Black and yellow writing spiders had cast their webs between some of the bushes, and dew beads twinkled across them like strung diamonds. Morning sun brightened the mountainside as our first berries pinged the metal. We had come early, dew soaking our shoes as we sidled up land slanted as a barn roof, shiny milk pails in our hands.
“I was eight years old and we were picking blackberries on the east slope of Sassafras Mountain. In one scene, protagonist Maggie Glenn is remembering a day from her childhood: Ron Rash’s talent for vivid detail and description was remarkable. The book grabbed me from the first sentence and never let go, immersing me in the story, but also forcing me to see the viewpoints of all the characters, to ask myself how I would feel if I were in any of their shoes, and to remind me that answers to life’s deepest questions are rarely black and white or simple. This novel was outstanding on so many levels, not the least of which was the riveting plot with its multiple layers of story action and sub-plots revolving around family and community relationships of the main characters. A promising romance develops between Maggie and the award-winning journalist with whom she’s covering the story. The protagonist, photojournalist Maggie Glenn, must balance the threat to her home and people with the broader perspective she has gained since moving away. Locals weigh in as their home is invaded by outsiders telling them what to do their long knowledge of the river and its dangerous power is ignored. The story unfolds as the family insists on temporarily damming the river to retrieve Ruth’s body, while environmentalists fight to keep the river untouched by drilling or blasting. In spite of being a strong swimmer, she loses her footing and is sucked into one of the hydraulics, where her body is trapped. The story begins as 12-year-old Ruth Kowalsky wades into the Tamassee River where her family is visiting from out of state. It will stay with me a long time as I reflect on the subtle complexities and potent themes. I was deeply moved by Saints at the River, a powerful novel about a wild, scenic river in South Carolina (fictionalized as the Tamassee River but reportedly based on the Chattooga River) that claims lives in its dangerous white water “hydraulics” and that, in this story, inspires both enemies and valiant protectors.
This book review seems the perfect way to celebrate Earth Day! A river can be beautiful and soul-nourishing, but it can also be deep and dangerous.īy Ron Rash Reviewed by Elizabeth H.
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