The River's Daughter

by Bridget Crocker

Recalling memoirs like Wild and Educated, an internationally renowned whitewater rafting guide offers a gripping and inspiring memoir about overcoming hardship and coming into her own through her relationship with the rivers she has known.

After Bridget Crocker’s parents split in a vicious divorce, she moved with her mother from California to Wyoming, to a trailer park on the banks of the Snake River. Her childhood was nearly idyllic, with a stepfather she loved and a new baby brother, and with the river as her companion. When her mother underwent a drastic personality change seemingly overnight and left her stepfather for an eco-warrior and radical new lifestyle, Bridget’s world upended. She returned to California to live with her explosive father—until his violence sent her back to Wyoming.

The river was the most constant and nurturing influence in Bridget’s life; it helped instill in her the resilience she needed to overcome sexual assault and betrayals by those close to her and taught her to trust her intuition and embrace her strength as a woman. She became a world-class whitewater rafting guide, leading expeditions on the Snake, the Kern, the Salmon, and Zambia’s Zambezi rivers. Ultimately, her relationship with the rivers she came to know led her to reunite with her family and work with them to transform multi-generational cycles of poverty, trauma, and abuse.

In this propulsive story of finding hope and belonging in a life outdoors, Bridget Crocker not only takes us on exhilarating, and at times terrifying, adventures on the water but opens up a new way of experiencing the world—through its rivers, which can guide us, just as we can navigate them—and introduces a bold and vibrant new voice in adventure writing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Nature, Biography, Adventure, Audiobook, Biography Memoir

Audiobook

First published June 3, 2025

About the author

Explorer. Storyteller. Guide.
A leading whitewater explorer and river guide, Bridget Crocker writes adventure memoir for life travelers forging new directions in their relationships and lives. Crocker's writing transports readers to far-flung locations filled with flawed characters overcoming incredible adversity. A trauma survivor, Crocker explores themes of recovery and overcoming multi-generational cycles as well as sexism and racism in the outdoor industry. In her work as an author, speaker and leader of women's empowerment river workshops, Crocker helps others strengthen their connection with the natural world and find the courage to navigate harrowing obstacles both on and off the river.

Writing Background
Crocker’s adventure travel background combined with formal studies in Anthropology and Native American Studies have shaped her ability to integrate the natural and cultural spirit of varying landscapes into her writing. She attended the University of Montana in Missoula and holds a degree in English Literature from Montana State University, Bozeman. She's an alum of Book Passage Travel Writing and Photography Conference and the Livingston Writer's Workshop. Her work has been featured in magazines including Westways, Men’s Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Trail Runner, Paddler and Vela among others, and she worked as a writer for the outdoor clothing company, Patagonia, for nineteen years. She is a contributing author to Lonely Planet guidebooks and Travel Anthology and The Best Women’s Travel Writing series from Travelers’ Tales.

River Explorer
As a young girl growing up on the banks of the Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Crocker developed a relationship with water and nature that is at the heart of her writing. Crocker began guiding on the Snake and has guided remote river expeditions down many of the world’s greatest river canyons in far-flung regions of Zambia, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, India and the Western United States.

Reviews

[L.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir of Bridget's moments of defeat and how she found her strength to be unbreakable. It is a long road to overcome hardships and betrayal from loved ones, but this book brings an inspiring and uplifting account of Bridget Crocker's life. With her mother and father experiencing abuse as children, the cycle continued, as they raised her. Her mother decided to walk away with Bridget and found happiness with another man. She loved her stepfather, but her mother upended their lives once again.
Living on the Snake River in Jackson Hole, she finds the resilience and strength to build her stamina and overcome the trials of sexual abuse and betrayal. Her courage came from her own desire to be at force with the Snake River challenging her as a guide. Some of the challenges she faced brought healing and adventures. I found the book to be gripping and inspiring. So many times I see students suffering from family hardships and later seeing them as successful adults. Her story is a testament to many that face traumatic experiences but find hope and courage from this. I love the cover!!
I love the river also and can find solace and peace from a day kayaking. Right now I'm sitting on an island in the Gulf of America and enjoying a much quieter life than normal.🌴
Thank you NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for this incredible ARC in exchange for my review.

[Hannah Greendale (Hello, Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The River's Daughter is a touching memoir about overcoming abuse and ending the cycle of generational trauma.

A considerable portion of the book is dedicated to Crocker's career guiding rivers, so if white water rafting interests you (and your heart can handle stories of childhood abuse and SA) then this is the book for you.

[Christy fictional_traits · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Snake had touched me, and in some way, I now belonged to the river'.

Bridget's childhood was as dramatic and filled with lurking danger as the white water she came to love as a young adult. Born to two parents who were themselves a product of abusive parents, her mother finally lives her physically violent father, giving Bridget the chance to live in a peaceful eddy with a loving stepfather. However, it was only a temporary stop before she had to navigate more tumultuous years. By chance, Bridget finds herself, her calling and her centre, on the river. It becomes a passion that sees her guiding rafts on wild rivers around the world. Her experiences help to synthesise her troubled life and learn to forgive herself and her family.

It's always difficult to rate someone's life, their personal notes laid bare for everyone to read. I really enjoyed reading about Bridget's rafting adventures and the people she met along the way, as well as her reconciliation with her marred childhood and flawed family. Although reading about her childhood trauma is necessary, it wasn't as easy. Overall though I enjoyed Bridget's story and her courage in not only facing wild, untamed rapids but also the courage to face her upbringing.

'Over the years, I had spend quite a lot of time ruminating about what my family had not given me, overlooking what I'd inherited as my birthright: the ability to transform suffering, rise up, and survive'.

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to guide a whitewater rafting trip on the Zambezi River? Reading Bridget Crocker’s memoir, The River’s Daughter, is like floating down the water on an adventurous ride.

From The Publisher:
“A vivid and propulsive memoir about finding courage and meaning in a life outdoors, by a world-class whitewater rafting guide.“

What I Liked About The River’s Daughter:
If you know me personally, you know how much I love rafting on rivers. This was the perfect read while sitting next to the Flathead River in Montana. Crocker was able to take me on all of her adventures, and I felt like I was rafting down the whitewaters of The Kern, The Snake, and The Zambezi River.

Crocker does a wonderful job of leading us through her tumultuous childhood. Her past showed how she became such a strong, independent woman and a world-class rafting guide. She grew up along the Snake River, close to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She wasn’t the one wearing the expensive clothing or driving the expensive cars. She didn’t live in the perfect family home. However, Crocker didn’t let this stop her from achieving her goals.

Although this is her memoir, the details and story line read almost like fiction. I was absorbed in her words. I could picture the interesting people she met along the way: the loves gained, the lives lost, and the family that sometimes stood in her way. I’m sure this wasn’t an easy story to write.

This story makes me want to go whitewater rafting tomorrow! This is definitely worth the read.

Quotes From The River’s Daughter That I Related To:
** “I felt the boat shift from the downstream current into the calm eddy water near the shore and nearly collapsed with relief.”

** “The Snake had touched me, and in some way, I now belonged to the river.”

These quotes hit me personally. Although I have done whitewater river rafting in Colorado a few times (and fell out of the boat trying to help someone that fell in), my first trip alone in our pontoon rafts was also on the Snake River in Idaho. I was terrified, and the cfs was at 13,000. When we hit the eddy at the pull-out, I actually cried with relief. It wasn’t a great idea to start on this river for my first time, but I’m so glad I did it. Crocker’s sentence brought back that feeling of relief after trying something scary for the first time.

What is something that you have done that made you collapse with relief?


** “…part of living is being willing to embrace adventure, whether it’s a river trip or improving connections with loved ones, even when it’s hard.”

My husband always says, “You aren’t living unless you are close to death.” Okay, I like Crocker’s quote better. I like the idea of embracing adventure much more. Ha.

** “…want them to learn from rivers – as I did – to be relentless in finding their own line, and, when they flip, not just to survive but to recover strong.”

This quote seems to sum up Crocker’s life. She was relentless, and when she encountered difficult situations, she did what she needed to in order to recover even stronger.

Extras:
You can buy The River’s Daughter at: https://amzn.to/3TNmIN3

*If you want to read more of my book reviews, you can find them at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/

*If you missed my post about my Top Books of 2024, you can find it at: https://judiholst.com/top-20-books-th...

If you loved this memoir, and you are looking for more memoirs to read, here are some suggestions:

This American Woman: A One-in-a-Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg
My review for the book: https://judiholst.com/discover-zarna-...
You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/3Gc0IIL
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz
My review for the book: https://judiholst.com/captivating-mem...
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Killer Story – The Truth Behind True Crime Televsion by Claire St. Amant
My review for the book: https://judiholst.com/killer-story-by...
You can buy it at: https://amzn.to/4kuTLBS
What is your favorite memoir? I’m always looking for a good one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Spiegel & Grau, and Bridget Crocker for sharing this book with me. This is my honest opinion.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

In this memoir, Bridget Crocker reflects on her dysfunctional family, life as a whitewater rafting guide, and as a woman trying to find her place in the world.

Three things I know to be true in the aftermath of my reading experience: First, Bridget Crocker is a tough cookie. Second, there are parts of this memoir that were tough to read because her parents were certainly dysfunctional. Third, I have never gone whitewater rafting, but I would love to have that experience.

That being said, I did find some parts rushed, especially the road to reconciliation with each of her parents. But I suppose- a memoir can only be so many pages, and a publisher is going to ask the writer to wrap it up. All in all, it was a good reading experience.




TW: SCENES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT

#TheRiversDaughter #NetGalley
Publication Date 03/06/25
Goodreads Review 17/06/25

[Kenzie Evermore · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounding up to 5! I adored this memoir of strength, change and growth. I felt like I wanted to be friends with Bridgette and I enjoyed getting to know her and her connection with rivers. I was hoping for pictures somewhere along the way, but found some on her Instagram. There a lot of extremely heavy and emotional moments, but there were appropriate trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. I had to read the book in small chunks to process and then watch a silly video after some sections to release the energy, but I deeply appreciate the vulnerability, honestly and reflection of Brigette’s remarkable life thus far.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book through NetGallery.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Rivers have shaped not just my callused hands but the course of my life."

What a fantastic memoir. Bridget Crocker is a survivor in every sense of the word. The River's Daughter is a deeply moving story that navigates the turbulent waters of her life. Yet, despite the darkness, there’s an undeniable undercurrent of strength, hope, and healing.

Throughout her journey, the one constant has been the rivers that shaped her youth. More than just a backdrop, they became her refuge, her teachers, and ultimately, her path to finding meaning and purpose. Bridget may be a river guide, but it’s clear that the rivers guided her just as much, offering solace and shaping the resilient, courageous woman she is today.

This memoir is raw, inspiring, and uplifting despite the heavy themes. If you’re looking for a story that will move you and remind you of the power of resilience, this is it.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bridget Crocker's debut memoir, The River's Daughter, arrives like a powerful rapid—turbulent, breathtaking, and ultimately transformative. This isn't merely another adventure memoir in the vein of Wild or Educated; it's a raw excavation of trauma, resilience, and the healing power of wild waters that reads with the urgency of someone fighting their way to the surface.

From the opening pages, where nine-year-old Bridget is forbidden to play in Wyoming's Snake River, Crocker establishes the central metaphor that will carry readers through twenty-four chapters of extraordinary personal reckoning. The river becomes everything—mother, teacher, refuge, and ultimately, salvation. Her prose flows with the same unpredictable rhythm as the waters she describes, sometimes gentle and contemplative, other times crashing over you with devastating force.

The Current of Childhood Chaos

The memoir's strength lies in Crocker's unflinching examination of a childhood fractured by divorce, abuse, and abandonment. Her parents' vicious split when she was young sets the tone for a life lived between opposing currents. Her mother's dramatic personality transformation—seemingly overnight—forces Bridget to navigate between her beloved stepfather Sully in Wyoming and her explosive biological father in California.

Crocker's writing captures the disorientation of a child caught between worlds with remarkable clarity. When she describes watching her father drag her mother across the kitchen floor by her hair, overturning a bookcase onto her, the scene unfolds with cinematic precision but without melodrama. This restraint becomes one of the memoir's greatest assets—Crocker trusts her story enough to let it speak without manipulation.

The author's depiction of her mother's decline is particularly nuanced. Rather than painting her as a simple villain, Crocker reveals a woman damaged by her own untreated trauma, whose attempts to protect her daughter often result in further harm. The uncomfortable truth about generational trauma permeates every page, offering no easy answers or convenient resolutions.

Finding Voice in the Wilderness

The transition from traumatized teenager to world-class whitewater guide forms the memoir's emotional core. Crocker's journey from the Snake River to California's Kern, then to the legendary rapids of Zambia's Zambezi River, mirrors her internal evolution from victim to survivor to someone who can navigate the most treacherous waters—both literal and metaphorical.

Her descriptions of guiding expeditions possess an authenticity that only comes from lived experience. When she writes about the Zambezi's Class V rapids, you feel the weight of responsibility for her passengers' lives, the split-second decisions that mean the difference between triumph and catastrophe. The river becomes her university, teaching lessons about power, respect, and the delicate balance between surrender and control.

Literary Craftsmanship and Emotional Precision

Crocker's background as a contributor to Outside, National Geographic Adventure, and other publications shows in her precise, muscular prose. She has the adventure writer's eye for detail—the way morning mist rises from canyon walls, the specific sound of water hitting volcanic rock—but also possesses the memoirist's gift for psychological insight.

The structure follows the rhythm of a river trip: safety talks, the plunge into dangerous waters, moments of calm between rapids, and the inevitable reckoning at journey's end. Each chapter title—from "Baptism" to "Run like a River"—reinforces the aquatic metaphor without feeling forced.

Her dialogue crackles with authenticity, particularly in scenes with fellow river guides. The camaraderie and dark humor of people who risk their lives for a living comes through vividly, as does the machismo she had to navigate as one of the few women in the field.

The Undercurrents: What Doesn't Quite Land

While The River's Daughter succeeds as both adventure narrative and trauma memoir, some sections feel less essential to the overall flow. Certain episodes from her guiding career, while individually compelling, occasionally interrupt the memoir's emotional momentum. The pacing sometimes suffers when Crocker shifts between past and present, though this may reflect the non-linear nature of memory and healing.

The book's treatment of privilege also feels underdeveloped. While Crocker acknowledges her advantages—the ability to travel internationally, access to outdoor recreation—the memoir could have explored more deeply how class and race intersect with access to wilderness healing.

Some readers may find the abundance of whitewater terminology challenging, though Crocker generally provides sufficient context. The technical aspects of rafting, while fascinating to outdoor enthusiasts, might create barriers for general readers seeking primarily the emotional journey.

Breaking the Cycle: Reconciliation and Redemption

The memoir's most powerful sections deal with Crocker's eventual reconciliation with her father. When she invites him on a Father's Day rafting trip after six years of estrangement, the scene unfolds with devastating emotional honesty. Her father's apology—"I fucked up. I mistreated you"—carries weight because Crocker has earned it through hundreds of pages of careful character development.

This isn't a simple redemption story. Crocker shows how understanding the sources of her parents' dysfunction—her father's undiagnosed learning disabilities, her mother's personality disorder—brought compassion without excusing the harm they caused. The memoir's final scenes, where all three family members face cancer simultaneously, demonstrate how crisis can create unexpected unity.

Essential Themes and Lasting Impact

The memoir tackles several interconnected themes with remarkable sophistication:

Environmental healing: How exposure to wild places can mend psychological wounds
Generational trauma: The ways abuse and neglect perpetuate across family lines
Female empowerment: Finding strength in traditionally male-dominated spaces
Forgiveness complexity: Understanding without excusing, healing without forgetting

Crocker never suggests that rivers alone can cure trauma—she details therapy, recovery programs, and the hard work of changing patterns. But she makes a compelling case for wilderness as an essential component of healing, particularly for those whose trust in humans has been shattered.

Final Verdict: A Powerful Current Worth Following

The River's Daughter succeeds as both adventure memoir and psychological examination, offering readers a journey that's as thrilling as any Class V rapid and as meaningful as any therapeutic breakthrough. Crocker has crafted a memoir that honors both the specific details of her extraordinary life and the universal themes of trauma, healing, and family.

While some sections feel less essential than others, the overall experience is one of profound transformation—both for the narrator and, likely, for readers willing to follow her into these turbulent but ultimately life-giving waters. This is a memoir that earns its emotional peaks through careful development and honest reckoning with difficult truths.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to have a 4-day rafting trip on the Snake River in Hells Canyon this summer, and am married to a whitewater river guide (we now have three rafts of our own), so this memoir was an easy must-read for me.

While I love summer rafting, I've never wanted to learn how to guide so I was in awe of Bridget Crocker's courage in tackling some incredibly challenging white water, especially, the mighty Zambezi in Zambia. It's even more impressive that she has the incredibly resilience and determination to do this given the childhood trauma she endured. She could have been someone who was cowed by her early experiences. But, having read the book, I think it's her inherent attitude of always learning and stretching to be better that helped her not only survive but build a life where she is thriving.

It's an absorbing read that takes you through some hand-over-mouth scary moments. But it's her realization at the end--which took her 20+ years to understand--that creates one of those powerful, stop-and-think moments that I treasure in books.

One side note: when Bridget Crocker started out guiding, it was a male-dominated field. Having to prove yourself as a women, while also dealing with the sexism, would have been so tough. Today, guide school courses are typically at least half women. It's a joy to see so many more women joining the world of whitewater rafting!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The River’s Daughter by Bridget Crocker explores deeply heavy themes, and I appreciate both the author and publisher for including trigger warnings at the beginning. As someone who has been whitewater rafting many times—though not on the same intense Class V rapids—I was initially drawn to this book for its adventure. However, what truly captivated me was Crocker’s incredible resilience and perseverance through life’s storms. This is a testament to self-discovery and the unbreakable bond between a woman and the natural world. With lyrical prose and unflinching honesty, Crocker takes readers on a journey through both literal and emotional turbulence, charting a course through childhood upheaval, personal reckoning, and ultimate transformation. From the untamed beauty of the Snake River to the heart-stopping rapids of the Zambezi, her story highlights the power of nature as both sanctuary and teacher. As one of the few female whitewater guides in a male-dominated world, she not only braves the ferocity of the rivers but also the currents of her past—navigating the fallout of a fractured family, the weight of generational trauma, and the quest for self-worth. Yet through every challenge, the river remains her constant, a force that both humbles and empowers her. Crocker’s storytelling is vivid and immersive, pulling readers into the spray and roar of the rapids with visceral intensity. More than just an adventure memoir, The River’s Daughter is a meditation on courage, healing, and the transformative power of nature. It’s a book that lingers long after the last page, like the echo of rushing water in the depths of one’s soul. A triumph of heart and prose, The River’s Daughter is a must-read for those seeking inspiration in wild places and proof that, even after the roughest waters, we can emerge stronger, wiser, and whole. Thank you to NetGalley, Piegel & Grau, and the brave author Bridget Crocker for allowing me to read an advanced copy. 4.5/5

[Valleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading The River's Daughter and saw the trigger warnings (domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, sexual assault, and racism, I thought "Uh oh..." I'm glad I kept reading, however. Sadly, these wretched things do happen. I feel the author had more than her fair share but she didn't allow it to shape her entire life.

The author's descriptions of her work as a world-class whitewater rafting guide kept me enthralled. One of my favorite parts was the great respect the author showed water. I loved when she would speak to the river before each rafting trip.

I recommend this inspiring story of perseverance, bravery, and strength!

Thank you, #SpiegelAndGrau, for providing this book for review and consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The River's Daughter has an expected publication date of June 3, 2025.

#BridgetCrocker #MemoirBiography #WhiteWaterRafting #StrongFemaleProtagonist

[Sabrina Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

A woman’s memoir detailing her traumatic relationships and how rivers helped her find herself, her place in the world, and forgiveness.

2.5 ⭐️ I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I had hoped I would, but I appreciate what it must have taken for the author to document and share her trauma and I applaud her for breaking the cycle of abuse with her own children. While I did finish, I was never engaged while reading and found myself not really wanting to come back to it. If you’re a sensitive reader, please check trigger warnings to make sure this is the right fit for you.

My thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out 6/3/2025.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed getting to know the author through this memoir. It felt well written and she included the detail that opened up her life in such a vivid manor. She covered the different times in her life, but also included the emotional aspect. Oftentimes, that seems to be a slippery slope that most authors of memoirs shy away from.

The title also fit this memoir. SO 4 stars.

[blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disliking a memoir like this feels particularly bad-spirited, especially when it’s centered on deeply personal recollections of childhood abuse and sexual assault. And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something in the storytelling felt slightly off. The author often places herself as the sole moral compass in a sea of wrongdoing, which at times made the narrative feel too stark, too black-and-white. The speed at which her father is redeemed felt abrupt, and the lack of reflection on Steve pursuing her as a teenager left me uneasy.

That said, I really did appreciate the author’s voice—lyrical, vivid, and introspective. There’s a sincerity in the way she describes her connection to water, and those river scenes, while not as central or educational as I expected, still offered quiet moments of reflection. But as someone who knows very little about rivers, I expected to finish this memoir with newfound knowledge on and appreciation for their unique ecologies. But instead, the rivers that structure her chapters are often peripheral, surreal, and grossly underutilized. It’s a brave book, and clearly meaningful to many readers—I just found myself wanting more river content as the story went on, and wishing for more trust in the reader to interpret the weight of what Crocker shares.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

———————————————————————————

“But with my pounding heart and squeezed-off throat, it was painful being inside my body. Instead, I detached and stood outside myself-as I'd learned to do during beatings-and coolly watched the scene go down. I did not yet know that there would be a price for delaying emotions this way.”

“I thought about telling him that it wasn't a fear of flying that made me anxious but having to change personalities midair. I switched into my mother's daughter or my father's daughter, depending on whether I was northbound or southbound. I had no memory of ever being my parents' daughter, or even a singular version of myself.”

“I understood that I had to cut my mother's sickness from me, and that meant detaching from her completely. Unable to free herself of the trauma she'd suffered growing up in an incestuous and violent family, she used drugs and men to quell the pain while the disease kept spreading, claiming another generation.”

“For too long, Steve and I had mistaken being in need for being in love.”

“Living with the discomfort of denying my feelings felt like home. I'd grown up in four different families, and I'd learned to survive by stripping away parts of myself until I was a mirror, reflecting back someone else's version of me. This was how I was with Steve too—as long as I squelched my own desires and was who he wanted me to be, he would never leave.”

“I felt the prickly buzzing of adrenaline entering my bloodstream, spreading through my arms and legs. I was learning to distinguish the difference between fear and excitement, since they often felt the same in my body. I reminded myself that adrenaline was a tool that helped me do extraordinary things. When faced with dangerous situations in the past, I had mostly responded by fleeing. I had learned from running rivers to use the tool of adrenaline to fight instead.”

“I worried that affixing the story to the page would keep us stuck within one narrative, frozen in old versions of ourselves, when the truth is, just like rivers, we are becoming the next incarnation of ourselves with every breath.”

[Miranda O’Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly engaging. I especially appreciated how the author recognized the positive qualities she developed as a result of her [generational] trauma. Overcoming her past, this story exhibits full circle healing. Also enjoyed the personification of the river and her connection to the land.

Sensitive themes, even a trigger warning at the beginning. Despite the darkness and abuse, the story is uplifting in the fact that the author, a young woman, uses her experiences to develop her own strength.

[Moriah · Rating 3 out of 5]

mourning each day that I’m not a seasonal worker or outdoor guide by listening to memoirs of people who are

[Allie Cho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent!!!!

[Alexandra Bass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best memoir I have ever read.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for this ARC from NetGalley. This was a riveting story of the author's upbringing in Western America and the trauma she overcomes after being introduced to the world of white water rafting. I found the author's voice to be engaging, and the book was well paced. There were some aspects of the book that I felt could have been improved (I feel like there were some holes and missing connections between events), but I also felt like the author tried to own her part in causing disruption to the lives of the people in Zambia. I appreciated that aspect of the novel. Nevertheless, I found the author a bit lacking in her own accountability. I would have loved to hear more about her mother's experience and why it led her to have a personality disorder, rather than just an afternote. I understand this was written from the author's experience, but I felt like she gave more time to discuss her relationship with her very abusive father instead of the one with her mother.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read with heartbreak, adventure, love, and unbelievable strength! Bridget dives into her perception of her family dynamic, how it shaped her, how she overcame barriers in her family relationships to grow closer and heal old wounds, how she learned to see the world from another’s perspective, and how the beauty of nature can be a source of strength, compassion, and, at times, demand respect. I’m grateful she chose to share her story and happy to know I read and learned from it. Thank you, Bridget, for writing your story.

[Susan Lenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had higher hopes for this memoir than it delivered. Much of my disappointment came from the author's unwillingness to trust her readers to interpret the impact of her experiences. I found it redundant to explain what was meant by a passage just after that passage was clearly written. I felt the ending came too suddenly and without tying up many loose ends. For much of the book, the author comes off as one prone to making her own difficulties worse, for instigating confrontations from which to run. Her attempts to claim youthful innocence while describing drug and alcohol use, skipping school, and erratic, even sexual behavior is a bit over the top. Most teenagers engaging in this sort of lifestyle think themselves at the time to be very worldly, grown up, and even sophisticated. The author strongly suggests that she considered herself quite naive during these early, wild years. I found this hard to believe.

[Melodi | booksandchicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read by the author herself, we hear from Bridget and her upbringing. Full of disappointment, abuse, moving, but then also being popular and others unaware of what was going on behind closed doors, she is an open book. She then finds respite in river running as a guide in Idaho on the Snake and then eventually to Zambia. Such a cool experience but really a healing thing for her.

Overall, it almost felt like her journal and a way for her to process what happened to her in life. I preferred the second half, but would have loved more river stories rather than life choices she made in general moving from A to B etc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks for the gifted ALC of this book.

[Emily Spangler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This memoir is absolutely gut-wrenching, but so impactful. I loved how she tries to process her trauma through the rivers, and realizes fairly quickly that while nature is powerful, you can't outrun your demons, even going that fast while white water rafting. Obsessed that she can talk to rivers, and that she has a fight with the top dog river in Africa. There are so many just interesting pockets of information in this book, that I could have read other books about, like her mother's eco-guerrilla band of misfits or her adventures in Zambia.
I also resonated with her relationship with her mother, so much so that sometimes I had to pause and come back. The epilogue is such a beautiful ending to a story with so much turmoil.

[Amy Sunshine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to #NetGalley for the DRC of #TheRiversDaughter. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This heartbreaking memoir of a difficult childhood combined with excellent adventure/travel writing is a really great read. Crocker writes honestly about her turbulent upbringing - physical & sexual abuse, drinking and drugs. But she finds peace on the water and the resilience she learned surviving helps her become a world-class whitewater rafting guide. From Wyoming and California to Zambia and back, Crocker writes about finding the strength that helped her reconcile with her family and end the cycle of abuse and trauma.

Really well done!

[Sarah Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I seem to be on quite the memoir kick lately, and the vast majority deal with childhood trauma (namely, sexual abuse or physical abuse) and the way it manifests in our bodies in choices as adults. I found Bridget's story fascinating, as she tried to outrun her trauma from one source of whitewater to another, all the way to Tanzania. Of course, she finds that one cannot run away from your past. Sooner or later it catches up to you. Readers who enjoyed The Tell will also enjoy Bridget's story as she confronts her past and discovers that rivers CAN be re-routed, that we can enact change in our lives that will set a new course for our family's future.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

She came from sorrow and made it sing......

💭 Initial Reaction:
This book didn’t whisper—it howled. I didn’t expect to see myself in the quiet grief of a bloodline, but here I am, mourning strangers and memories that don’t belong to me.

🕯 Vibes:
Ancestral hauntings. Mud and memory. Mothers and ghosts. The ache of belonging to something broken.

💔 Line that wrecked me:

“She was not made of water, but she carried it—every tide, every flood, every storm—inside her.”

🩸 Final Thoughts:
I came for the story, but what I found was a mirror made of riverwater and grief. This book soaked into my bones like rain in cracked earth.
I didn’t read it—I remembered it.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

The River’s Daughter is an emotional memoir, at times hard to read. Bridget Crocker who was physically and mentally abused as a teenager, counts the days until she is old enough to leave. The abuse made her feel insecure and unloved. She finally leaves to start her own journey, to find her strength and confidence in river rafting. She falls in love and travels to Africa to raft the rivers in Zambia. Loved that she mentions one of my fav books about Africa, The Grass is Singing, by Doris Lessing. Each of her rafting adventures teaches her more and more of the world, the people she meets and forgiving her past.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What better book to read the week of a whitewater rafting trip?

Bridget Crocker is a renowned international river guide. Her memoir, written with so much heart, follows her life from childhood living along the Snake River to being a whitewater rafting guide in the western U.S. and Africa. Her story also carefully and compassionately tackles domestic abuse, sexual abuse, racism, and sexism.

The latter chapters felt a bit rushed, and the whitewater rafting portions came later than I expected, but it was an excellent book that I’d wholeheartedly recommend!

[Angela Ruggles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always like to mix a memoir into my reading list, but when I was scanning my shelves to pick my next book, I had a moment of genuine confusion. Why had I bought a memoir about a whitewater rafter? No one would ever describe me as outdoorsy—even a little. While the idea sounds adventurous in theory, it’s not exactly my world. Still, since I already owned the book, I decided to give it a chance.

I’m so glad I did. This book more than lived up to its reviews. What began as a story I assumed would focus on rafting quickly revealed itself to be something far deeper and more powerful. I’m always drawn to stories about people who grow up in poverty or abusive environments and manage to transform their lives, and Bridget’s story did exactly that—then went even further. Her ability not only to rise above profound trauma, but also to extend forgiveness to those who hurt her, was incredibly moving. This memoir is about resilience, healing, and grace, and it was truly inspirational.

[Dee]

I don’t rate memoirs—it doesn’t feel right to give a rating to someone else’s lived experience. But as a fellow river’s daughter, I was deeply drawn to the river, rafting, and outdoor elements of this story. The sections on family trauma and abuse were difficult to read, yet I was moved by Bridget’s courage and resilience in the face of so much hardship. It’s a reminder that even in the roughest waters, some people find a way to stay afloat—and continue to navigate life.