Franky's Reviews > Saints at the River

“Yes, we’ll gather at the river
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.”

This was my first introduction to the work of Ron Rash, and it did not disappoint.

When a twelve-year-old girl drowns in the Tamassee River in South Carolina, its sets up a fight and struggle between those on the side of recovering the girl’s body and those who believe that a rescue attempt may damage the river. The small town is put into a whirlwind of conflict and bitter struggle.

In less capable hands, I think that this story could have been over sensationalized, over-the-top, or less effective, but Rash presents this story in such a quietly powerful and unintrusive way that you feel for both sides. We see all through the lens of the main character Maggie Glenn, a photographer who has come back to the town she grew up in to help cover the story. Alongside her perspective, we are presented the concerns for both the parents of the girl who drowned as well as environmentalists who want to protect the river.

There are lovely descriptions and depictions of the Tamassee River and the surroundings and nature itself. The Tamassee in certain ways becomes a character in the novel as well, as it becomes the focal point through which many people hold so many views.

I also felt as though the characters were well drawn and realistic. Rash allows us to get to know not only the book’s central character, Maggie, but the important secondary characters (Luke, Allen) as well. There is a conflict between Maggie and her father--old wounds from the past that need to be dealt with--that serves to be a secondary conflict within the novel.

Overall, Saints at the River is a quietly powerful book, one that is very reflective. I look forward to reading more of Ron Rash in the future.