glance, I thought the novel was literally a tale of the American river and its tributaries. This made me very skeptical about the book at first being my first historical fiction novel to read and review. As I read through the chapters, my interest grew with each turn of the page. After reading a short review on amazon I was confident that I could finish reading the entire novel.

American River: Tributaries is an interesting book for history fans. I was drawn to the fact that the stories of the three families do relate to what is happening in the world today. Millions and millions of people are able to break free from their cultural norms and embrace a world where race does not matter. More so in America where there have been recent attacks on black people hence the black people movement. This book though written should be a great example to all of us that our background does not part because we are all one nation one people.

I award American River: Tributaries 4 out of 4 stars. The book was well edited and I did not notice any grammatical error. The book does end on a sad note with the death of one of the characters, a slight edge of suspicion as to how book two in the series will be. The reader is left yearning to find out whether Tommy's search for his true heritage will be accomplished?. Will Kate and Tommy regain their love? I applaud Mallory, for ending the book in a manner that will drive the reader to look for the second book.

I recommend this book to history bluffs and anyone who would be interested in reading this amazing book.

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American River: Tributaries
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