Three Rivers

by Tiffany Quay Tyson

When a dangerous storm threatens the Mississippi Delta, two families are put to the test in this Southern literary debut

Melody Mahaffey, trapped into touring for years with a third-rate Christian pop band she can hardly stand, is almost relieved to receive her mother’s distress call. But when she returns home to care for her dying father and brain-damaged brother at the sprawling, defunct Three Rivers Farm, Melody is shocked to discover that her mother has abandoned the family. Sure that her daughter will do the right thing, Geneva has left to seek spiritual guidance and break things off with her long-time lover.

Rain begins to fall and an epic flood threatens the Mississippi Delta. While Melody tries to get a handle on the chaos at home, a man and his little boy are squatting on her land, escaping their own nightmare. Obi is on the run from a horrific mistake, and he’s intent on keeping his son with him at any cost. When the storm arrives, though, they have no choice but to take shelter in Melody’s house. And the waters just keep rising.

A lifetime of lies, misunderstandings and dark secrets bubble to the surface as the flood destroys the land and threatens their lives. Set against the fertile but dangerous landscape of the rural south near the fictional town of White Forest, Mississippi, Three Rivers beautifully weaves together three parallel stories, told over three days, as each character is propelled headlong into the storm.

Genres: Fiction, Southern Gothic, Book Club, Contemporary

304 pages, Hardcover

First published July 21, 2015

About the author

Tiffany Quay Tyson's second novel, THE PAST IS NEVER, won the prestigious Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction, the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize, the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award for Fiction, and the Mississippi Author Award for Adult Fiction. It has appeared on bestseller lists in Mississippi and Colorado.

Tiffany was born and raised in Mississippi, where most of her fiction is set. Her debut novel, THREE RIVERS, was a Mississippi bestseller and a finalist for both the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Fiction Award and the Colorado Book Award for Literary Fiction. She currently lives and writes in Denver. Colorado, where she serves on the faculty of Lighthouse Writers Workshop.

Reviews

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot believe this was a debut novel for Tiffany Quay Tyson. Her writing was smooth, and every word was deliberate. I sometimes skim through long-winded descriptions, but I chewed on every word she wrote in this thoughtful piece of southern fiction. So I already have a weird thing for the number three, and I previously lived in a city that has three rivers (which sadly had terrible flooding recently)...The theme in the book with the number three was not lost on me, and it just added to the storyline. I wondered how the three stories would intersect as I was reading, and wow, did they! The second half of the book was highly suspenseful as the flood occurs. I highly recommend this book to fans of Southern Fiction or great fiction in general. I hope the author is hard at work on her next novel because I cannot wait to read it. Note: I won this book in a giveaway and was under no obligation to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 The first half of this book was relatively quiet as we get to know the characters. Their thoughts, feeling, a bit about their pat lives and how they came to be where they are now. Quite a disparate grouping of characters that will all come together in different ways for different reasons. There are quite a few reference to spirituality, Christianity and loss of belief. The characters themselves are quite interesting, with varied back stories.

They will all come together when a big storm with massive flooding hits the Mississippi Delta area. How they came to be where they are is the basis for the story. The storm will bring out the best in some, the worst in others and be the impetus for exposed secrets. The ending of the book does not serve up ironclad solutions but I like that. I like when the author trust the reader enough to figure out their own endings.

A good story about love, understanding, running away and finally coming to terms with ones own self.

ARC from NetGalley.

[Esil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Rivers was a lovely surprise. I started this book with no expectations -- had not heard anything about the book or the author, and was trying to remember what had made me want to request an advance copy from the publisher through Netgalley. But almost immediately after I started, I was charmed and read it compulsively. This is Tyson's first novel. It's hard to describe the story and do it justice. A disparate group of people -- all somehow caught up in difficult circumstances -- come together during a crazy rain storm in Mississippi. The story is told from three different points of view -- three interconnected characters whose lives are intertwined in various ways. The characters are quirky, flawed and complex, their circumstances all difficult, and the story is sweet and sad and human. It's a testament to Tyson's talent that she can write such a good story full of quirky characters without turning it into a silly broad comedy or an overly sentimental drama. There is the occasional first novel overly enthusiastic metaphor and at times it feels like a bit too much is happening, but nothing that I couldn't easily forgive given how much I enjoyed the characters. There's no pigeonholing this novel -- it just felt very human and touching. I'll definitely be looking for Tyson's next book and hope that this one gets a good audience. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

[Maura Weiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the levees broke and the waters rose, I was completely swept up in the family tragedies, horrific betrayals and physical and emotional risks endured by the ragtag group of characters thrown together by a deadly storm. All the bluster, beauty and brashness of the contemporary South converge in a massive flood that forces the characters to break old allegiances and form new ones in the face of life-or-death choices.


With a plot "tighter than a dress at a shotgun wedding," the wildly irreverent, lyrically rendered and utterly poignant THREE RIVERS is easily one of the best books I've read this year.

My thanks to Thomas Dunne Books for providing me with an ARC.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

After hearing Tiffany Quay Tyson present her debut novel Three Rivers at the Tattered Cover Bookstore, pardon the metaphor but I could not help but dive in headfirst! Her writing is smooth and cool as a slow moving Southern stream. The lives of three protagonists converge, forced to navigate wild rapids until tumbling over the calamity of a waterfall:

Melody Mahaffey is a keyboard player and singer already burned out on the Christian pop music tour scene as a young twenty-something. Sassy and something of a hot mess, she had me laughing at the start. Things grow more serious as Melody finds herself responsible for her dying father and her grown brother Chris, mentally challenged following a dramatic childhood accident. Melody struggles to control the chaos of the household and deal with a surprise suitor along with her father's male nurse--in addition to an unwanted squatter on the family's land as a storm looms on the horizon.

Obi, protective father to young Liam, has decided to drop out of society and live off the land by hunting and fishing, taking odd jobs when needed. Since he doesn't possess any land of his own, they take to camping by the river. A tragic altercation sends him scrambling to hide out with Liam just when a century flood threatens.

Geneva, Melody's mother is a free-spirit, a seeker and a hedonist. She abandons her dysfunctional and depressing family situation to visit a spiritual healer leaving Melody to manage on her own--after all, she taught her daughter to be strong and independent. Against the sage's warning, Geneva visits her equally hopeless lover and her selfishness threatens to drown them all.

With brash reminders of the racism deeply rooted within the Mississippi Delta as well as poverty despite a wealth of land, the reader is transported to a place that is painfully predictable, while touches of magical realism remind us of the region's unknowable mystery. Tiffany Quay Tyson has a natural knack for storytelling and I can't wait to read more from her!

[Cara Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been waiting impatiently to read this book for a few years, ever since I heard author Tiffany Quay Tyson read an early version of the scene were someone is electrocuted during a baptism! How could I not want to know more? It was worth the wait. I couldn't stop turning pages: such a bizarre cross-section of colorful characters who refuse to conform, such a hilarious but poignant crisis, such an insightful explosion of dysfunctional relationships set against a backdrop of nature's predictably unpredictable madness.

To me, the confluence of rivers became a metaphor for the converging of mismatched, misfit, and misunderstood people into one fascinating culture - for better or worse. I will always remember the image of one man floating in the midst of a flood, letting go of the idea that any of us is in control. I appreciated the viewpoint that we women may be a bit like our crazy mothers but that the insanity dissipates over time, perhaps a bit like the receding of a flood.

[Unsolved ☕︎ Mystery]

***Note to self***
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
Review to follow.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review Originally Posted: Traveling With T


*Def more of a "thinker" book- but overall a nice debut. Enjoyment level should be around 3.5 stars for me*

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

When this book just magically showed up in my mailbox one day, I had to grin. A New York City publicist was certainly paying attention to my mailing address and book taste (Thank you SO much, K!)

Reading Tiffany’s debut book, seeing the state of Mississippi through her eyes, and especially the fictional town she bases her story in- well, she definitely did her research and remembered her roots. While all of Mississippi is not like the fictional town that THREE RIVERS is based upon- there is much truth to the area and the characters, while again fictional- I could “see” them. So, well done!

The basis of this story is a true event of a baptism going horribly wrong. And, being from the South- where church is part of many people’s lives- THREE RIVERS gives lots to think about. This book is not really about finding religion as it’s more about coming to terms with religion and your ideas about it. Some characters are running from it, some are embracing it and others are just making peace.

Each character, whether they know it or not, is on a path to their next steps in life. Some are growing into the people they are supposed to be, while others are paying for past mistakes and even some are paying for other people’s mistakes.

While the first half or so of the book is a bit slow (it’s a fair amount of characters and some backstory that is necessary to understand the second half), the second half picks up considerably and makes for some fine reading. The characters are fleshed out, and while the ending could leave some people wondering “What next?” it fits in with the whole tone of the book nicely.

Bottom line: Nice debut for Tiffany Quay Tyson. While not an easy-breezy read, for fans of Southern Lit and thoughtful story lines- this book could be a winner!



*This book was sent to Traveling With T by St. Martin’s Press for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.



Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melody's father is dying, so of course she drops everything to return home to care for him. But when she arrives she finds that her mother has left with no explanation. Geneva has been hiding a secret from her family and has finally come to the conclusion that something must be done. What that something is, she isn't quite sure just yet but she knows she can't stay. All Obi wants is to care and provide for his son, but a tragic accident has left him on the run and in search of shelter. It's a search that will lead him straight to Melody, Geneva, and Three Rivers Farm. Though these three people are all on very different paths, they are nonetheless entwined by fate. And with an historic storm headed straight towards them, they could each find themselves swept under by the force of the coming flood.

I'm afraid that my synopsis doesn't do Tiffany Quay Tyson's book justice. It doesn't contain any of the charm or emotion of the story, for example. Nor does it capture the heart or essence of the characters in any way. It doesn't even express how emotional a read Three Rivers is or how much I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What I do hope that it does, though, is get your attention. I hope that it makes you curious about Three Rivers. And of course I hope that it makes you seek out Tiffany's book and discover just how fabulous it is for yourself.

Tiffany is local to me and so I was able to attend her launch at the Tattered Cover last week. I learned that this story had it's beginning in a terrible story about a baptism that ended in electrocution and death. It was apparently a story that stuck with the author for quite some time and inspired a character and scene in the final book. And while it is a pivotal scene for Melody and her family, it is just a small part of the overall tale.

At times Three Rivers reads as three separate stories. Melody, her mother Geneva, and Obi all begin in different places both in terms of setting and in terms of what's happening in their lives. Melody has been traveling with a band and has been miserable for most of the tour (she snaps in the beginning of the book and it made me love her so!). She and Geneva haven't spoken much and she hasn't visited home for quite some time, so she isn't aware that her mother has left until she arrives home.

Geneva is probably not going to win a lot of points with readers. She's... selfish and quite self centered. That's apparent almost from the moment the reader meets her, or rather learns that she's abandoned her dying husband and her mentally impaired son. And yet her story is undeniably intriguing.

Melody and Geneva couldn't be further from Obi. He's a loving father who finds it hard to fit into conventional settings and society. He and his son have been abandoned themselves and have been living off the land, traveling along the river. We soon learn, though, that Obi is seemingly a man cursed by his circumstances and bad luck.

Through alternating chapters, Tiffany draws all three characters and their stories closer and closer, eventually weaving them together much the way the three rivers of the title intersect in the fictional Mississippi town Tiffany has created for her story.

Three Rivers is the kind of book that's gut wrenching at times and laugh out loud funny at others. It's thoughtful and heartwarming, and a true testament to Tiffany Quay Tyson's talent. Readers, she is an author you will delight in discovering and one that I know we'll be looking forward to reading more of for some time to come!

[Kelsi H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please check out all of my reviews at http://ultraviolentlit.blogspot.ca!

Three Rivers is the name of the Mahaffey family homestead, located in the Mississippi Delta. The title also seems to denote the three streams of consciousness in which this story is told, with three narrators – Melody, Geneva, and Obi – rushing towards the same destination. There are several tributaries along the way, but the story and the river culminate in a massive storm that both brings people together and rips them apart.

As the novel opens, Melody is called home from her lackluster career as a back-up singer in a Christian band to tend to her sick father and brain-damaged brother; meanwhile, her mother, Geneva, consults her spiritual advisor and attempts to end a misguided affair. Nearby, Obi, a single father, is trying to raise his young son on the river banks without interference from the modern world. As the storm waters rise and tragic events come into play, these three characters are pushed together in unexpected ways.

Each character was relatable in some way, with many realistic flaws. Their humour was self-deprecating, and rarely moved into the realm of caricature. And each time the plot threatened to become predictable, someone – usually Geneva – would drop a major bombshell that upended my expectations. Geneva makes shocking decisions out of self-preservation that her daughter Melody cannot understand; however, we as readers are privy to Geneva’s motivations, making us co-conspirators in her actions. Even her most awful decisions start to make sense.

While Geneva is making drastic, split-second decisions, Melody is more contemplative and sensible. She even uses logic in the face of the rising flood waters, ambivalent to their power until it is almost too late. Eventually, she becomes more like her mother than she thought possible, while still preserving her own ethics. People make connections rapidly in an emergency situation, and Melody and Obi are no exception. There is very little emphasis on romantic love in Three Rivers, but love comes in many forms.

As all of the current residents of Three Rivers discover, there is a fine line between magic and God. Both are called upon during the storm, as the house takes on a surreal feel – although earthly concerns are emphasized equally. The characters face all kinds of human suffering, but there is always a sense of something more powerful.

The novel started out very chick-lit, but quickly developed into a deeper story. The more predictable romance path was avoided and instead the author focuses on other human connections. The importance of family and other platonic relationships during times of struggle is especially emphasized. While Melody and Geneva have been pushing each other away, Obi and his son have been fighting to remain together – these dynamics are tragically reversed during the storm.

I think it is important that loose ends aren’t completely resolved at the end of the novel: “There was no telling what would happen next. She had so many choices to make.” (Loc. 3527) These words leave an opening for a possible sequel – but they could just as well connote that this story is a brief snapshot into a life with much more yet to come, just like all of us.


I received this book for free from Thomas Dunne Books and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

[Stacy Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a traveler, a lover of foreign lands and cultures. Always have been. But with the release of my debut novel earlier this year and the manuscript for my second book due, my perpetual wanderlust has had to take a physical timeout. So when the hankering for a change of scenery bubbled up most recently (as hankerings are inclined to do in the face of deadlines), I turned to Tiffany Quay Tyson’s Three Rivers for a literary journey into the Mississippi Delta – a region that’s been called “the most southern place on earth.” As a Denver girl by way of LA, the south has always held a mysterious and exotic allure for me, and Three Rivers serves up all the eccentricities, lushness, despair and magic of this storied and very foreign land with dazzling authenticity.
Set in the fictional town of White Forest, Mississippi, Three Rivers is the tale of a trio of characters whose lives intersect at the height of a cataclysmic flood. Told in the alternating voices of Melody, a brash, disillusioned, hot mess of a singer on tour with a sad Christian pop band; Geneva, her unhinged “seeker” mother who harbors dark secrets and has abandoned her husband as he lays dying at the ramshackle family farm; and Obi, a young father who is dissatisfied with life in the “square, squat concrete boxes” of the city, and escapes with his son to live on the river. When Melody is called home to care for her father and brain-damaged brother (whose infirmity comes as the result of a darkly humorous baptism gone wrong), we begin to learn of the choices and tragedies that have also set Geneva and Obi on a path that will forever alter their lives. These drifting, deeply flawed individuals make one poor decision after another, but amidst the chaos of their worlds and the chaos that nature is unleashing around them, we see that they are profoundly human in their struggles and hope for something better. The story’s pace is quick as the rush of the water, but it is the setting that truly stirs. With lyrical, mystically infused prose, Tyson brings the Delta vividly alive. The rich, fecund soil, the musky humidity and tumbledown landscape, the smell of the river – they are all palpable as the floodwaters reach their treacherous peak and the inhabitants of Three Rivers are swept toward…redemption, possibility, hope? At its heart, Three Rivers is an exploration of family bonds – those we are born into and those we create out of necessity, and the capriciousness of life. It’s a tale beautifully told, and a haunting debut. So do yourself a favor and take your own back roads journey into the Delta -- it’s one compelling armchair trip.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully entertaining story told from three wildly different perspectives. Melody Mahaffey, a singer in a Christian rock band, is summoned home to her dying father's bedside. The summons comes from Melody's mother Geneva, who herself has no interest in sticking around to witness her husband's final hours. At home, Melody must contend not only with the absence of her mother and her father's rapidly declining health, but also with her brain-damaged brother and her father's not-always-trustworthy caretaker. The Mahaffey family's saga is intertwined with the story of Obi and his young son, who live on the road and seek shelter on the Mahaffeys' property. Beautiful language and a page-turning plot bring these characters, along with other memorable personalities, together as flood waters rise in a small Delta town. A literary journey not to be missed.

[Belinda Guerette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

[Margo Catts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book just after experiencing Harvey, my first hurricane. Watching the physical storm build in this book was made extra vivid by my experience, but it also highlighted how crystal-perfect the writing was. I have a feeling I didn't need to have experienced a hurricane in person to feel that I was being carried along with one as I read. What will stick with me longer, though, are the vivid, complex characters, and the way their untidy stories crossed over each other and pulled together. I sank into their lives, their uncertainties, their impossible choices, and will continue to think about them long after I've moved through other books.

[Heather Gothie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book but it was a bit boring. Honestly I’ve read both her books and maybe she’s just not the writer for me. The plots are good, they just don’t deliver as you hope. Characters are hard to like and no one is better or grown after the flood. This is a quick read and interesting, but I wouldn’t recommend if you have other books in line.

[John Mccandlish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked the characters a lot and they made sense for the Mississippi delta. Look forward to more books by Tiffany.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Southern dysfunctional family struggles for understanding while facing a dangerous storm. Ho-hum. Some interesting characters and a quick read.

[Sylvia Archer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I picked this book because I loved her newest book, “The Past Is Never”. She developed her skills quite a bit between the two. Worth a read.

[Tinamarie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book and couldn't put it down. Well written story and highly recommend reading it

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this not knowing anything about it and let me say I was really surprised and loved it at the end. I loved the story of Melody coming back home after her mother left her brother and dying father after being gone for a long time herself. This is a gripping story of a dysfunctional family and a second story of sorts of a man and his son on the run after a fatal mistake.

Melody comes back home after a call from her brother saying their mom is gone and their father is dying. She comes back and must pick up the pieces that her mother left like always. After being gone so long she is thrown back into trying to deal with all that her family is going through. She is mad and upset that her mother leaves especially now that her father is dying. She has no idea what’s wrong with her mother or where she goes when she is gone. She also has to deal with her brother who after an accident hasn’t been the same. Not to mention she notices some strangers on her property right before an epic flood and she wants to know who they are and why they are there.

Obi is on the run after an accident and is determined to protect him and his son and is sent by his mother to take refuge on Melody’s family farm. All he wants is to take care of his son but when the flood comes she must accept Melody’s help to save him and his son something that he doesn’t take to well. Further in the story we see how Melody and Obi are connected and how their stories intertwine.

I loved how the flood, at least to me was a symbol of sorts when it came to the relationships of everyone involved. We see the relationships between Melody and her mom and Obi and his wife and mother. We also get to see Melody’s mothers story and where she is and why she acts the way she does when it comes to her family. To me in the end I saw the aftermath of the flood as a cleansing to all these relationships and to everyone involved. After a horrible and tragic storm one must start over in a sense it’s all a fresh start and I thought the characters all needed that do over in their lives. This is one story that truly surprised me and I found that really refreshing because there’s not that many books that can do that for me nowadays. So please take the time to check this gem out.

[Jennifer Reiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless of if a born and bred Southerner or just an armchair traveler, The Three Rivers transports the reader into a nearly mythical South. Ms. Tyson's lyrical style and well developed characters are interwoven into a story that is both suspenseful and thoughtful.

The novel is told from the point of view of Melody, Geneva and Obi, but I would argue that the rural Southern setting is a character in its own right. The region is described in such a vivid way, that it speaks through the words and actions of everyone in the book. The way the land has influenced their lives, in devastating and sustaining ways, runs throughout the novel.

I especially enjoyed how seemingly simple scenes speak to more universal truths. The following excerpt really stuck out for me:

Melody left the bedclothes and went to the door. She stuck her head out and saw Chris, grinning and holding up a white paper bag. "I bought cinnamon rolls. There's this bakery just off the highway that makes the best cinnamon rolls you ever tasted. A woman at the motel told me about it. People around here are so nice."
Melody knew the bakery he was talking about. She'd gone to school with the owner's son. The boy was not nice at all. He was a bully and a thief, but even he knew how to say "please" and "thank you" and "yes, ma'am" and "no sir." People often made the mistake of confusing good manners with kindness.

[Lesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley. There were several typos, but since it was a galley, I will not take off a star for that. This book was just "meh" for me. For some reason, I didn't really get into the characters very well. They all seemed kind of one-dimensional to me. And none of them were likable, like at all. I guess I found that I didn't really care what happened to them. I thought the plot could have used more build-up to the storm. It was kind of like one of the characters mentioned hearing that a storm was coming, then all of a sudden, cars were crashing and people were drowning. Somehow the storyline just fell flat to me. I thought the ending left a lot of loose ends. Overall, not impressed with this one.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good read for me is when characters grow and change as a result of their actions and decisions while facing challenges. In this book, a bunch of stuff happens to the characters, but I didn't see any of them doing much but responding to the storm and other events in their lives, and many of them responded very ineffectively. I didn't see any of them taking responsibility for solving problems (even Melody, who just deals with what's dumped in her lap a step at a time). None of them seemed to grow or learn anything from the events in the book. So, there was ultimately no purpose for the story and thus the ending was unsatisfying.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book, since I love any books about the South (my mother is from the South). This book didn't dissapoint - well-written, clever, easy-to-read. I don't want to say too much, and spoil the story, but I will say that, to me, the book was about coming to terms (at last) with how we've lived and what has effected our lives. I fell in love with the main character, who ends up getting called back home, and has to face things. An excellent story about the South, love, redemption, and the way back to home and our true selves.

[Laura Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is the word and it manifests in each character so differently, and in many ways, this story is a love letter to Mississippi. I felt deeply sympathetic for each family in this story, and when the storm hits, this novel reads like an exciting action movie -- the writing, pace and drama puts you right in the middle of rising waters. I don't want to give anything away...loved the ending, it felt perfect to me.

[Lisa Grantham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it. Growing up in Mississippi on the edge of the Delta I could totally relate & understand everything going on. Melody was like a lot of Southern women who when family calls knows that they drop everything to help. It's a different world that we live in. Really enjoyed getting to know your characters & their lives. I can't wait to read your next one.

PS: I also enjoyed the references to Ole Miss, Delta State, & Phi Mu just to name a few.

[Pam Butts · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting blend of make-believe and reality. The author was kind enough to skype with our book club!!

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was really looking forward to reading this book because I’m from Mississippi & this was a Mississippi set book by a Mississippi author. I was highly disappointed. The book jacket summary was BETTER than the book! She limited herself to a three day time period so none of the characters was fully developed. None of the characters came across as full people. I didn’t care about any of them because I was never allowed to know them.

[Jennifer Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A daughter and a mother, a father and a son, a dying man and a biblical flood. Three character points of view collide in this story set in the Mississippi delta. Set aside a block of time, because once you reach a certain point in this story, you will not be able to put the book down. So well written. I highly recommend this book.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful blending of surprising characters and a rich setting that I knew little about before this book! Tyson uses the place like another character, and it enriches and deepens each scene. I love how authentic and powerful every detail is, and I was compelled to find out what would happen the entire way!