Review of American River: Tributaries
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Review of American River: Tributaries
[Following is a volunteer review of "American River: Tributaries" by Mallory M. O'Connor.]
American River: Tributaries by Mallory M. O’Connor, book one of a trilogy is a remarkable story about the descendants of Irish, Japanese, and Mexican immigrants living their life in the land of opportunity.
The book starts by introducing the ancestors and their struggles to survive in America after their immigration in the mid-1800s, as they settle at the American River in Northern California. One worked as a gold miner, one lost everything in war, while another joined a colony upon arrival. The story continues to expand unto the life stories of the generations to come almost a century later, as their pathways intersect with each other. In the quest of finding happiness and success, a series of events proved the journey to be difficult, but no matter how far they go, they end up at the very place it all started, Mockingbird Valley Ranch.
The book which mostly takes place over 3 years revolves around love, romance, family, and relationships. It is filled with sweet moments between characters but no less the despairs and struggles in communications and navigating life as a whole. It involves self-inflicted pain, racism, homosexuality, homophobia, and substance abuse.
I love the rich vocabulary of the author and the wonderful description of scenes and landscapes. It is vivid and real, while not being pretentious. The author knows a huge deal about nature, music, and art, all of which are brilliantly put on paper. Besides that, the author does not shy away from creating flawed and complex characters, boldly revealing their sometimes crooked thoughts and feelings. The characters were distinguished and I was quickly attached to them as a reader. I adored the narration style, the monologues and dialogues on difficult topics which never seemed forced but rather genuine. It was almost as if the readers are witnessing real-life events of real-life characters, which shows the author’s amazing writing, and mastery of show don’t tell. The book is fast-paced and at no point did I feel like it was boring or dragging.
I don’t have anything that I dislike about the book. I think it boldly portrayed the reality of life in the 1960s, especially with the themes it explored. The ending was unexpectedly heart-wrenching, a nod to the author’s ability to provoke the feelings of readers.
I would rate American River: Tributaries 4 out of 4 stars. It was well-edited. It was undoubtedly an amazing read, a roller coaster of events, that kept me glued to the pages till the end.
I recommend this book for adults. If you are into a gripping book, incorporated with history, along with drama and romance, this book is right up your alley. If you are a fan of historical fiction, I see no reason to not add this book to your reading list.
******
American River: Tributaries
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
American River: Tributaries by Mallory M. O’Connor, book one of a trilogy is a remarkable story about the descendants of Irish, Japanese, and Mexican immigrants living their life in the land of opportunity.
The book starts by introducing the ancestors and their struggles to survive in America after their immigration in the mid-1800s, as they settle at the American River in Northern California. One worked as a gold miner, one lost everything in war, while another joined a colony upon arrival. The story continues to expand unto the life stories of the generations to come almost a century later, as their pathways intersect with each other. In the quest of finding happiness and success, a series of events proved the journey to be difficult, but no matter how far they go, they end up at the very place it all started, Mockingbird Valley Ranch.
The book which mostly takes place over 3 years revolves around love, romance, family, and relationships. It is filled with sweet moments between characters but no less the despairs and struggles in communications and navigating life as a whole. It involves self-inflicted pain, racism, homosexuality, homophobia, and substance abuse.
I love the rich vocabulary of the author and the wonderful description of scenes and landscapes. It is vivid and real, while not being pretentious. The author knows a huge deal about nature, music, and art, all of which are brilliantly put on paper. Besides that, the author does not shy away from creating flawed and complex characters, boldly revealing their sometimes crooked thoughts and feelings. The characters were distinguished and I was quickly attached to them as a reader. I adored the narration style, the monologues and dialogues on difficult topics which never seemed forced but rather genuine. It was almost as if the readers are witnessing real-life events of real-life characters, which shows the author’s amazing writing, and mastery of show don’t tell. The book is fast-paced and at no point did I feel like it was boring or dragging.
I don’t have anything that I dislike about the book. I think it boldly portrayed the reality of life in the 1960s, especially with the themes it explored. The ending was unexpectedly heart-wrenching, a nod to the author’s ability to provoke the feelings of readers.
I would rate American River: Tributaries 4 out of 4 stars. It was well-edited. It was undoubtedly an amazing read, a roller coaster of events, that kept me glued to the pages till the end.
I recommend this book for adults. If you are into a gripping book, incorporated with history, along with drama and romance, this book is right up your alley. If you are a fan of historical fiction, I see no reason to not add this book to your reading list.
******
American River: Tributaries
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Man Mission by Eytan Uliel
