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River Runs Deep
When a boy is sent to Mammoth cave to fight a case of consumption, little does he know he'll also be fighting for the lives of a secret community of escaped slaves, who are hidden deep within the cave.
Twelve-year-old Elias has consumption, so he is sent to Kentucky's Mammoth Cave, the biggest cave in America, where the cool cave vapors are said to be healing. At first, living in a cave sounds like an adventure, but after a few days, Elias feels more sick of boredom than his illness. So he is thrilled when Stephen, one of the slaves who works in the cave, invites him to walk further through its depths.
But there are more than just tunnels and stalagmites waiting to be discovered; there are mysteries hiding around every turn. The truths they conceal are far more stunning than anything Elias could ever have imagined, and he finds himself caught right in the middle of it all, while he's supposed to be resting. But how can he focus on saving his own life when so many others are in danger?
Twelve-year-old Elias has consumption, so he is sent to Kentucky's Mammoth Cave, the biggest cave in America, where the cool cave vapors are said to be healing. At first, living in a cave sounds like an adventure, but after a few days, Elias feels more sick of boredom than his illness. So he is thrilled when Stephen, one of the slaves who works in the cave, invites him to walk further through its depths.
But there are more than just tunnels and stalagmites waiting to be discovered; there are mysteries hiding around every turn. The truths they conceal are far more stunning than anything Elias could ever have imagined, and he finds himself caught right in the middle of it all, while he's supposed to be resting. But how can he focus on saving his own life when so many others are in danger?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published July 21, 2015
9 people are currently reading
388 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Bradbury
11 books128 followersJennifer Bradbury is an English teacher living in Burlington, Washington. She and her husband took a two-month long bicycling trek from Charleston, South Carolina, to Los Angeles, California for their honeymoon, changing more than fifty flat tires along the way. She was also a one-day winner of Jeopardy! Shift is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 29, 2023
Picked this up at Mammoth Cave when we visited last summer on our PCS to KS!
August 19, 2022
Such a good book. 📚
August 13, 2015
This was a decent story. There was nothing really wrong with it, except it did drag a little in the middle. A fascinating piece of history that most people don't know about - a doctor's attempts to cure consumption by creating a village underground in Mammoth Cave. A slave who made extensive and accurate maps of the cave's interior. I recommend reading a little bit of the history first. I got lost a bit when they talked about following which paths and landmarks in the cave, but if I had a map in front of me it probably would have been better. Someone else mentioned that this book glosses over the horrors of slavery, and while that's true it does point out the concept of "ownership" of another being, and the protagonist really reflecting on that and reconsidering how he looks at his family slaves.
August 3, 2015
What a great way to introduce 4th/5th graders to this era in American history! I enjoy when a fictional book is based on true events & characters as this one is. Makes me want to take my 10year old daughter on a trip to Mammoth Caves.
August 13, 2015
This was interesting but definitely a young adult reading level. It was a great story but not challenging or thought- provoking for the advanced reader.
February 23, 2017
Summary
Twelve-year-old Elias is sent from his Virginia home to Dr. Croghan's experimental hospital located within the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky, in the hopes that he can be cured of consumption (tuberculosis). The cave, owned by Dr. Croghan, is also a tourist attraction, and his slaves lead cave tours as well as attend to patients. After a few days, Elias feels sicker from boredom than illness so he secretly follows a slave named Stephen into a tunnel. He discovers a network of secret tunnels that house a hidden community of runaway slaves. When a patient and former boat crew member, Pennyrile, gets suspicious and begins investigating, the runaway slaves must quickly hide their existence. Elias is from the slave state of Virginia, but what does he really think about slavery? Should he disclose the secret of the runaway slaves, or help them escape to freedom?
My Comments
This book weaves together several interesting story lines --- that of Doctor John Croghan and his Mammoth Cave medical clinic, Elias and his illness, the mystery of the hidden slaves, and the mystery of why one of the patients, Mr. Pennyroyal is so interested in the water in the caves.
I especially love historical fiction that includes real life characters and this book has two. Dr. John Croghan was a doctor who purchased Mammoth Cave in 1839. He planned to use it for medical purposes because he believed that its steady inside climate would benefit tuberculosis patients. Deep within the cave, patients suffering from the disease lived in wooden and stone huts, two of which are still standing today. Descriptions of Dr. Croghan's primitive medical treatments, such as intentional bleeding, forced vomiting, and homemade instruments, illustrate the painful and fruitless state of health care for tuberculosis patients at that time. The experiment ended in failure in 1843 because the cool temperatures in the cave harmed rather than helped the patients. Ironically Croghan died of tuberculosis in 1849. The cave remained in his family until 1926.
Stephen Bishop was also a “real life” character. He was a mixed race slave famous for being one of the lead explorers and guides of Mammoth Cave. Stephen ventured beyond the normal tourist areas and discovered many miles of the cave system that no one had ever seen before. He was freed in 1856, after the death of his owner, and in 1859 he also died of tuberculosis.
Pennyrile is not a real character, but he makes a great villain. He is ugly, creepy, vile and talks in a hoarse whisper. Elias is not a real character but he exhibits all the actions and emotions of a boy of the 1840. The author is authentic with dialogue and vocabulary.
All in all, River Runs Deep is a captivating book about the history of the Mammoth Cave as a sanitorium and tourist attraction, and the slavery issues of the 1840's It’s one of those books that makes history come alive.
Twelve-year-old Elias is sent from his Virginia home to Dr. Croghan's experimental hospital located within the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky, in the hopes that he can be cured of consumption (tuberculosis). The cave, owned by Dr. Croghan, is also a tourist attraction, and his slaves lead cave tours as well as attend to patients. After a few days, Elias feels sicker from boredom than illness so he secretly follows a slave named Stephen into a tunnel. He discovers a network of secret tunnels that house a hidden community of runaway slaves. When a patient and former boat crew member, Pennyrile, gets suspicious and begins investigating, the runaway slaves must quickly hide their existence. Elias is from the slave state of Virginia, but what does he really think about slavery? Should he disclose the secret of the runaway slaves, or help them escape to freedom?
My Comments
This book weaves together several interesting story lines --- that of Doctor John Croghan and his Mammoth Cave medical clinic, Elias and his illness, the mystery of the hidden slaves, and the mystery of why one of the patients, Mr. Pennyroyal is so interested in the water in the caves.
I especially love historical fiction that includes real life characters and this book has two. Dr. John Croghan was a doctor who purchased Mammoth Cave in 1839. He planned to use it for medical purposes because he believed that its steady inside climate would benefit tuberculosis patients. Deep within the cave, patients suffering from the disease lived in wooden and stone huts, two of which are still standing today. Descriptions of Dr. Croghan's primitive medical treatments, such as intentional bleeding, forced vomiting, and homemade instruments, illustrate the painful and fruitless state of health care for tuberculosis patients at that time. The experiment ended in failure in 1843 because the cool temperatures in the cave harmed rather than helped the patients. Ironically Croghan died of tuberculosis in 1849. The cave remained in his family until 1926.
Stephen Bishop was also a “real life” character. He was a mixed race slave famous for being one of the lead explorers and guides of Mammoth Cave. Stephen ventured beyond the normal tourist areas and discovered many miles of the cave system that no one had ever seen before. He was freed in 1856, after the death of his owner, and in 1859 he also died of tuberculosis.
Pennyrile is not a real character, but he makes a great villain. He is ugly, creepy, vile and talks in a hoarse whisper. Elias is not a real character but he exhibits all the actions and emotions of a boy of the 1840. The author is authentic with dialogue and vocabulary.
All in all, River Runs Deep is a captivating book about the history of the Mammoth Cave as a sanitorium and tourist attraction, and the slavery issues of the 1840's It’s one of those books that makes history come alive.
February 17, 2022
The book opens with the treatment of a young boy,Elias about ten, who seems to have tuberculosis and has been sent to a healing hospice adjacent to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. The Doctor in charge is desperately trying to cure tb patients with various treatment that,as it seems, don't help much.
This first section and for about the first one hundred pages, I found slow going; it mainly concerns the boy,meeting other patients and getting 'involved' with a nasty patient who makes demands on him to help him. Many of the attendants at the facility are black persons, and it is these characters that begin to steal into Elias's mind as smart and warm human beings.
The author is tremendously creative in developing a plot that eventually leads to a suspenseful second half of the book. At this point, the blacks are leaders in helping their own people survive and hopefully escape North and also, in foiling a plot by bounty hunters. AS the blacks have given many tours of the immense caverns of Mammoth Cave, they are able to hide escaped slaves there. and even entrap wicked bounty hunters in a series of disasters.
As the story unfolds, Elias, a Southern boy, realizes how wrong he and others have been in not recognizing the smart humanity of his black friends. Elias helps them fight a suspenseful battle in the cave with bounty hunters who are looking for runaway slaves.
This second section of the book is a page turner.
In all, the book stand out as a story of how tuberculosis was treated in early America and how slaves were treated in the South in circa 1840.
This first section and for about the first one hundred pages, I found slow going; it mainly concerns the boy,meeting other patients and getting 'involved' with a nasty patient who makes demands on him to help him. Many of the attendants at the facility are black persons, and it is these characters that begin to steal into Elias's mind as smart and warm human beings.
The author is tremendously creative in developing a plot that eventually leads to a suspenseful second half of the book. At this point, the blacks are leaders in helping their own people survive and hopefully escape North and also, in foiling a plot by bounty hunters. AS the blacks have given many tours of the immense caverns of Mammoth Cave, they are able to hide escaped slaves there. and even entrap wicked bounty hunters in a series of disasters.
As the story unfolds, Elias, a Southern boy, realizes how wrong he and others have been in not recognizing the smart humanity of his black friends. Elias helps them fight a suspenseful battle in the cave with bounty hunters who are looking for runaway slaves.
This second section of the book is a page turner.
In all, the book stand out as a story of how tuberculosis was treated in early America and how slaves were treated in the South in circa 1840.
February 25, 2016
River Runs Deep is a gripping historical fiction read based in Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. You’ll travel back to 1843 with a 12 year old boy named Elias who has consumption and has been sent to Mammoth Cave for its claimed healing properties. There are a number of other patients who are quite ill as well as slaves who take care of the patients and give tours to visitors of the many tunnels and sites. But Mammoth Cave also has a secret…a secret that if revealed would put many people in danger. And Elias is the one secret holder that can save or condemn these lives.
This is a very intriguing story that had me searching the internet for more tidbits of information. Great read!
~Jan
This is a very intriguing story that had me searching the internet for more tidbits of information. Great read!
~Jan
November 27, 2015
I appreciated Elias's thoughts about slavery and how they changed as he got to know those helping to care for him during his time in Mammoth Cave. I am a cave fan, having visited Mammoth Cave as a youngster and adult, might be time to go again and pay attention to this part of its history. I might have enjoyed the book more if it was presented as NF, I kept wanting to skip ahead to the research notes in the back matter.
November 7, 2015
It took a while to get into this story, but I found myself itching to finish so I could see how it ended. I had no idea how Mammoth Cave played a part in sheltering runaway slaves.
December 2, 2022
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book based on the slow beginning. It opens with Dr. Croghan's patient notes on Elias Harrington, which are rather boring. I'm worried kids will read that far and stop. Should they choose to persevere, it's still slow going for another 30 pages or so, until the foundation of the story begins to solidify around a mystery vibe that propels it forward.
Elias Harrington is a boy from Virginia sent to live in a tuberculosis ward in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Yes, that's right. Sent to live underground under the medical supervision of Dr. Croghan, a physician who is convinced the air in the cave has healing properties. This is the mid 1800's mind you. A time when medicine is a guessing game.
Elias is utterly bored until he becomes acquainted with several black men, Stephen, Nick, and Mat, who give tours to curious white people. He begins exploring with them, deep into the cave, mapping out all the various paths and formations. His other boredom buster is taking and retrieving messages to a tree outside the cave opening for another of Croghan's patients, the vile and strange Pennyrile.
As is bound to happen with a curious and bored boy, he breaks the rules, going far into the cave, quietly following Stephen. What he finds is a whole colony of runaway slaves. Luckily, he is deemed trustworthy. Thinking Pennyrile poses some sort of threat, they hatch a plan to get him off their trail. The buildup to this climax is very well-done. Things get wildly out of hand. A nail biter.
I stayed alert through the whole story which is a good indicator of how well a book is written. Vivid characters. Interesting plot. Good story building. Right amount of detail. Effective use of language. I always appreciate historical connections. I find it fascinating that one of the patient huts still exists in the cave today. I loved the inclusion of the cave map. I flipped back to it frequently. Makes me want to visit in the near future.
Just wish it had a more catchy beginning.
Elias Harrington is a boy from Virginia sent to live in a tuberculosis ward in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Yes, that's right. Sent to live underground under the medical supervision of Dr. Croghan, a physician who is convinced the air in the cave has healing properties. This is the mid 1800's mind you. A time when medicine is a guessing game.
Elias is utterly bored until he becomes acquainted with several black men, Stephen, Nick, and Mat, who give tours to curious white people. He begins exploring with them, deep into the cave, mapping out all the various paths and formations. His other boredom buster is taking and retrieving messages to a tree outside the cave opening for another of Croghan's patients, the vile and strange Pennyrile.
As is bound to happen with a curious and bored boy, he breaks the rules, going far into the cave, quietly following Stephen. What he finds is a whole colony of runaway slaves. Luckily, he is deemed trustworthy. Thinking Pennyrile poses some sort of threat, they hatch a plan to get him off their trail. The buildup to this climax is very well-done. Things get wildly out of hand. A nail biter.
I stayed alert through the whole story which is a good indicator of how well a book is written. Vivid characters. Interesting plot. Good story building. Right amount of detail. Effective use of language. I always appreciate historical connections. I find it fascinating that one of the patient huts still exists in the cave today. I loved the inclusion of the cave map. I flipped back to it frequently. Makes me want to visit in the near future.
Just wish it had a more catchy beginning.
April 13, 2021
Set in Mammoth Cave. Elliot was sent to Mammoth Cave to be treated for consumption. Doc Croghan has a "hospital" set up in the cave to treat patients. He has black workers who assist in the caretaking. As Elliot starts improving, he starts tagging along on the cave tours learning about all the different pathways. Eventually he learns of a secret Haven deep in the cave where runaway slaves are hiding.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2019
Mysterious and exciting story of a boy sent to live in Mammoth Cave as a cure for tuberculosis. He gets involved with runaway slaves and river pirates on a quest for healing water. Fun story well-told, set in 1843. (middle grades and up)
August 22, 2020
I had just visited Mammoth Cave and a friend purchased this book in the park gift store, then loaned it to me when she was finished. It was fun to read a book set in the place just visited. It's a YA book but still engaging for an adult (or at least for me). Quick read and good story.
May 27, 2018
Solid. The second half really clipped along!
June 14, 2018
The book was good. There was suspense for only a short period at the end of the book.
September 20, 2018
This book does have rather a slow start, but it more than makes up for that slow start in the second half.
December 2, 2018
Read this after a trip to mammoth cave.
April 16, 2019
Good historical read for upper elem, especially after visiting Mammoth Cave for a little background.
July 31, 2022
Interesting storyline to go along with Mammoth caves!
Read
August 25, 2022A fun read- especially if you’ve visited mammoth cave. If you love huckleberry Finn you will probably love this!
December 16, 2022
The setting of the cave and how the doctors of the time thought it could cure tuberculosis is fascinating. A very neat glimpse into the history of modern medicine.
December 20, 2023
Very interesting.
October 18, 2016
A unique story about a surprising part of American History. Elias has been sent to live in and heal in an underground cave as a last-ditch attempt to save him from consumption. What he discovers in the cave is more than just other sick people -and is attempts to discover the truth leads to more than just the healing of his lungs.
February 19, 2017
Set in the 1840s, this is a captivating tale of twelve year old Elias who is sent to live in a cave with other tuberculosis patients. The cave air is meant to help heal them and there is a doctor trying different cures on them. The boy makes friends with some slaves and takes care of an injured pigeon. He is visited by a faceless voice in the dark and he becomes curious about what secrets might be revealed by the inner recesses of the cave. I don’t often choose books set so far in the past but the unusual setting of the cave appealed to me and the mix of characters sounded interesting. I quickly became caught up in the mystery of the cave and the interactions between Elias and the other cave dwellers.
A book for all ages.
A book for all ages.
October 20, 2015
Elias is suffering from tuberculosis and has been sent to Mammoth Cave for treatment. Dr. Croghan's program involves living in the cave, restricting the diet and exercise and hoping for a cure. Elias is only 12 and isn't too happy with the inactivity, but he saw his father die from tuberculosis and doesn't want to follow the same path. He becomes friends with some of Dr. Croghan's slaves and learns there is more to the cave than just the tours and the patients.
This was an interesting historical fiction account. I actually didn't know that Mammoth Cave was used as a tuberculosis treatment center and found that really fascinating. Elias is a fun character, curious and heroic. While I am not sure he would have been such fast friends with slaves in real life, I can see where a bored, young boy might step past the social norms in this case. The fact that the slaves trusted him so quickly might not have rang true either, but since this is fiction I am going to overlook that. I liked the intrigue of the slaves and the confinement of the cave. It made for a claustrophobic, yet highly enjoyable story.
This was an interesting historical fiction account. I actually didn't know that Mammoth Cave was used as a tuberculosis treatment center and found that really fascinating. Elias is a fun character, curious and heroic. While I am not sure he would have been such fast friends with slaves in real life, I can see where a bored, young boy might step past the social norms in this case. The fact that the slaves trusted him so quickly might not have rang true either, but since this is fiction I am going to overlook that. I liked the intrigue of the slaves and the confinement of the cave. It made for a claustrophobic, yet highly enjoyable story.
August 30, 2015
Great historical fiction story set in Mammoth Caves. Having visited the caves as a child it was neat to actually be able to picture several of the scenes in the book from memory.
Elias is being sent to Mammoth Caves where a doctor is trying a radical experiment to treat patients of tuberculosis within the caves. Having already lost his father to the disease Elias now has it as well and he is admitted as the youngest patient in the hospital. Days are long and the cave is dark so Elias jumps at the chance when the doctor prescribes that he take the tours led by the doctors slaves. Elias enjoys exploring the caves and helping uncover its secrets, even when he is visited by a cave ghost. Elias soon learns that the cave is hiding many secrets and he is not the only one looking to uncover them.
Very well written historical fiction. Lots of adventure that will appeal to boys and it also has a great look at slavery and the unlikely friendship that develops between Elias and the doctors help.
Good for ages 10 and up.
Elias is being sent to Mammoth Caves where a doctor is trying a radical experiment to treat patients of tuberculosis within the caves. Having already lost his father to the disease Elias now has it as well and he is admitted as the youngest patient in the hospital. Days are long and the cave is dark so Elias jumps at the chance when the doctor prescribes that he take the tours led by the doctors slaves. Elias enjoys exploring the caves and helping uncover its secrets, even when he is visited by a cave ghost. Elias soon learns that the cave is hiding many secrets and he is not the only one looking to uncover them.
Very well written historical fiction. Lots of adventure that will appeal to boys and it also has a great look at slavery and the unlikely friendship that develops between Elias and the doctors help.
Good for ages 10 and up.
Read
January 27, 2017In a stunning story that makes history come alive (Booklist), a boy is sent to Mammoth cave to fight a case of consumption and ends up fighting for the lives of a secret community of escaped slaves, who are hidden deep underground.
Twelve-year-old Elias has consumption, so he is sent to Kentucky s Mammoth Cave the biggest cave in America where the cool vapors are said to be healing. At first, living in a cave sounds like an adventure, but after a few days, Elias feels more sick of boredom than his illness. So he is thrilled when Stephen, one of the slaves who works in the cave, invites him to walk further through its depths.
But there are more than just tunnels and stalagmites waiting to be discovered; there are mysteries hiding around every turn. The truths they conceal are far more stunning than anything Elias could ever have imagined, and he finds himself caught in the middle of it all while he s supposed to be resting. But how can he focus on saving his own life when so many others are in danger?
Twelve-year-old Elias has consumption, so he is sent to Kentucky s Mammoth Cave the biggest cave in America where the cool vapors are said to be healing. At first, living in a cave sounds like an adventure, but after a few days, Elias feels more sick of boredom than his illness. So he is thrilled when Stephen, one of the slaves who works in the cave, invites him to walk further through its depths.
But there are more than just tunnels and stalagmites waiting to be discovered; there are mysteries hiding around every turn. The truths they conceal are far more stunning than anything Elias could ever have imagined, and he finds himself caught in the middle of it all while he s supposed to be resting. But how can he focus on saving his own life when so many others are in danger?
September 29, 2015
This was a very interesting book about a boy, Elias, who has consumption. After his father dies of the same disease, his family sent him Mammoth Cave in Kentucky where a doctor is trying different "cures" for people with consumption. While deep in the cave Elias meets the slaves who work for the doctor and meets the other patients. He also learns a secret. Can Elias protect Haven - a refuge for runaway slaves deep in th heart of the cave system.
Based on history, this was an interesting look at the cave, runaway slaves, and consumption. The only problems are length and the difficulty of getting students to read historical fiction. Would I have enough students interested in the era to give it a go?
Based on history, this was an interesting look at the cave, runaway slaves, and consumption. The only problems are length and the difficulty of getting students to read historical fiction. Would I have enough students interested in the era to give it a go?
March 3, 2016
Interesting setting - Mammoth Cave - during the 1800s, and interesting premise (Elias is a young patient sent there to cure his "consumption", but soon discovers a community of runaway slaves living deep within the cave's dark and dank labyrinth) but I soon got bored of Elias and wanted to hear more from the perspectives of the slaves. The author notes in the epilogue that the existence of runaway slaves living in the caves in Kentucky really happened, so I would have rather preferred hearing a story from their point of view, rather than have them as ancillary characters. I doubt that young readers will mind so much, though, for there is a fair amount of adventure involving secret messages, homing pigeons, and the fountain of youth to keep their interest piqued. Grades 4-7.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews