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American River Trilogy #1
Tributaries
In the mid-1800s, three immigrant families—Irish, Japanese, and Mexican—settle along the American River in Northern California. A century later, only one family remains. Owen McPhalan’s Mockingbird Valley Ranch is still a thriving family business in 1959. But when his wife, Marian, leaves Mockingbird to follow her dream of becoming a successful artist, she ignites a firestorm that impacts the descendants of all three families. As artists, musicians, writers, and politicians inherit their immigrant parents’ hopes, they are torn apart by ambition, prejudice, and deception while struggling through the turbulent 1960s. From the concert halls of Europe to Kyoto’s ancient avenues, and Manhattan’s artist’s lofts to San Francisco’s North Beach, they each learn the price they must pay in order to realize their dreams. But just as the river is drawn to the sea, they eventually find themselves pulled back to the place that forged the original link between their destinies—a place called Mockingbird. American Tributaries follows three California families as the descendants of Irish, Japanese, and Mexican immigrants embark on unique journeys to pursue their dreams amid an unsettled 1960s world.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
394 pages, Paperback
Published June 29, 2017
6 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Mallory M. O'Connor
12 books163 followersMallory O’Connor is a writer, an art historian, and a musician. She is the author of two non-fiction books, Lost Cities of the Ancient Southeast and Florida’s American Heritage River, both published by the University Press of Florida. American River :Tributaries, Book One of the American River Trilogy, is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 23, 2018
This was a great story about different cultures and the lives of immigrants!
There was one line I was very uncomfortable with though; it happens in a sex scene. The girl calls the boy an animal, says "You practically raped me." and then "I loved it." I feel like this line was in very poor taste, though I'm sure the author didn't have bad intentions.
Other than that, I really liked how the story seemed to come full circle, but I wish some of the characters could have been explored more, as I really liked one specific story arc about a character who was queer and was struggling with his own identity.
There was one line I was very uncomfortable with though; it happens in a sex scene. The girl calls the boy an animal, says "You practically raped me." and then "I loved it." I feel like this line was in very poor taste, though I'm sure the author didn't have bad intentions.
Other than that, I really liked how the story seemed to come full circle, but I wish some of the characters could have been explored more, as I really liked one specific story arc about a character who was queer and was struggling with his own identity.
February 20, 2018
A well-crafted historical novel.
Whatever flaws we might identify or frustrations we might feel are trivial in comparison to a reader’s pure joy in losing himself/herself in a narrative. When all the elements come together: an intriguing plot, thoughtful, profound themes, complex, troubling, characters, and language that will unsettle for its clarity, directness and confidence; we gratefully set all analysis aside and give ourselves up to the sheer magic of a great book. And for me, American River: Tributaries, is such a book.
Author Mallory M. O'Connor weaves a compelling and gripping historical drama, with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a dynamic and spellbinding tale in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It was a slow-paced novel at times, but it still kept me engaged from the first page to the last.
The story had every element a good story should have. An exciting plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book.
The book description gives a preview of this first instalment; ‘In the mid-1800s, three immigrant families—Irish, Japanese, and Mexican—settle along the American River in Northern California. A century later, only one family remains.
Owen McPhalan’s Mockingbird Valley Ranch is still a thriving family business in 1959. But when his wife, Marian, leaves Mockingbird to follow her dream of becoming a successful artist, she ignites a firestorm that impacts the descendants of all three families. As artists, musicians, writers, and politicians inherit their immigrant parents’ hopes, they are torn apart by ambition, prejudice, and deception while struggling through the turbulent 1960s. From the concert halls of Europe to Kyoto’s ancient avenues, and Manhattan’s artist’s lofts to San Francisco’s North Beach, they each learn the price they must pay in order to realize their dreams. But just as the river is drawn to the sea, they eventually find themselves pulled back to the place that forged the original link between their destinies—a place called Mockingbird.
American River: Tributaries follows three California families as the descendants of Irish, Japanese, and Mexican immigrants embark on unique journeys to pursue their dreams amid an unsettled 1960s world.’
Now, if that’s not enough to get your whet your appetite, I don’t know what will. But if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. It’s my first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.
Captivating and commendable, this work had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are plenty of attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a truly fascinating and intriguing journey of discovery!
It’s one of those books that comes along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader.
If this book is anything to go by, I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from Mallory M. O'Connor in the future. I would recommend this book and could easily see this being adapted as a television series or even receiving a Hollywood treatment. A well-deserved five stars from me.
Whatever flaws we might identify or frustrations we might feel are trivial in comparison to a reader’s pure joy in losing himself/herself in a narrative. When all the elements come together: an intriguing plot, thoughtful, profound themes, complex, troubling, characters, and language that will unsettle for its clarity, directness and confidence; we gratefully set all analysis aside and give ourselves up to the sheer magic of a great book. And for me, American River: Tributaries, is such a book.
Author Mallory M. O'Connor weaves a compelling and gripping historical drama, with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a dynamic and spellbinding tale in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It was a slow-paced novel at times, but it still kept me engaged from the first page to the last.
The story had every element a good story should have. An exciting plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book.
The book description gives a preview of this first instalment; ‘In the mid-1800s, three immigrant families—Irish, Japanese, and Mexican—settle along the American River in Northern California. A century later, only one family remains.
Owen McPhalan’s Mockingbird Valley Ranch is still a thriving family business in 1959. But when his wife, Marian, leaves Mockingbird to follow her dream of becoming a successful artist, she ignites a firestorm that impacts the descendants of all three families. As artists, musicians, writers, and politicians inherit their immigrant parents’ hopes, they are torn apart by ambition, prejudice, and deception while struggling through the turbulent 1960s. From the concert halls of Europe to Kyoto’s ancient avenues, and Manhattan’s artist’s lofts to San Francisco’s North Beach, they each learn the price they must pay in order to realize their dreams. But just as the river is drawn to the sea, they eventually find themselves pulled back to the place that forged the original link between their destinies—a place called Mockingbird.
American River: Tributaries follows three California families as the descendants of Irish, Japanese, and Mexican immigrants embark on unique journeys to pursue their dreams amid an unsettled 1960s world.’
Now, if that’s not enough to get your whet your appetite, I don’t know what will. But if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. It’s my first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.
Captivating and commendable, this work had me immersed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are plenty of attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a truly fascinating and intriguing journey of discovery!
It’s one of those books that comes along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader.
If this book is anything to go by, I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from Mallory M. O'Connor in the future. I would recommend this book and could easily see this being adapted as a television series or even receiving a Hollywood treatment. A well-deserved five stars from me.
April 3, 2018
This is the first book in a new trilogy by Mallory O'Connor and I can't wait to read the next two books to learn more about the three families that this first novel introduces us to.
In the mid-1800s, three families emigrate to California near the American River to start new lives. One family was from Ireland, one from Japan and one from Mexico. Even though they start out in the same area of their new country with their dreams for a better life for their families, each family's life goes a different direction and is plagued by different problems as their dreams scatter. As the novel takes us from the mid-1800s to the very beginning of the 1960s, we see the dreams of the family change over time. Only one family still owns a successful ranch and the other two families have followed different dreams but all of those dreams had a price.
This is a wonderful, well-written family saga about three immigrant families who started out with the same dream and by the 1960s their descendants were mostly following changed dreams. I can't wait to see what happens in Book 2 which is due out later this year.
In the mid-1800s, three families emigrate to California near the American River to start new lives. One family was from Ireland, one from Japan and one from Mexico. Even though they start out in the same area of their new country with their dreams for a better life for their families, each family's life goes a different direction and is plagued by different problems as their dreams scatter. As the novel takes us from the mid-1800s to the very beginning of the 1960s, we see the dreams of the family change over time. Only one family still owns a successful ranch and the other two families have followed different dreams but all of those dreams had a price.
This is a wonderful, well-written family saga about three immigrant families who started out with the same dream and by the 1960s their descendants were mostly following changed dreams. I can't wait to see what happens in Book 2 which is due out later this year.
January 26, 2018
This is an excellent novel with many memorable characters working their way through the different paths of the plot. I look forward to the the next installment.
February 19, 2018
1/1848, south of Sacramento, CA. Gold, we found Gold!
Cormac Everette McPhalan (Irish immigrant) from County Tyrone, Ireland, arrived in Canada to seek his fame/fortune.
From there it was on to Maine working at a textile mill.
Maude Cahill (daughter, schoolteacher) became his tutor.
5/1849, Illinoistown, CA. was the distribution center for all the mining camps supplies in the area.
It wasn’t long & Cormac was well off.
He quickly sent word to Maude & she accepted his marriage proposal & moved.
6/5/1851 Cormac along with Maude were the owner/founders of Mockingbird Valley Ranch.
4/1855, (American River, Sacramento, CA.). Juan Dominguez Morales (son) had inherited the Rancho Las Posas del Sierra.
4/1869, The SS China (steam-powered clipper ship) transported John Henry Schnell (husband/father), Jou Schnell (wife/mother) & Francis Schnell (son) from Japan-San Francisco, CA.
22 Tokugawa shogunate Japanese samurai who were forced to flee were aboard also.
The had brought lots of valuable goods & seedlings to plant.
6/1869, Upon arrival to America they would open the Wakamatsu Tea & Silk Colony Near Gold Run, CA.
1 of the refugees was Yoshinobu Takashi (6, Tokugawa Yoshinobu nephew).
Frank Yoshinobu (46, Tokugawa shogunate Japanese samurai, orphaned son, aka Takashi) found work as a laundress. He later became a photographer.
The Alien Exclusion Act, did not make things easy for him.
Motome Matsumura (f), met Frank, they were married & had a son James & 2 daughters Sarah & Connie.
Regardless of what society thought; Mary Katharine “Kate” McPhalan & Tommy Ashida (son, U of Oregon) were quite fond of each other.
The Rocklin Gallery West 57th. St. Marian McPhalan (daughter, 1917, Wellesley U, Owen’s ex-wife, nee Archer) went to see if she has the potential to become a professional artist
Marian shared her day with her lover Trevor Martin (ex-British patriot).
3/17/1961, San Francisco, CA. Mr. Marcus N. Chambers & Mrs. Lillian Chambers, 218 Brentwood Circle, St. Francis Wood are having reception (soirée).
Lillian had the hots for Carl.
Larry told Julie (The Blue Fox waitress) he was not going to support her habit anymore. She needed to pay him.
Wilson Escort Service. Richard, & Eric, greeted Julian Francis McPhalan (son/brother, The Blue Fox) on his 1st. day on the job.
Alan Townsend (wealthy, gay, widower, Williams College, Harvard, School of Classical Studies, Athens, Greece) had become quite fond of Julian & vice versa.
11/14/1961, Christy “Chris” Malacchi was Kate’s BFF/roommate at Berkley.
Julian had introduced Kate (19) to Monsieur Carl Fitzgerald (San Francisco Philharmonic asst. conductor). Had she forgotten about Tommy?
Ending timeline 1/1963.
Warning: This book contains adult content, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, & great font/writing style. Wow, a very well written historical fiction book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, or better yet a mini TV series. 1 of my top 25 books of 2018. To be continued. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Archway publishing; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons (Washburn)
Cormac Everette McPhalan (Irish immigrant) from County Tyrone, Ireland, arrived in Canada to seek his fame/fortune.
From there it was on to Maine working at a textile mill.
Maude Cahill (daughter, schoolteacher) became his tutor.
5/1849, Illinoistown, CA. was the distribution center for all the mining camps supplies in the area.
It wasn’t long & Cormac was well off.
He quickly sent word to Maude & she accepted his marriage proposal & moved.
6/5/1851 Cormac along with Maude were the owner/founders of Mockingbird Valley Ranch.
4/1855, (American River, Sacramento, CA.). Juan Dominguez Morales (son) had inherited the Rancho Las Posas del Sierra.
4/1869, The SS China (steam-powered clipper ship) transported John Henry Schnell (husband/father), Jou Schnell (wife/mother) & Francis Schnell (son) from Japan-San Francisco, CA.
22 Tokugawa shogunate Japanese samurai who were forced to flee were aboard also.
The had brought lots of valuable goods & seedlings to plant.
6/1869, Upon arrival to America they would open the Wakamatsu Tea & Silk Colony Near Gold Run, CA.
1 of the refugees was Yoshinobu Takashi (6, Tokugawa Yoshinobu nephew).
Frank Yoshinobu (46, Tokugawa shogunate Japanese samurai, orphaned son, aka Takashi) found work as a laundress. He later became a photographer.
The Alien Exclusion Act, did not make things easy for him.
Motome Matsumura (f), met Frank, they were married & had a son James & 2 daughters Sarah & Connie.
Regardless of what society thought; Mary Katharine “Kate” McPhalan & Tommy Ashida (son, U of Oregon) were quite fond of each other.
The Rocklin Gallery West 57th. St. Marian McPhalan (daughter, 1917, Wellesley U, Owen’s ex-wife, nee Archer) went to see if she has the potential to become a professional artist
Marian shared her day with her lover Trevor Martin (ex-British patriot).
3/17/1961, San Francisco, CA. Mr. Marcus N. Chambers & Mrs. Lillian Chambers, 218 Brentwood Circle, St. Francis Wood are having reception (soirée).
Lillian had the hots for Carl.
Larry told Julie (The Blue Fox waitress) he was not going to support her habit anymore. She needed to pay him.
Wilson Escort Service. Richard, & Eric, greeted Julian Francis McPhalan (son/brother, The Blue Fox) on his 1st. day on the job.
Alan Townsend (wealthy, gay, widower, Williams College, Harvard, School of Classical Studies, Athens, Greece) had become quite fond of Julian & vice versa.
11/14/1961, Christy “Chris” Malacchi was Kate’s BFF/roommate at Berkley.
Julian had introduced Kate (19) to Monsieur Carl Fitzgerald (San Francisco Philharmonic asst. conductor). Had she forgotten about Tommy?
Ending timeline 1/1963.
Warning: This book contains adult content, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, & great font/writing style. Wow, a very well written historical fiction book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, or better yet a mini TV series. 1 of my top 25 books of 2018. To be continued. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Archway publishing; Author; PDF book
Tony Parsons (Washburn)
April 16, 2018
American River: Tributaries by Mallory M O’Connor is the first installment of the American River Trilogy. This story has amazingly detailed characters, a well-paced plot, and a good story to go along with it. This fantastically written historical novel follows three families, all being of different backgrounds; Irish, Mexican and Japanese. Each family has immigrated to California, and the reader is set to follow the lives of the decedents of these families; each unique, but also intertwined. O’Connor describes many incredible details of the 50s and 60s. She addresses many of the issues surrounding forbidden romance, racism, politics, immigration, and following your dreams in an unsettled time.
Mockingbird Valley Ranch is the centerpiece of this story. Owen McPhalan has a very successful ranch and seems to have it all, but when his wife, Marian, decides to pursue her dream of becoming a painter and leaves for Boston, things really seem to fall apart. This leads to multiple forbidden romances, misunderstandings, loss, and heartbreak through all families. It is a rich tale that has twists and turns no one would expect. This book definitely keeps you turning the pages from the start.
I am completely impressed by this author and her writing style. She had me hooked from page one. The story did drag in a few places due to her extraordinary attention to detail, but that seems to be a valid reason for a story to drag. The characters were so in depth that I felt as if I had a unique relationship with each one. There was one in particular that I would have liked to know even more about, but that is just a sign of superior storytelling in this situation. The story was well illustrated, well orchestrated, and well researched. A great read for those looking for a historically accurate book that goes into the lives of seemingly normal people.
In some instances, I felt the book had too many characters that made it hard to follow. It became difficult to remember who was connected to who at certain points. Other than that, I did not find many flaws in this book. The writing style was incredible, hardly any grammatical mistakes, and definitely a book worth reading.
Overall, I rate this title with 4 out of 5 stars. I have not read a book in an extensive amount of time with such detailed characters and such a historically accurate storyline. I would recommend this to lovers of historical fiction and really anyone looking for a dynamic read, full of character and the stories of average people. I will be keeping my eyes open for the next installment of this series, which I believe is being released this month! I will definitely be reading that one as well. Be on the lookout for my review on my YouTube channel The Mommy Bookworm https://www.youtube.com/themommybookworm
Mockingbird Valley Ranch is the centerpiece of this story. Owen McPhalan has a very successful ranch and seems to have it all, but when his wife, Marian, decides to pursue her dream of becoming a painter and leaves for Boston, things really seem to fall apart. This leads to multiple forbidden romances, misunderstandings, loss, and heartbreak through all families. It is a rich tale that has twists and turns no one would expect. This book definitely keeps you turning the pages from the start.
I am completely impressed by this author and her writing style. She had me hooked from page one. The story did drag in a few places due to her extraordinary attention to detail, but that seems to be a valid reason for a story to drag. The characters were so in depth that I felt as if I had a unique relationship with each one. There was one in particular that I would have liked to know even more about, but that is just a sign of superior storytelling in this situation. The story was well illustrated, well orchestrated, and well researched. A great read for those looking for a historically accurate book that goes into the lives of seemingly normal people.
In some instances, I felt the book had too many characters that made it hard to follow. It became difficult to remember who was connected to who at certain points. Other than that, I did not find many flaws in this book. The writing style was incredible, hardly any grammatical mistakes, and definitely a book worth reading.
Overall, I rate this title with 4 out of 5 stars. I have not read a book in an extensive amount of time with such detailed characters and such a historically accurate storyline. I would recommend this to lovers of historical fiction and really anyone looking for a dynamic read, full of character and the stories of average people. I will be keeping my eyes open for the next installment of this series, which I believe is being released this month! I will definitely be reading that one as well. Be on the lookout for my review on my YouTube channel The Mommy Bookworm https://www.youtube.com/themommybookworm
January 21, 2021
It's hard to believe this was the author's first novel, as it was a tremendous undertaking. The story begins in the 1850s and follows the descendants of three families into the 1960s. It encompasses all levels of society in Northern California and explores racial issues, family ties, and love and heartbreak. The arts play an important role in the story, as the characters pursue their talents and dreams. Despite the scope and time frame, I never felt cheated by sketchy or incomplete story lines. The author was able to weave these various threads into a complete whole.
But this is only the beginning! I enjoyed the novel enough to read the sequel, and I look forward to the third book in the series.
But this is only the beginning! I enjoyed the novel enough to read the sequel, and I look forward to the third book in the series.
October 2, 2018
Three families go to America and after a generation there is only one left. What happened? Follow their adventures and see how they become one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews