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More Than Any River: A Novel
272 pages, Paperback
Published March 24, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There are some really great things about this book, which made me want to give it five stars. The main one was the immense importance of its subject, namely water rights in the Central Valley of California. Few people are aware of the complexities surrounding water in our state, and the author clearly did a great deal of research to try to understand and then explain them. I applaud her for this work, which will hopefully draw more attention to the damage we are doing to the environment, as well as the greed and corruption in the ag industry and resource agencies. One can only watch with horror as water tables drop to frightening levels, farmlands subside, and some farm communities have actually been left without drinking water. It’s scary.
The respect the author showed for both Japanese Californians and current farmers struggling to compete with agribusiness was wonderful.
On the other hand, I had problems with the novel part of the book, which is why I couldn’t give it that additional star. There were so many characters that I kept forgetting who was who. The narrative arc was not at all clear to me. The legal details became a bit ponderous. And I could have done with fewer descriptions of clothing, eye color and food that made parts of the book feel like women’s fiction rather than literature.
That being said, I am grateful to the author for writing this book. She clearly loves both the Delta and Santa Cruz areas and their habitats. She does a fantastic job conveying this with her prose. I kind of wish she’d written a nonfiction book instead, because I sensed that most of what she wrote about was true. Nonfiction would have given the book even more impact, I believe, because we couldn’t excuse the inexcusable by saying, “Oh, it’s just fiction.”
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book.
The respect the author showed for both Japanese Californians and current farmers struggling to compete with agribusiness was wonderful.
On the other hand, I had problems with the novel part of the book, which is why I couldn’t give it that additional star. There were so many characters that I kept forgetting who was who. The narrative arc was not at all clear to me. The legal details became a bit ponderous. And I could have done with fewer descriptions of clothing, eye color and food that made parts of the book feel like women’s fiction rather than literature.
That being said, I am grateful to the author for writing this book. She clearly loves both the Delta and Santa Cruz areas and their habitats. She does a fantastic job conveying this with her prose. I kind of wish she’d written a nonfiction book instead, because I sensed that most of what she wrote about was true. Nonfiction would have given the book even more impact, I believe, because we couldn’t excuse the inexcusable by saying, “Oh, it’s just fiction.”
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Book Review
Title: More Than A River
Author: Victoria Tatum
PUB: 03/24/26
Thank you so much partner @booksparks and Author VIctoria attain for this gifted physical copy
The book:
INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS, this Chinatown-meets-The Grapes of Wrath novel tells the story of California’s Sacramento Delta farmers facing off against agribusiness owners over the massive water tunnel(s) the state plans to build under hundreds of thousands of acres of prime Delta farmland.
Winter 2022-2023 inundated California with as much as three times the average rain and snowfall and pulled the state out of one of its biggest droughts in recorded history. But the truth is that the American West, from the Oregon border down to Mexico, is prone to drought-and in California, the biggest battle for water takes place in the Great Central Valley, where south-of-Delta agribusiness controls every stream feeding into the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The protagonists of More Than Any River are the family farmers fighting for the Delta, and the antagonist is the big agribusiness controlling its water-but ultimately, the Great Central Valley itself emerges as the central character in this gripping tale of divisive land politics and high stakes.
My Thoughts:
Victoria Tatum does an exceptional job highlighting the water rights in California’s Central Valley. Not only does she takes us on a deep dive on how we are damaging our environment, but she opens our eyes to the greedy horror in the agricultural business and how farm communities have been left without water. This book is a true eye opener that will leave you saddened knowing the struggles that farmers face while competing in agribusiness.
A must read that will make you reflect on the farming community
Title: More Than A River
Author: Victoria Tatum
PUB: 03/24/26
Thank you so much partner @booksparks and Author VIctoria attain for this gifted physical copy
The book:
INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS, this Chinatown-meets-The Grapes of Wrath novel tells the story of California’s Sacramento Delta farmers facing off against agribusiness owners over the massive water tunnel(s) the state plans to build under hundreds of thousands of acres of prime Delta farmland.
Winter 2022-2023 inundated California with as much as three times the average rain and snowfall and pulled the state out of one of its biggest droughts in recorded history. But the truth is that the American West, from the Oregon border down to Mexico, is prone to drought-and in California, the biggest battle for water takes place in the Great Central Valley, where south-of-Delta agribusiness controls every stream feeding into the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The protagonists of More Than Any River are the family farmers fighting for the Delta, and the antagonist is the big agribusiness controlling its water-but ultimately, the Great Central Valley itself emerges as the central character in this gripping tale of divisive land politics and high stakes.
My Thoughts:
Victoria Tatum does an exceptional job highlighting the water rights in California’s Central Valley. Not only does she takes us on a deep dive on how we are damaging our environment, but she opens our eyes to the greedy horror in the agricultural business and how farm communities have been left without water. This book is a true eye opener that will leave you saddened knowing the struggles that farmers face while competing in agribusiness.
A must read that will make you reflect on the farming community
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2026
More Than Any River: When Water Incites a War
Inspired by true events of high stakes land and water politics in California, Tatum’s More Than Any River chronicles the individual stories of several Sacramento Delta farmers fighting the oppression of agribusiness owners over access to water. The sad story of these farmers struggling to survive unfolds to the backdrop of the construction of massive water tunnels under fertile Delta farmland by California’s water board (in the pockets of agri-oligarchs).
The diversion of river water from one watershed to another is not new for California’s farmlands. Water wars between those with money and power and those without have dominated California since the early 1900s. In 1982, voters rejected a plan to put a canal around the periphery of the Sacramento Delta to draw water from the north to the needy south. California is the most populated US state; it is also among the driest. As I read More Than Any River, which takes place in 2010 and 2011 in the Great Central Valley, I was aware of the current $15 billion dollar tunnel proposal to divert a large part of the Sacramento River and maximize water exports from the San Francisco Bay Delta to the southwest San Joaquin Valley. Massive river diversions will only continue as climate change impacts California’s parched land, populations increase, and water asserts its position as the new gold. This book isn’t just about the past; it is about our future.
Inspired by true events of high stakes land and water politics in California, Tatum’s More Than Any River chronicles the individual stories of several Sacramento Delta farmers fighting the oppression of agribusiness owners over access to water. The sad story of these farmers struggling to survive unfolds to the backdrop of the construction of massive water tunnels under fertile Delta farmland by California’s water board (in the pockets of agri-oligarchs).
The diversion of river water from one watershed to another is not new for California’s farmlands. Water wars between those with money and power and those without have dominated California since the early 1900s. In 1982, voters rejected a plan to put a canal around the periphery of the Sacramento Delta to draw water from the north to the needy south. California is the most populated US state; it is also among the driest. As I read More Than Any River, which takes place in 2010 and 2011 in the Great Central Valley, I was aware of the current $15 billion dollar tunnel proposal to divert a large part of the Sacramento River and maximize water exports from the San Francisco Bay Delta to the southwest San Joaquin Valley. Massive river diversions will only continue as climate change impacts California’s parched land, populations increase, and water asserts its position as the new gold. This book isn’t just about the past; it is about our future.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Song with same vibes: Dust Bowl Dance by Mumford and Sons
Mood: hopeful, introspective, resilient, somber
“Like the hatchery salmon who were never as strong as the wild ones, it would always be a matter of starting from where they were, not where they had been.”
Inspired by true events of the California drought, divisive land politics, high stakes battle between family farmers and agribusiness, More Than Any River by Victoria Tatum is a tale of farming families spanned across nearly seven decades. Kimura Farm began with Eiji and Kimiko’s grit and endurance against the unforgiving nature and discrimination during World War II and follows other families who also work and depend on these farm lands.
This book is an ode to the rich and savagely beautiful Central California land, a cautionary tale about taking natural resources for granted, a heart breaking saga of sacrifices and resilience, and fights against seemingly insurmountable odds. The characters were vividly authentic though the narrative style felt somewhat brusque at times, dulling a bit of the story’s emotional impacts.
Thank you so much @booksparks for this gifted copy!
Tropes: historical fiction + broken American dream + social injustice + multicultural interest + immigrant experience + cultural struggles + resilience + family legacy + man vs. nature + David vs. Goliath
Mood: hopeful, introspective, resilient, somber
“Like the hatchery salmon who were never as strong as the wild ones, it would always be a matter of starting from where they were, not where they had been.”
Inspired by true events of the California drought, divisive land politics, high stakes battle between family farmers and agribusiness, More Than Any River by Victoria Tatum is a tale of farming families spanned across nearly seven decades. Kimura Farm began with Eiji and Kimiko’s grit and endurance against the unforgiving nature and discrimination during World War II and follows other families who also work and depend on these farm lands.
This book is an ode to the rich and savagely beautiful Central California land, a cautionary tale about taking natural resources for granted, a heart breaking saga of sacrifices and resilience, and fights against seemingly insurmountable odds. The characters were vividly authentic though the narrative style felt somewhat brusque at times, dulling a bit of the story’s emotional impacts.
Thank you so much @booksparks for this gifted copy!
Tropes: historical fiction + broken American dream + social injustice + multicultural interest + immigrant experience + cultural struggles + resilience + family legacy + man vs. nature + David vs. Goliath
March 28, 2026
More Than Any River is a novel with two powerful, almost silent characters at its center: the California Delta and the weather. Tatum treats both with a kind of reverent empathy, giving the land the same emotional weight and dimensionality as the people who live on it. What surprised me most was how seamlessly she does this — the Delta isn’t just a setting, it’s a presence, a memory keeper, a force.
There’s a moment near the end, when four pear trees are about to be cut down, and the family gathers to save them. In that scene, the entire book clicked into place for me. The trees become a symbol of everything this story is wrestling with: legacy, stewardship, the fragility of land, and the pressure of change.
This is a novel about family, agribusiness, and the relentless push‑pull between tradition and progress. It echoes the classic David‑and‑Goliath story, but also the deeply American question of where do I fit in the larger machinery of politics, economics, history, and culture? Tatum makes you think about the stories that rarely make it beyond California’s local headlines — the ones that shape real lives long before they reach national news.
If you’ve ever watched climate headlines scroll by — drought, flood, heat, snow — and felt like they lacked context or human stakes, this book fills in those gaps. It shows the precarious balance California lives in: wet and dry, heat and cold, abundance and scarcity. And it asks us to consider how easily that balance can tip, and how often so‑called “solutions” are far more complicated than they appear.
This is a thoughtful, resonant novel that lingers — a story about land, legacy, and the cost of change.
Thank you to the author and Booksparks for the copy of this book I read
There’s a moment near the end, when four pear trees are about to be cut down, and the family gathers to save them. In that scene, the entire book clicked into place for me. The trees become a symbol of everything this story is wrestling with: legacy, stewardship, the fragility of land, and the pressure of change.
This is a novel about family, agribusiness, and the relentless push‑pull between tradition and progress. It echoes the classic David‑and‑Goliath story, but also the deeply American question of where do I fit in the larger machinery of politics, economics, history, and culture? Tatum makes you think about the stories that rarely make it beyond California’s local headlines — the ones that shape real lives long before they reach national news.
If you’ve ever watched climate headlines scroll by — drought, flood, heat, snow — and felt like they lacked context or human stakes, this book fills in those gaps. It shows the precarious balance California lives in: wet and dry, heat and cold, abundance and scarcity. And it asks us to consider how easily that balance can tip, and how often so‑called “solutions” are far more complicated than they appear.
This is a thoughtful, resonant novel that lingers — a story about land, legacy, and the cost of change.
Thank you to the author and Booksparks for the copy of this book I read
Review of advance copy received from Author
“Mixed into those dishes was the unspoken understanding that farming was dreams realized, hard work, and peril all in one, like nori rolled around sticky rice and sweetened with sesame.”
More Than Any River is an environmental fiction novel about California’s water wars, focusing on a diverse range of farmers in the Sacramento Delta fighting against “big water” (as I started to call it in my head) and a proposed water tunnel project.
This story is based on true events & real-life environmental/political battles, and from the very first chapter I was hooked. I was extremely impressed by Tatum’s ability to flesh out such complicated narratives in such a short amount of pages. I was very quickly invested in each character’s story and felt the heart-wrenching emotion of losing a family business, a livelihood that you love & cherish deeply, to the evil powers that be. The cast was diverse, and the plot was educational, thoughtful, and moving.
This is NOT my usual genre and I was hesitant to begin reading, but was SO pleasantly surprised!!!
“More Than Any River” will be published March 24, 2026. Thank you @booksparks and Victoria Tatum for selecting me for the #WinterPopUp book review tour of “More Than Any River.” I was gifted this book and am reviewing it voluntarily.
More Than Any River is an environmental fiction novel about California’s water wars, focusing on a diverse range of farmers in the Sacramento Delta fighting against “big water” (as I started to call it in my head) and a proposed water tunnel project.
This story is based on true events & real-life environmental/political battles, and from the very first chapter I was hooked. I was extremely impressed by Tatum’s ability to flesh out such complicated narratives in such a short amount of pages. I was very quickly invested in each character’s story and felt the heart-wrenching emotion of losing a family business, a livelihood that you love & cherish deeply, to the evil powers that be. The cast was diverse, and the plot was educational, thoughtful, and moving.
This is NOT my usual genre and I was hesitant to begin reading, but was SO pleasantly surprised!!!
“More Than Any River” will be published March 24, 2026. Thank you @booksparks and Victoria Tatum for selecting me for the #WinterPopUp book review tour of “More Than Any River.” I was gifted this book and am reviewing it voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
★★★★☆ | More Than Any River by Victoria Tatum
This one really surprised me. More Than Any River dives into the real-life fight over water in California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, and it honestly reads like a high-stakes drama. On one side, you’ve got family farmers trying to protect their land and way of life. On the other, massive agribusiness interests controlling huge portions of the state’s water. And somehow, the land itself, the Central Valley, feels like the main character tying it all together.
The backdrop of the crazy 2022–2023 winter (when California got hit with record rain 🌧️ and snow ❄️ after years of drought) adds a lot of weight to the story. It really shows how temporary relief doesn’t fix long-term problems, especially in a place where drought is basically part of life. 🏜️
I liked how informative and grounded it felt, though some parts got a little dense with detail. Still, the story and the real-world impact kept me hooked.
If you’re into environmental issues, real-world conflicts, or just want something different from your usual read, this is definitely worth picking up. 📕
Big thanks to Book Sparks and Author Victoria Tatum for the physical copy and for supporting honest reviews!
This one really surprised me. More Than Any River dives into the real-life fight over water in California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, and it honestly reads like a high-stakes drama. On one side, you’ve got family farmers trying to protect their land and way of life. On the other, massive agribusiness interests controlling huge portions of the state’s water. And somehow, the land itself, the Central Valley, feels like the main character tying it all together.
The backdrop of the crazy 2022–2023 winter (when California got hit with record rain 🌧️ and snow ❄️ after years of drought) adds a lot of weight to the story. It really shows how temporary relief doesn’t fix long-term problems, especially in a place where drought is basically part of life. 🏜️
I liked how informative and grounded it felt, though some parts got a little dense with detail. Still, the story and the real-world impact kept me hooked.
If you’re into environmental issues, real-world conflicts, or just want something different from your usual read, this is definitely worth picking up. 📕
Big thanks to Book Sparks and Author Victoria Tatum for the physical copy and for supporting honest reviews!
March 28, 2026
More Than Any River
Victoria Tatum
Power grants a privileged few the glory of everlasting legacy. This gift provides access to opportunities that are a challenge to maintain. Tatum hones in on the plights of many people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Each person is living with the hand they’ve been dealt while trying to establish their footing in society.
Some people have the access and support of local authorities to weasel their way around rules. Once they achieved that status there is literally nothing that will stop them from pursuing what they deem to belong to them.
Regardless of the insincerity of those types of people, others have learn to accept matters for what they are. Understanding that it’s not right is valuable. But, it’s more important that even when things go against the notion of fairness you don’t give in.
I won’t pretend as if their weren’t moments that I didn’t question how each character would eventually connect to the next. There were points that I felt like the story was disjointed. As I continued to read, I understood the context and connection.
Thank you BookSparks for the ARC.
#MoreThanAnyRiverTour #WinterPopUp
Victoria Tatum
Power grants a privileged few the glory of everlasting legacy. This gift provides access to opportunities that are a challenge to maintain. Tatum hones in on the plights of many people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Each person is living with the hand they’ve been dealt while trying to establish their footing in society.
Some people have the access and support of local authorities to weasel their way around rules. Once they achieved that status there is literally nothing that will stop them from pursuing what they deem to belong to them.
Regardless of the insincerity of those types of people, others have learn to accept matters for what they are. Understanding that it’s not right is valuable. But, it’s more important that even when things go against the notion of fairness you don’t give in.
I won’t pretend as if their weren’t moments that I didn’t question how each character would eventually connect to the next. There were points that I felt like the story was disjointed. As I continued to read, I understood the context and connection.
Thank you BookSparks for the ARC.
#MoreThanAnyRiverTour #WinterPopUp
April 12, 2026
3.5 - solid score, good but not great
The language is lovely. There's a strong sense of place, w the water and location being akin to a character. Really enjoyed some of the plot lines, like Marie's journey through grief snd the love story of Lupe and Manuel
But I struggled w so many characters and stories. I made a cheat sheet but it was still a lot (adding a few family/property trees would help!). And, despite enjoying the prose, i think.some sentences could use a stronger editorial hand....finding my way through a specific sentence could be a lot of work.
It's a good book. It serves a need, telling sn important and ongoing story (i knew a bit about water wars but not much...east coast gal here). Charts and a final edit could raise it to a 4.
Ty to the publisher and goodreads for a prepublication copy. As always, all opinions are my own. All critical reviews are intended to give further weight to the positive notes.
The language is lovely. There's a strong sense of place, w the water and location being akin to a character. Really enjoyed some of the plot lines, like Marie's journey through grief snd the love story of Lupe and Manuel
But I struggled w so many characters and stories. I made a cheat sheet but it was still a lot (adding a few family/property trees would help!). And, despite enjoying the prose, i think.some sentences could use a stronger editorial hand....finding my way through a specific sentence could be a lot of work.
It's a good book. It serves a need, telling sn important and ongoing story (i knew a bit about water wars but not much...east coast gal here). Charts and a final edit could raise it to a 4.
Ty to the publisher and goodreads for a prepublication copy. As always, all opinions are my own. All critical reviews are intended to give further weight to the positive notes.
March 27, 2026
“He would never give in. Not as long as there were living beings, fish or farmer, being overlooked by others’ greed. Until he took his dying breath, he would stand waist deep in the current and reach for the hand of the man being swept away.”
The writing in this book is beautiful which helps to offset the somewhat difficult subject matter. Money, greed, and fights over water and land drive this story.
But this story is the opposite of character driven. It’s actually plot driven with quite a bit less individual character development. I was angry for the farmers for the corporate greed and unfairness they experienced but I wasn’t fully invested in them as the amazing hard working people I can imagine they were. This almost read like more of a history text book.
Thank you to @booksparks for this copy for review and the tour spot.
The writing in this book is beautiful which helps to offset the somewhat difficult subject matter. Money, greed, and fights over water and land drive this story.
But this story is the opposite of character driven. It’s actually plot driven with quite a bit less individual character development. I was angry for the farmers for the corporate greed and unfairness they experienced but I wasn’t fully invested in them as the amazing hard working people I can imagine they were. This almost read like more of a history text book.
Thank you to @booksparks for this copy for review and the tour spot.
Review of advance copy
An Emotional, Grounded Look at the Delta
This story approaches the Delta with so much care. Its people, its history, and the ongoing fight to protect the land they’ve tended for generations. The way Victoria Tatum weaves real environmental issues into a character‑driven narrative made this feel both grounded and emotionally resonant. I appreciated how clearly the stakes were shown without losing sight of the families and communities at the center of it all.
Thank you, BookSparks, for including me in the #WinterPopUp. I was gifted this book and am reviewing it voluntarily.
This story approaches the Delta with so much care. Its people, its history, and the ongoing fight to protect the land they’ve tended for generations. The way Victoria Tatum weaves real environmental issues into a character‑driven narrative made this feel both grounded and emotionally resonant. I appreciated how clearly the stakes were shown without losing sight of the families and communities at the center of it all.
Thank you, BookSparks, for including me in the #WinterPopUp. I was gifted this book and am reviewing it voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
Based on true events, there’s so much packed into this book: who’s doing the work on farms vs who’s getting paid for it, the impact practices have on the natural environment, politics/greed/corruption surrounding big development projects…
There are so many characters and we get snippets of their family histories, like how grandparents came to America & how choices previous generations made have impacted the present. More Than Any River was beautifully written, and for me it was a slow & reflective read
Thanks to BookSparks for the ARC!
There are so many characters and we get snippets of their family histories, like how grandparents came to America & how choices previous generations made have impacted the present. More Than Any River was beautifully written, and for me it was a slow & reflective read
Thanks to BookSparks for the ARC!
March 21, 2026
cw: graphic violent death by animal attack
thank you to @booksparks for the early review copy!
the writing of this novel is beautiful and the topic is utterly important, with the author highlighting the fight between farmers, farm workers, and the agribusiness owners, exploring the impacts of water resource extraction on the land and our lives
i did find both the arc of the novel and the characters very hard to follow. there were so many characters and many interconnected plot points packed into only 250 pages, and i was lost and uninvested in most of it
thank you to @booksparks for the early review copy!
the writing of this novel is beautiful and the topic is utterly important, with the author highlighting the fight between farmers, farm workers, and the agribusiness owners, exploring the impacts of water resource extraction on the land and our lives
i did find both the arc of the novel and the characters very hard to follow. there were so many characters and many interconnected plot points packed into only 250 pages, and i was lost and uninvested in most of it
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book combines Grapes of Wrath with Chinatown and explores the politically relevant fight over California’s water. Based on real life events, this book examines what happens when farmers go up against big business in the dispute over one of natures resources. In a world where climate change is a topic of every political platform, this book is relevant and realistic. It’s dramatic, suspenseful, and important to be told.
March 23, 2026
More Than Any River was not what I was expecting in the best way! What I expected was a book about rivers and farmers in CA. What I didn’t expect was to learn so much and relate to the hardships these families faced. Truly, it is amazing what kind of safe spaces they have created with each other.
It is a great book to learn more on the topic of farming and the CA rivers, but it is also just a good read about family and relationships.
It is a great book to learn more on the topic of farming and the CA rivers, but it is also just a good read about family and relationships.
March 18, 2026
This was my first ARC read! I appreciated the way it explored familial history and the memories tied to the land. Those were the strongest moments for me. At times it felt more like a textbook so I struggled to stay invested in the story.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews