Stony River

by Tricia Dower

Stony River, New Jersey, 1955: On a sweltering June afternoon, Linda Wise and Tereza Dobra witness a disturbing scene. A pale, pretty girl who looks about their age is taken from Crazy Haggerty’s house by two uniformed policemen. Everyone in Stony River thought Crazy Haggerty lived alone. The pale, pretty girl is about to enter an alien world, and as Tereza and Linda try to make sense of what they’ve seen, they’re unaware their own lives will soon be shattered as well.

Set in a decade we tend to think of as a more innocent time, Stony River shows in dramatic and unexpected ways how perilous it was to come of age in the 1950s with its absent mothers, controlling fathers, biblical injunctions, teenaged longing, and small-town pretence. The threat of sexual violence is all around: angry fathers at home, dirty boys in the neighbourhood, strange men in strange cars, a dead girl, and another gone missing.

An engrossing novel about growing up, finding your voice, and forgiving your family, Stony River is a brilliant story from a remarkable new Canadian voice.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada, Fiction, Mystery, Coming Of Age, Canadian Literature, Adult Fiction

360 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 24, 2012

About the author

TRICIA DOWER was a business executive before reinventing herself as a writer in 2002. Her Shakespeare-inspired story collection, Silent Girl (Inanna 2008) was nominated for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award and the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature. Herizons magazine called it "ambitious and powerful." Her first novel, Stony River (Penguin Canada 2012 and Leapfrog Press 2016) was shortlisted for the Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction. The Globe and Mail wrote, "...Dower is a masterful storyteller." At the publication of her second novel, Becoming Lin (Caitlin Press 2016), the Vancouver Sun wrote, "Some of the most powerful and eloquent Canadian novelists of the 20th and 21st centuries...including Margaret Atwood, Margaret Laurence and Ethel Wilson...open up what had been cloaked in silence, the oppression of women and their self-discoveries in resistance. We can now add to this important liberation canon the name of Tricia Dower." She won first prize for fiction in The Malahat Review’s 2010 Open Season Awards and first prize for creative nonfiction in subTerrain Magazine's 2015 literary awards. Her short fiction also has appeared in The New Quarterly, Room of One’s Own, Hemispheres, Cicada, NEO, Big Muddy, and Island Writer. A dual citizen of Canada and the United States, Dower lives and writes in Sidney, BC.

Reviews

[Tricia Dower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stony River is finally about to come out in the US -- hooray!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up we all had a spooky house in the neighbourhood or an odd person that the kids would invent stories about. In this novel about coming of age in the 1950s in small-town New Jersey, Tricia Dower does just that with Crazy Haggerty and his creepy house. As the book began, I felt myself 12 again and tagging along with Linda and her new friend from the wrong side of the tracks, Tereza; watching with them as police officers escorted young Miranda and her son from the home. This is fabulous summer reading about hidden secrets, loss of innocence and even violence and murder in the 1950s era. Nothing is what it seems in Stony River and Dower’s novel keeps you turning pages until the end. I received this book free from Penguin Canada as part of their exclusive reads program.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars ✨

[Andrea P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review and others can be found on Cozy Up With A Good Read

This book tells the tale of how one afternoon in 1955 affected the lives of many people in the small town of Stony River, at the heart of the tale is three girls, Tereza, Linda and Miranda but readers have many other voices as well throughout. This book is a coming of age story of three girls who are all growing up in different families and readers get to see how their lives change over time because of the people that they are surrounded by.

I really enjoyed the setting of this story, taking place in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. It's the type of place where you are supposed to always feel safe, but this book shows that even these small towns have their secrets. Tricia Dower also does such a great job of taking readers back to the time of the 50's, there are many mentions of the TV shows that were on and the music people listened to, even descriptions of the cars that were driven in that period.

These three characters all have very different lives, and each of them takes their circumstances and changes their lives in one way or another. The most interesting girl for me in this book was Miranda, and how she grows up with so many things stacked against her. Watching as Miranda learns new things about herself and the different things she can do was amazing, and I loved how she became independent and trust worthy even though people in the town disliked where she came from.

Tereza has a completely different lifestyle from the other two girls and she learns to take matters into her own hands and makes a life for herself. Tereza is one who hates asking for help, but eventually she lets someone help her get her life back on track and it affects the rest of her life in a large way. I felt bad for Tereza seeing what she went through and then to see her grow up so fast when she shouldn't have to is heart breaking.

Linda's character was the one that I didn't care for as much as the others in the story. Linda grows up as a very guarded child and she is naive about many things in the real world. Her parents are protective to the point that Linda is sheltered and doesn't understand a lot of things. But she grows and learns how to speak up for herself.

I had a few difficulties with the many changing perspectives in the beginning, but it made sense as to why there are so many voices. Not only do we see how one small event changed the lives of the girls who experienced it for themselves but how these three girls change the lives of others along the way.

Honestly, this book is a beautiful portrayal of growing up in the 1950's and the secrets that everyone has. This is a great book about growing up and how different lifestyles can really affect the rest of your life. Tricia Dower has such a unique voice in her writing and she keeps her readers interested in the story.

[Lorrie Crossley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It made me think. Most of us view the 1950s as a time of innocence when every home had a mother and father, where mother stayed at home to look after the children, where nobody locked their doors and everyone abided by good Christian values. But Tricia Dower strips away the veneer of our "Leave It To Beaver" image of the 50s and takes us behind closed doors to experience a more realistic look at life in small town U.S.A. during this time. Her characters are so real and descriptions so vivid and accurate, that within a few chapters you are completely sucked into the lives of Linda, Teresa and Miranda as they struggle to come of age and deal with incest, mental and physical abuse, sexism and so much more. I encourage everyone to read this beautifully written and well-researched book. Congratulations Tricia Dower. I look forward to reading your next novel.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coming-of-age tale that's heavy with tough issues, from domestic abuse to mental illness to incest. Tricia Dower does an excellent job of revealing the darker side of 1950s small-town American life. Full review to come in Quill & Quire.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the coming of age story of three girls, Linda, Tereza, and Miranda. Linda is sheltered and almost smothered by the love of her parents. Tereza runs wild attempting to escape the cruelty of her life with an uncaring mother and abusive stepfather. Miranda is imprisoned by her father’s delusions and absolute control of every aspect of her life.

I simply don’t have the right words to describe this book but it is one of the best I’ve ever read. Perfect depiction of life in a small town during that period in history.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Stony River” will grab your attention and keep you engaged from the beginning. Tricia Dower does an excellent job setting the scene of the community where the protagonist lives.

After she hears about her father’s death, the young girl who is also the mother of a young boy, does not have the maturity to deal with the situation. Luckily, a local policeman and his wife step up and offer shelter in their home for Miranda and her son.

Some aspects of the book may be distributing to readers, but they are necessary to really get into the headspace of both James and Miranda.

Thank you GoodReads for the book.

[Katherine Pederson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting and sad characters that are well drawn. I found it a bit confusing near the beginning, but when I finally "got" Miranda's "gift" it was much easier to read.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stony River is a beautifully written coming of age story set in the 50's. Tricia Dower does a brilliant job of portraying the mood and culture of that time period. Linda, Tereza, and Miranda are all fascinating characters and I became invested in each one of them. But more importantly, I really like Tricia Dower's writing style. She reminds me of Margaret Laurence and early Margaret Atwood, two of my favourite authors. I will definitely be reading more of this author.
4.5 stars because I thought that the ending wrapped up a little too neatly.

[Faith Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stony River by Tricia Dower is a worthwhile read. It is promoted as a book for young adults, but I

enjoyed it so much that I’m promoting it as a “coming of age” story for everyone.

This is a story about three girls in a small town, during the 1950’s. One of the girls is dramatically different. She was raised by an emotionally ill father, who fathers her child. When her father dies, protective services places her in an orphanage. Fortunately, a young mother watches over her eventually adopts her and mentors her fragile emotions.

The removal of this young teenager and her infant son from her crazy home was witnessed by the other two girls. They happened to be just playing around the house. But now, each one of their lives takes off in different directions.

Tereza comes from a dysfunctional family. Her father beats her and her mother is too insecure to help her. She runs away and finds herself married by fifteen and widowed—left with a baby and a dependent mother-in-law. I don’t know why, but Tereza is my favorite character. I was always rooting for her, but she lives a hard life and there’s no sun on the horizon. She wanted to be an actress but can’t read; she has dyslexia. I hope, Tricia Dower continues Tereza’s story in another book.

Linda is the good girl. Her family is loving, maybe a little too controlling, but loving parents cover a lot of sins. Unfortunately, the parents have difficulties and Linda tempts fate. She starts flirting with the wild boys and accepting rides from strange men. She’s lucky because girls start getting raped and murdered.

Miranda is the young girl who was placed in the orphanage. It turns out she’s an empath. An empath is someone who feels the energy from people and objects. Perhaps her strange childhood with her father’s Irish paganism, mixed with the orphanage’s religious sisters’ mystical spirituality nurtured her empathetic gifts. Miranda was adopted by Doris-the young mother. And Doris is her bulwark—her mother, sister, and best friend. Miranda eventually uses her empathetic gifts to solve the murders.

These are the three protagonists. I hope their stories continue in a series. I liked them that much. Stony River, like most good novels, is primarily about the characters. Tricia Dower makes the reader care about all three girls, and the innocent baby, Cian. That’s why I want more.

The setting is a close-knit community in the 1950’s. Everyone thinks they know everyone and everyone’s business or think they do. That’s why rape and murder shook their world in such a horrific manner. Tricia Dower knows how to convey emotionally charged situations. If you don’t feel Miranda’s panic when her baby was taken, then you’re not human. Also, the fear and tension when Linda accepts a ride from a stranger is palpable. Tricia Dower is an excellent writer.

Stony River is an intense story. The characters are believable and interesting. I recommend the book highly. Although I was given the book to review, I was not required to write a favorable review. This review is my own honest assessment.

[Lissette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A resident of Stony River for as long as she can remember, Linda Wise knows there's nothing to fear. Stony River has always been a calm place where everyone knows each others names and everything they've done throughout their lives. Life in town is nothing but ordinary, however. Until Crazy Haggerty's secrets start coming to light. It's then life starts to change for all of Stony River's residents.

A coming-of-age story, Stony River immerses the reader in a diverse tale surrounding several of the town's inhabitants. We meet Linda, headstrong, yet reserved. There's also Tereza, who's outspoken and quite inquisitive. Miranda Haggerty is the most curious of these three girls. Her sheltered life has kept her from learning about the world around her. You can imagine her surprise and curiosity when her life is upended from one day to the next.

Tricia has written such a bittersweet, yet intriguing story that allows the reader to feel what her characters feel. It's easy to envision the world she's created around this unassuming town and the people who inhabit it. She's painted such a clear picture of it that the reader feels like he/she is a part of the story itself.

The further you get into the book, the more the world Tricia has created opens up. I enjoyed seeing Miranda, Tereza, and Linda grow up along the way. These complex characters mesh in such a way that you end up seeing them become more than what they were at the beginning of the story. Their lives might seem quiet, at first, but the chaos that surrounds them becomes apparent with every turn of the page. You can honestly tell how much research and thought has gone into this book. Lovingly crafted, this is a story that will remain with you long after you've read it.

[Brian]

There is much to recommend in Tricia Dower's Stony River, starting with the writing. Her prose is both readable and well paced; the detail regarding her setting (the Fifties) and character backgrounds (especially Irish Wicca) is both interesting and educational, and she integrates this "background music" into her story with great skill. It is the story, as usual however, that intrigues me the most. Three young unlikely female heroes manage, with the help of older wiser female characters, to overcome male daemons (overprotective parents, child abusers, psychopaths, and religious zealots) and achieve self-understanding and fulfillment. It's a good storyline, more comedy than romance, in terms of structure. It definitely has the God-bless-us-everyone ending expected in comedy; the elements of daring-do from romance kept me turning pages. As much as the 1950s were, for me, an idle of tranquility, they were also a time when women were not allowed to run more than 800m for fear they would damage themselves, Joe McCarthy's maniacal jingoism terrorized the media, and African Americans were required to use separate drinking fountains. Revisiting my youth without those greater evils was a comfort, but it was also a cold comfort: three well-woven tales of success in a tapestry which time has shown was marred with oppression and failure. Did I expect more? Not necessarily. Since the male obstacles portrayed--while they seem small in comparison to the institutional villains of the time--are still problems today, perhaps the message is: we haven't progressed as far as we might have hoped in the past sixty years--more ironic than comic to me.

[Vikki VanSickle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a lot of the hallmarks I look for in a book: teenage protagonists, small town drama, 1950s small town setting, and a literary voice. Dower's book has a very ominous feeling to it, and the three main characters, despite drastic differences in their experiences, are all dealing with less than supportive and ideal living situations. Miranda has been raised completely in isolation by her father until his sudden death, which leaves her defenseless with a son at age fifteen. Tereza runs away from her abusive family situation only to end up married at fifteen to a very unstable and unhappy young man. Linda finds herself caught in the middle of her two very unhappy parents, who send her very mixed messages about life and love, that is when they bother to take an interest in her as a person at all.

All three girls hit their own rock bottom before they are able to set themselves on the road to recovery. Despite many tense scenes, hopeless and infuriating situations, the book ends on a note of hope that manages to feel realistic, quite a feat given the dire circumstances the girls find themselves in. Dower does a wonderful job creating a bleak but not hopeless portrait of how difficult life was for women in the 1950s. There is very little relief and some people may find the book ceaselessly dark, but it is well written and gripping account of the secret lives of others.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's easy to think of the 1950s as a decade of innocence, filled with elegant housewives, good-natured husbands, and angelic children. However, this book shows us that the 50s were just as filled with dysfunction as any other time period. In this story we catch glimpses of incest, domestic violence, depression, mental illness, repressed homosexuality, rape, and murder, just to name a few things. This is not a book about good and evil, where the ending is neatly wrapped up. Instead, there are a lot grey areas and the ending does not tie up all the loose ends. I liked that, because it felt closer to real life. I was describing the basic plot to my boyfriend and his comment was, "Isn't it depressing?", to which I responded that I found it quite compelling, not depressing. The only part that I found a little forced was Buddy. He follows the stereotype of repressed homosexuality leading to violence and sexual dysfunction. Despite that, this is an interesting account of the loss of innocence and a very worthwhile read.

[Chantale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stony River is a book which reveals the six-degrees of separation between three teenage girls from the town of the same name. As a teenager Miranda is discovered living in Crazy Haggerty's house. Miranda having been raised with Irish paganism beliefs and later raised in a Catholic orphanage grapples with these two belief systems and her 'visions'. All three women are linked by a policeman's murder and assaults on women in the 1950 and '60's, which the author has loosely based on a real murderer's crimes. No one has a perfect family in this book, they are all troubled in some way. Because it is written from all three youth's perspectives, this book will leave you asking yourself what is crazy and what is normal?

I recommend reading Through the Glass by Shannon Maroney if you are interested in gaining further perspective on Tereza's character and her loyalties.

[CDC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good! Some of the characters in this book were fantastic – others were just filler but overall a great read.

This story does give us a snapshot in time, but is still relevant today. I would like to think that we have gotten better but I don’t believe we have. People still turn a blind eye most of the time, we teach girls to yell ‘FIRE’ instead of ‘HELP’ if they are ever being attacked as people will be more likely to respond. Many of the issues addressed in Stony River could have happened at any time.

I do not like endings where everything is all wrapped up with a neat little bow and the ending of Stony River doesn’t disappoint – but I also would have been happy to keep reading more about some of the characters.

I’d read more by this author for sure.

[Edith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this book on a goodreads giveaway.
I loved it. I wanted the story to keep going. Each chapter added a new layer to the mystery. It is nicely written. I like how it was set up. With the date and year before each part. I like stories with many characters like this one. I was particularly fond of Tereza. I'm definitely recommending the book.
People who know me know that I have a big heart for dogs, so throughout my reading, I kept wondering about the dog Nicholas. What happened to him?

Now that I know that some scenes first appeared in a short story written by this author I want to read it.

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Offering an interesting insight into life in 1950's New Jersey, Stony River is a dramatically intense story that reveals the darker side to life growing up as a teen in this time period. Following the paths of three specific young girls, each facing their own set of difficulties, the story becomes disturbingly dark. The problems that these girls face are not necessarily unique to the time period, however, the way that these girls face these problems, their lack of access to information, the little support they receive and the need to conceal what is happening will disrupt our nostalgic visions of this bygone area.
Key strengths of this story include setting and language.

[Therese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from GoodReads First Reads, Thank You!! This is a well-written, complicated, and for me disturbing read because it is about a time we have so easily dismissed as being "simple". The characters are intriguing and layered and surprising in their strengths and depths. They are also surprising in part because what is wrong with us as humanity clearly has always been wrong,even during a time that history since has portrayed as a culture of wholesomeness and innocence.
I really enjoyed and received a great deal of edification reading this novel, and fully recommend it.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Stony River, but I am a little prejudiced as the author is my aunt. Reading the book, though, reminded me of the stories she and my mom would tell of their growing up years in New Jersey. It was disturbing at times, but I like that in a book. It wasn't just a fairy tale happy-ever-after story, but one that got real ... with situations that people tend to believe didn't happen during that "age of innocence" that really wasn't innocent. The book was hard to put down after I began reading it, so I recommend you have lots of time to read when you begin!

[Lianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not put this novel down since I started reading it. It's an interesting glimpse into a US town in the 1950s and how everything isn't what it seems. While there's that veneer of attitudes and activities that we find familiar with the period, there's also a lot that's often left unsaid about the interactions between people and within families that fuel the drama along. I really enjoyed the characters' stories and how fleshed-out the secondary characters were as well. You can read my full review of the novel over at my blog: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/?p=...

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was riveting with twists and turns that kept you wanting to find out what was going to happen next. Growing up in the 50 - 60s, I could relate to the family values and beliefs in that era. Tricia Dower did an amazing job getting her story across. This is the first book I read by this author.

[Helene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read. Three very different young girls are growing up during the 50's, and each of them tries to make sense of their lives. One is extremely protected, another is the "bad" girl who know too much, and one has never been allowed outside of her house, so she knows nothing of the world. Every single character is very well developed, and very interesting.

[Enid Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. The cover says it's reminiscent of The Way the Crow Flies, and indeed it is. This story, told through the eyes of three young girls, takes you back, not so long ago, when communities kept their secrets tightly held, and as the author says in her end notes, nothing was ever really quite what it appeared to be.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was fortunate for me when Tricia Dower went on my blog and asked if anyone had read her book that I had profiled there. I hadn't, but I rectified that quickly. Because Stony River is fantastic, and interesting, and unpredictable. A great and original read. Definitely pick it up!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this. Stays with me, even weeks later.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Stony River and I loved it. It's beautifully written with deep, complex characters. I was sorry to see the story end, so I'm going to read it again!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved! Great read. Interesting, different, felt real.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super pacing. Great commerical fiction. Reminded me a lot of The Lovely Bones.