The River Wife

by Jonis Agee

From acclaimed novelist Jonis Agee, whom The New York Times Book Review called “a gifted poet of that dark lushness in the heart of the American landscape,” The River Wife is a sweeping, panoramic story that ranges from the New Madrid earthquake of 1811 through the Civil War to the bootlegging days of the 1930s.

When the earthquake brings Annie Lark’s Missouri house down on top of her, she finds herself pinned under the massive roof beam, facing certain death. Rescued by French fur trapper Jacques Ducharme, Annie learns to love the strong, brooding man and resolves to live out her days as his “River Wife.”

More than a century later, in 1930, Hedie Rails comes to Jacques’ Landing to marry Clement Ducharme, a direct descendant of the fur trapper and river pirate, and the young couple begin their life together in the very house Jacques built for Annie so long ago. When, night after late night, mysterious phone calls take Clement from their home, a pregnant Hedie finds comfort in Annie’s leather-bound journals. But as she reads of the sinister dealings and horrendous misunderstandings that spelled out tragedy for the rescued bride, Hedie fears that her own life is paralleling Annie’s, and that history is repeating itself with Jacques’ kin.

Among the family’s papers, Hedie encounters three other strong-willed women who helped shape Jacques Ducharme’s life–Omah, the freed slave who took her place beside him as a river raider; his second wife, Laura, who loved money more than the man she married; and Laura and Jacques’ daughter, Maddie, a fiery beauty with a nearly uncontrollable appetite for love. Their stories, together with Annie’s, weave a haunting tale of this mysterious, seductive, and ultimately dangerous man, a man whose hand stretched over generations of women at a bend in the river where fate and desire collide.

The River Wife richly evokes the nineteenth-century South at a time when lives changed with the turn of a card or the flash of a knife. Jonis Agee vividly portrays a lineage of love and heartbreak, passion and deceit, as each river wife comes to discover that blind devotion cannot keep the truth at bay, nor the past from haunting the present.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Book Club, Mystery, Audiobook, 19th Century

393 pages, Hardcover

First published July 17, 2007

About the author

Jonis owns twenty pairs of cowboy boots, some of them works of art, loves the open road, and believes that ecstasy and hard work are the basic ingredients of life and writing.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, she grew up in Nebraska and Missouri, places where many of her stories and novels are set. She was educated at The University of Iowa (BA) and The State University of New York at Binghamton (MA, PhD). She is Adele Hall Professor of English at The University of Nebraska — Lincoln, where she teaches creative writing and twentieth-century fiction.

Awards include three books chosen as New York Times Notable Books, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, Nebraska Book Award, Nebraska Arts Council Merit Award, Minnesota State Arts Board Fellowship in Fiction, Loft McKnight Award of Distinction, and Editor's Choice Award from Foreword Magazine.

Reviews

[Margitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will probably be the lamest review of a book I have ever written. The reason is that it was so brilliantly constructed: characters, plot, historical detail, drama, suspense, you name it, that trying to sing the praise of this tale in multiple adjectives will simply, as well as undeservedly, cheapen this rich story around the Ducharme family of Mississippi.

The masterful prose in the book, describing the women in one man's life and ambitions, felt like becoming part of ancient truths, mixed with modern introspection about love, ambition, destitute, happiness, magic and a huge dollop of mystery. French fur trapper, Jaques Ducharme, ensured his legacy in every single person who ever crossed his path. He transformed maiden angels into villainous witches using love and cruelty to fuel their high-spirited dedication to him, even after their death. He was Deity and Devil, but most of all, an ambitious survivor of life during The New Madrid Quake , beginning December 16th 1811, and ending March of 1812. It produced more than 2000 after shocks. The quake became a metaphor in the lives of the women who became part of Ducharme's life and legacy.

As a non-American citizen, this fictional tale captured everything: imagination, curiosity, interest, passion and compassion to such an extent that it became impossible to put it down. All the elements in the book were perfectly balanced and developed yet detailed enough to feel part of the old house with all the people who once lived in it or passed its front door through the different periods of American history. Then there was the family grave yard to consider...

A brilliant read. In fact, I am leaving a part of myself there, closing the book.

ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED TO EVERYONE!!

[Dona · Rating 2 out of 5]

An actual line from this novel reads, "He pulled her down on top of him and surprised her with his ferocious lovemaking, the monster out of its cave once again." If that kind of writing isn't enough to deter you, perhaps the ludicrous melodrama will. Someone dies, is born, maimed or murdered on every page, except for ten extra-excruciating pages near the beginning of the book when Annie Lark lies trapped for five days under wooden beams during the New Madrid Shaking. (Yet, miraculously, she is still able to smell the scent of lavendar on her fur trapper rescuer when he arrives!) Agee has tried to write bodice-ripping romance, historical fiction, mystery, and literature with feminist themes, but falls short in all categories.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh. i didn't totally dislike this book, but it was one of those situations where i wasn't quite sure why i kept going ("falling angels" by tracy chevalier, anyone?)... my main complaint is that i found it to be kind of contrived. as in, i could literally feel the author trying so hard to get to a certain point that she decided the best way to do that was to hit the reader over the head with big flashing arrows that all but shouted "see? do you see? A is why B happened!! did you see how i gave you incredibly obvious clues to set that tone?? did you see that???!!!" not only was it painful, it felt pretty elementary. and now i feel kind of stupid for sticking it out.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intoxicating. Spellbinding.

This is the spellbinding tale or should I say haunting saga of the Ducharme family. From cover to cover author Jonis Agee spins a story spanning from 1811 to 1950 filled with mystery, greed, desire as history repeats it self again and again through the lives of the cursed Ducharme family.

This book was so good I couldn't put it down for even a moment. I didn't desire to rush but to take my time and enjoy every moment as the past wove it's way into the present and then worked itself back again revealing all the little intricate bits that made this story wonderful.
I don't want to give anything away but must urge all to pick up this book! I feel as if I give my own synopsis, even a brief one would spoil the mystery and adventure of this book. To the end of the book I was still finding out things that were not known. Truly curious to the last page. I'll give some words: mysterious, thrilling, curious, strength, pain, death defying love, small town, farming, pirates, treasure, greed, ruthless, race, family.

I'm giving this a 6 stars in my book, to tell you how good it was. The writing was phenomenal. This is my first time reading anything by this author but I must say the skill with which she displayed within this book is to be greatly commended. The historical fiction was accurate, exciting, teaching and interesting. You could tell this author put a lot of time into research to work this into a good book. Also, the art of description exhibited with in this book is just amazing. I've never been to any of the places mentioned and I had a perfect mental visual. That goes not only for the scenery but each character, each animal, apparition, tool, article of clothing or weather element was intricately delivered out of the mind of the author, onto the page, read and back into my minds eye, such was the gift of this writing. I recommend it most definitely to historical fiction readers, of course but to anyone really because with this type of family saga spanning time there's a story within to interest anyone.
Good stuff! Really good stuff!

As an after thought.. it reminded me the slightest bit of The Shipping News.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The River Wife by Jonis Agee is a novel that spans 100 plus years and details the lives of the women in the life of Jacques Ducharme, from his first wife, to his mistress, to his daughters, and the bride of his grandson. The tale is told from the perspective of Hedie Ducharme, the bride of Jacques’ grandson in the 1930s. Pregnant and left alone a fair share of the time, Hedie finds the journals of Jacques’ first wife Annie and begins reading of the history of her husband’s family. Jacques is a fur trapper and eventually a river pirate on the Mississippi River during the 19th century. His dealings can be shady, but they’re all for the love of Annie, the teenage girl he rescued from the ruble of the New Madrid earthquakes in 1812. He strives to make her happy no matter what happens. Time passes and other women come and go in the life of Jacques and each of their stories is told to the reader, all the while Hedie’s story is told in between.

The scoring …

I liked that the story began with the New Madrid earthquake. The history and the changing dynamics of the event were considerable in the area, and I liked how the story included the details in the novel. – Plus 3

I wish there had been more about Jacques losing his arm. It was just barely mentioned. The reader returns to his story and he’s suddenly one armed. One sentence mentions the event. Not every novel has a main character that loses a limb. What a disappointment. – Minus 3

Two tragedies in two chapters is a lot for the reader to take. I understand the mirroring stories but seriously, spread that stuff out. – Minus 3

I totally understood Annie and Jacques’ love affair. He rescued her, a damsel in distress and they fell madly in love. Total romance novel stuff … but I didn’t so much get Hedie and Clement. Yes he rescued her from a domineering mother, but he was a loser. A domineering mother doesn’t compare with a gigantic beam across your legs. - Neutral

Yellow diamonds?? Does anyone actually like those?? - Minus 2

I really liked Annie. I liked her grit and her ferocity. Good strong female characters rule! – Plus 5

I also really liked Omah. Nothing like strong women in novels! – Plus 5

But I wasn’t such a fan of Dealie or Laura – Minus 3

Ghosts … duh – Plus 2

Buried treasure … duh – Plus 2
** I was totally wrong about how it was going to end. And I have to admit that I liked that. - Plus 3

** In the end, I'm still not sure if I liked or loathed Jacques. He was kind of a drunken bastard, but he seemed so tortured and sad, like a wounded puppy. Or like Jordan Catalano in My So Called Life, or James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause ... a girl has to have a weak spot for the tortured bad boy. - Plus 3

Final Tally ... Plus 8

I think that's one of the higher books that I've reviewed, although to be honest, I'm not sure why. I really enjoyed the elements of the book and I liked a lot of the characters, but I'm not sure that I liked the book as a whole. This might be one of those times that the sum of it's parts doesn't quite add up to the whole ...

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

On February 7, 1812 the New Madrid earthquake – the largest quake ever recorded in the United States – hit Annie Lark’s Missouri house, trapping her beneath a roof beam. Unable to move the massive timber and terrified by the aftershocks, her family decides to leave the sixteen year old girl to her fate, but death is slow coming and she lingers until a French fur trapper named, Jacques Ducharme, rescues her days later. What follows is the story of Annie’s life as Jacques’ “river wife,” which Jacques’ descendant Hedie Ducharme discovers among the family papers along with the histories of three other Ducharme women. Together these stories take the reader from 1812 Missouri, through the Civil War and up to the bootlegging days of the 1930’s. I was riveted by Annie’s story. Her legs never fully recover from their earthquake trauma and her fearless determination to adapt to both this setback and the rough, sometimes violent, life she leads with Jacques is captivating. Agee’s skill as a storyteller is evident throughout the novel, yet, try as I might, once the novel shifted away from Annie I wasn’t able to maintain my initial interest. I enjoyed the tales of Omah, Laura and Maddie, but Hedie’s story is lukewarm at best. While the other women are strong willed and clever in their own ways, Hedie is timid and willfully ignorant of her husband’s true nature. There were more than a few moments when I couldn’t help but think, “Come on Hedie, you haven’t figured it all out yet? Gimme a break.” Hedie’s story is interspersed between chapters, so naturally her character influences the entire novel – especially the ending, which uses her life to conclude the Ducharme tale.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I'm rounding up on this one for the second half of the book. The first part was a rough start for me. I struggled a little to get into the story. The concept was interesting, but it was definitely a harsh beginning.

I did enjoy the way the stories built on each. Each river wife story had affect on the next's whether she knew it or not. There were lots of interesting things with this story. The history elements were well done and researched. I really enjoyed Maddie's story the most. I liked that she was determined to be her own woman and the strength she had on her own. The way all the stories converged at the end was really great. All of these peoples lives were so intertwined and the ripple effects lasted for generations.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know how sometimes you read a sweeping novel, spanning many generations of a family, and there a zillion plot points floating about--but you get to the end and it all crystallizes in one big, satisfying conclusion?

Sadly, this is not that book.

I thought it was, when I started. For the first half of it, I was utterly spell-bound. It was a complicated plot, but I hung with it, just certain we were headed somewhere fantastic. But everything just kind of fizzled. I never expect ALL a book's loose ends to be tied up, but a majority of them should be. These loose ends just kind of dangled there.

The actual writing is quite lyrical, and I enjoyed that. But I was distracted by the general construct. We are to believe that Hedie Ducharme is learning her husband's family history from an old narrative she finds on a bookshelf in the family home. It never was clear (to me) who actually wrote that story. And, distractingly, it was written in the voice and sensibility of a 21st-century author, not an 18th-century pioneer. While the sex scenes weren't graphic, they WERE descriptive enough to be inconsistent with what even the most progressive 18th-century woman would likely write. It would have been considerably more believable if the book had been a series of journals written in a first-person voice.

[Jenni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the WAY Jonis Agee writes, but I did not care much for this story. I don't like hopeless, depressing stories very much, and this one made me want to go lay in a pile of snow and just wait to die. I am a happy endings type of person, and I know this type of story is more a gritty, true-to-life life story. I don't mind a certain amount of heartbreak, after all, that what good romance is made of, but I have to have a silver lining, a glimmer of hope, a reason to say, "Boy, that was a good book!"

The good side is that Jonis Agee writes with all 5 senses. You can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel what she's describing, and I really like that about her style. I will see what else she as written and see if I can find something that's more my style.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book jumps between two generations that of a mid-19th century Mississippi pirate, a ruthless killer and passionate lover and that of a Prohibition era gangster, a ruthless killer and passionate lover. But it is actually the women in these men’s lives that take center stage as the narrators, all incredibly brave and level headed and both kind to horses and dogs, but not as careful with their human babies. The author marinade his prose in similes like some inferior cut of meat rendered unpalatable by its saturation in far too salty brine. The action whiplashed between eras like a carnival ride leaving one more disorientated than entertained. The action was recounted with more melodrama and less subtlety than a Brazilian telenovela. (Get the picture?) This is the perfect family vacation book; it can be read with one eye on the kids in the pool, one ear on your mother-in-law’s prattle, one side of the brain falling into a coma and still be pretty certain that you will not miss anything important.

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out liking this book, but halfway in, I couldn't wait to be done with it. A modern-day bride finds a series of notebooks in the family home and reads the story of Annie Lark, a young girl who became trapped by a felled beam during an earthquake. Her fearful family leave her to die on her own, but she is rescued by Jacques Ducharmes, a French fur trader, and Annie lives with him as his wife. Jacques begins to play out his dream of building a hotel to serve passersby on the Mississippi. All of which is interesting enough, but then I hit a series of grisly scenes of animal abuse, stabbings, and a baby ripped open by dogs, Ugh. And this pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the book, which follows the Ducharmes women through the decades. Each one is married to a violent man with criminal dealings. Plus the story keeps jumping back and forth through time and family additions (half brothers, slave mistresses, etc.). Maybe if I hadn't been so bored and disgusted, I wouldn't have had such a hard time keeping track of who was whom and how they were all related. But the bottom line is that I hated them all and really didn't care. Not to mention that Agee throws in a bit of mumbo jumbo as Jacques supposedly has made a pact with the devil and barely ages. It has been a long time since I was this glad to have finished a book.

[Terrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off promisingly--strong sense of place, interesting historical characters. . . but then it ended up being much too overly-plotted, full of fate masquerading as coincidence.

[Marijana☕✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Previše likova i tragičnih događaja, a ništa me od svega toga nije pogodilo. Priča je predstavljena iz perspektive četiri žene te bi se očekivalo više feminizma, a zapravo su sve nekako titrale oko dvojice užasnih muškaraca i nije me zanimalo uopšte šta imaju da kažu i kako će na kraju završiti. Porodične sage su obično zanimljive, pogotovo kad dođemo do kraja i dobijemo širu sliku, ali ovde je i kraj ostavio "whatever" utisak.

[Jia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only a master storyteller can spin a tale so intricate that you willingly succumb to its sticky web, and Jonis Agee has accomplished this feat with her first foray into historical fiction – The River Wife. The Nebraska native is the Adele Hall Professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and it was her childhood memories of summering near the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri that inspired her to create a vivid three-dimensional world of brazen, complicated, cursed and beautiful women living on the early 19th century frontier.

The massive New Madrid earthquake of 1812 changed the topography of Missouri forever in the formation of new lakes, sandboils and riverbends in the mighty Mississippi. Annie Lark’s story begins trapped underneath a fallen beam in her family’s abandoned cabin. Convinced the Day of Reckoning had come to New Madrid, Annie’s family hurriedly runs from the wrecked town, leaving her to die alone. Jacques Ducharme, a crude French fur trapper, happens upon Annie as he scavenges her cabin. Taken with her, he hazards the unsettled structure and engineers his ox-driven cart to pull her out.

After a few uneventful years of nomadic frontier life (save the errant grizzly bear), the impending arrival of their first child drives Jacques and Annie to settle down along the Mississippi River. Jacques sees an opportunity to garner business from the nearby river traffic and opens an inn. Money awakens insatiable greed in Annie’s husband, which crescendo in one terrible, gruesome night – irrevocably changing their relationship. After that night, Annie is left broken but defiantly seeks out her own interests in science and the arts. She even entertains a passing flirtation with famed ornithologist, John James Audubon.

Omah follows in Annie’s footsteps, crowned as the new “river wife” after her parents’ death leaves the sixteen-year old freed slave alone in the world. Jacques offers the teenager room, board and protection. Omah realizes the high price for living at Jacques’ Landing when she is recruited to help raid a passing riverboat. Her new career as Jacques partner-in-crime begins. Omah’s platonic relationship with Jacques is borne out of respect and deep loyalty; perhaps the only reason she somewhat escapes the cursed Ducharme legacy.

Maddie Ducharme is spawned from the May-December union of Jacques and his second wife, Laura Shut. Laura is an unabashed goldigger who married the old river pirate for his rumored ill-begotten treasures. Not suited to solitary river life, Laura leaves Jacques’ Landing to quench her wanderlust. But the trip precipitates Laura’s quick end. Maddie Ducharme grows up motherless, and strives unsuccessfully to bring an end to the cursed Ducharme legacy.

Annie Lark, Omah, Laura, Maddie and Hedie are connected by Jacques Ducharme, but he is merely the needle that pierces the dense cloth of their collective experience. The women are front and center of the novel, as Agee pulls back layer after layer revealing the complex juxtaposition of depression, bisexuality, fragility, passion, intelligence and perseverance. Each layer reveals the true essence of real women, and human-kind in general, who are perfect in their imperfections. As the karmic spell continues to play out, a sort of 19th century version of Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around…Comes Back Around,” each women confronts the effects of loving Jacques Ducharme, a mysterious, ageless man with a dark heart and brilliant mind. But make no mistake; this is no saccharine historical romance with requisite burning loins and fainting heroines.


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[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

More and more, it seems that authors feel they have to tell multiple stories in one book. They also feel that jumping back and forth in time, telling a historical tale along with a contemporary one will help acheive their end.Well, guess what? It rarely works. In The River Wife, we jump from the story of a teen-aged bride back to a tale of her husband's grandfather and back again. The (historical) story of Jacques Ducharme, and the town he founded was interesting, fun fiction. That of Hedie was not. In fact, Hedie's tale of woe, set in 1930, was trite and banal, and probably never should have been included in the book. And a linear storyline, instead of all this back and forth, would have served the author better in telling her tale.

[Chana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arkansas history (and I'm not sure how much of it actually adheres to historical truth or is just good storytelling) and 5 generations of the Ducharme family. It is a great love story of Annie Lark and Jacques Ducharme and their descendants, the development of their land, piracy on the river, slaves or not, the Civil War, betrayals and loyalties of all kinds, farming, trapping, dogs and men, women and children. And through it all Jacques Ducharme and Annie Lark. Jacques is a character to love and hate, Annie mostly to love. This book is just a really good piece of storytelling and I enjoyed reading it.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book that started really strong and finished somewhat weaker. Even with the slow finish, the story was fascinating and I liked the multiple generation storyline. It didn't answer all of my questions, but I think ultimately I like that as well because it's nice to not have everything laid out for you.

[Diane Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I nearly passed this book by because of some of the negative reviews here, but I started it and was instantly caught up in the story. I love well-written, multi-generational tales that span decades, and I particularly loved the way Agee linked the tales from the different eras. I found the characters fascinating and am so glad I gave the book a try.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, I would give this book a 2 1/2. It had really good moments--I do love historical fiction and the idea of presenting it through journals. But the journal idea gave out after Annie Lark and the movement back and forth was somewhat confusing. The link to the "modern day" river wife was not well developed.

[Shannon Rossi]

Wow, I don't often come across a book that I can't get through. I made it 120 pages in and I couldn't go any farther. It was an unpleasant, badly written book. Sorry, but when writing a novel, the incredibly mundane lives of early 19th century people, are not interesting. I gave it 0 stars, a first for me.

[Alicia Aringdale · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only got half way through this book before I decided I had had enough. This book certainly has lyrical writing and a good sense of place but I have no interest in reading a book that has so much sympathy for it's male characters even when they are abusive criminals and yet can't find anything for more for the women the story is supposedly about to do but cling to these awful men, desperate for their love even when it destroys them.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a re-read for me, and I enjoyed this novel just as much the second time. Jonis Agee is a remarkable writer, and this story of the women who live along the Mississippi in the bootheel of Missouri is not a pretty one, but it certainly keeps you glued to the page.

The first River Wife is Annie Lark, who barely survives the New Madrid Earthquake. She and Jacques Ducharme create a kind of Eden before the building of Jacques' Landing, the inn along the river. There is no snake in their world, it's the building of Jacques' dream. The other river wives will experience the reverberations for generations.

So good. I'm ready for another Jonis Agee novel!

~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years ago at the seashore my son had just given me the boogie board to ride the waves. When I looked up I realized I did not have time to dive into the oncoming wave, nor could I outrun it. I was soon being tossed and pummeled in the surf. That feeling I had of dreaded anticipation is the same feeling I had while turning the pages of this book.
The story of two men, Jaques Ducharme and his son Clement is told from the point of view of the women who loved and married them only to find out what these men were capable of. Greed, drink, paranoia and a hint at voodoo play a part in the tale, always with a dangerous undercurrent gliding below the surface.

[Shaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has a few slow points but overall, I cared about the characters. I felt the full gamut of emotions in this one.

[window · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story spanning several generations. At first, I thought it was the story of 2 women, Annie Lark Ducharme and Hedie Rails Ducharme. Annie lived during the Civil War era and Hedie was from the Prohibition era. When a 17 year old pregnant Hedie married the much older Clement Ducharme and came to live in the Ducharme house, she discovered Annie's journals and began reading them. At that point, the reader is introduced to Annie.

Annie's story begins with her as a teenager, left behind to die in her family's home after an earthquake leaves her legs trapped under a roof beam. Several days later, a French fur trapper named Jacques Ducharme finds her and rescues her. Jacques nurses Annie back to health, but she never regains full use of her legs and walks with a cane. Although never officially married, the two live as husband and wife. The pair works with hired help to coax farmland out of wilderness alongside the river. They build an inn, intending to make a living off of housing sailors and travelers.

The inn's business is interrupted with the Civil War, but Jacques sees this as an opportunity to make money a different way: piracy. Somewhere along the way, Annie dies but the reader never finds out when or how. I would have liked a little more explanation about what happened to Annie, particularly after what happened to Jacques's second wife. Perhaps the author meant the reader to wonder.

At this point, the reader is introduced to Omah, the daughter of slaves who were given their freedom by Jacques. After the deaths of her parents, Omah becomes Jacques's partner in crime and almost his equal in their piracy business.

Jacques marries again. His new wife is a much younger widow named Laura who is clearly most interested in Jacques's rumored fortune. Laura and Jacques have a daughter, Maddie. It is this child who continues Jacques's line to the present and provides the thread that ties Jacques to the present-day characters in the story.

Although the story does alternate between past and present, most of the story takes place in the past. What I thought was the story of only two women turned out to be the story of several generations of river wives and each one encounters hardship and tragedy. Although lacking a few explanatory details that would have been nice to tie up loose ends, the story is well-written and the characters are memorable.

[Yna Paez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story as a whole is taken from the accounts of the women in the life of Jacques Ducharme namely Annie Lark Ducharme, Omah Ducharme, Laura Burke Shut Ducharme and Little Maddie Ducharme which also intertwines with that of Hedie Rails Ducharme, wife of Jacques' descendant Clement Ducharme.

The story I found incredibly fascinating and terribly heartbreaking. Reviewing it in detail without spoilers is impossible and I do not intend to hide this review for that matter.

The main flashback story started with Jacques' first wife Annie Lark where she was rescued by Jacques during a devastating earthquake and later on became his wife. Because of this she became my main protagonist. Hedie Rails Ducharme I did not find a bit interesting throughout the whole book. Sadly, for me, there was nothing in her character that could catch my attention. When it was her part to tell her story, I simply read as though I cannot wait to get back to the other woman's.

Anyway, when Annie Lark's part of the story ended, I felt as if the story itself came to an end too. She was there from the beginning and suddenly it was over and it was time to turn the page to a continuing narration albeit a new character, a new perspective.

But alas, I finished this book without regretting that I started it. Each woman was her own character, all unique and a special part of the Ducharme story. To really figure out and judge Jacques Ducharme's character, one will have to read through all of the narrations. I for one cannot express in words what I truly think of Jacques, only that I think he simply lost focus on what was truly important to him, only to lose it forever in the end.

All in all, this is one of the best, if not the happiest, books I've read in my entire 2 decades.

[Vivian LeMay · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE RIVER WIFE
BY
JONIS AGEE

I love a book with history and settings that I never knew existed before. This book met both requirements in its first pages. One of the best opening chapters I've ever read.

The River Wife begins with the New Madrid earthquake of 1811 in Missouri. Annie Lark becomes trapped, her legs pinned beneath a fallen beam in her parents log cabin. In the chaos and fear of the quake, unable to lift the heavy beam, her family leaves her for dead. After days of suffering she is rescued by a French trapper, Jacques Ducharme.

Annie's legs do not heal straight, yet she manages to get around and keeps a journal of the years she spent as Jacque's river wife, helping him build a settlement along the Mississippi called Jacques' Landing. After she is lost in a flood, Jacques, takes other wives and grows ever more evil as he seems to live forever.

That earthquake not only changes Annie's life forever, it changes the landscape of the midwest. It swallows towns, and changes the course of the Mississippi River creating new lakes, and sand boils––Bogs of liquid sand still there 120 years later, when Hedie Rails marries Clement Ducharme, Jacques great grandson. Living in the home Jacques built for Annie, a hundred years before, Hedie finds Annie's journal, and we learn the story of the town of Jacques' Landing.

At times the plot of this family saga was confusing for me. I wondered if Jonis Agee had written a much longer book, then cut it too deeply to meet the publisher's requirements. But I loved her characters and setting.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonis Agee has a very smooth writing style that kept me hooked from start to finish. I really enjoyed the "Roundtable" discussion at the end too. It provided a lot of insight into each person's mind. I wish every book had a roundtable discussion. The real love story was in the beginning with Jacques and Annie - before they started acquiring all the land, money, and things. Jacques was a real gentleman and loyal friend. I think in order to protect his heart he made a "deal" to keep him from suffering and feeling. Yet, in the end, that's all he ever had - pain, no emotion, and paranoia. Hedie was probably my favorite female character in the story. I kept getting upset that she wouldn't leave Clement - he was not exactly a prize husband. She showed courage, determination, and loyalty. I admired her for sticking by Clement. Even though she lost him in the end, she still won in my eyes.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea of this book as pitched on the back cover.. however, it was very slow moving and I found myself not wanting to pick it up again once I put it down. That said, however, I rarely leave a book unfinished once I start it, so finish it I did (with a lot of skimming). I was about 100 pages into it and had the thought "I think I've read this before" I'm not sure exactly what went wrong because I don't see how you can mess up a book with a river pirate, a ghost, and a search for hidden treasure. Read it if you want to; or not. As a matter of fact, I have a copy if you need one. (I read other reviews and they talk about how many murders and dying there is.. so I ask myself.. how can it be slow moving? One of life's mysteries)

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heart Jonis Agee. Yes, she is a Nebraska native who teaches at my alma mater the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. But she could be from Timbuktu and I'd still love her poetical prose, and the passion and heartbreak of her characters. This story is about five generations of women who get the shaft from their men. I am a total sucker for stories that imply you cannot escape family destiny, as to a certain degree, we are bound to repeat the lives of our antecedents. We are family after all, and those ties run deep. But at the very least in this book the family is filled with pirates and gangsters, so makes for a really entertaining read. Set in the deep south, the surroundings are also described with lush detail. Magical. Love this book!