Downriver: A Tale of Moving Pictures Before Hollywood

by Evan Anderson

" A Tale of Moving Pictures Before Hollywood" is a new novel set during the early days of cinema. The lead character is fictional, but women pioneers in the field have leading roles as Alice Guy Blache, Florence Lawrence, Lois Weber, Nell Shipman and others. Reader's Favorite calls the book "a gripping story that explores the origins of the movie industry with characters that are as memorable as they are realistic." This history has new relevance with the increased attention paid to pioneer film director Alice Guy Blache, the subject of a children's book ( Lights, Camera, Alice! ) and a new feature documentary ( Be Natural .)  Reviewers for the Kindle edition have taken "Downriver immerses you into the era of early filmmaking ...compelling, entertaining reading, and for anyone with an interest in the history of film, particularly women in film, it's essential..."

398 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2017

About the author

Evan Anderson is originally from Los Angeles and now makes his home in New York's Hudson Valley. While growing up in L.A. he became fascinated with the making of movies, with a definite focus on the "classic" (his favorite film year is 1928!) He visited movie studios, collector's shops and revival houses, in particular the Vagabond and Silent Movie Theaters.

While doing some family research, Evan discovered that his late grandfather, Robert Lovelace Barrett, had an extensive career in Hollywood, first as an extra and featured player, then as a studio projectionist at Warner Brothers. It was around this time that Evan began work on "Downriver." As his search into his grandfather's career grew, so did "Downriver" - from short story, to novella, to a full length tale of a small town girl's life during the earliest days of American cinema.

Evan's short story "The Passion of Saint Hayakawa" was published in the collection Prima Materia, Vol. 2. He has written scripts for children's theater and an homage to classic radio of the 1940's, The Adventures of Marjorie. "Downriver" is his first novel.

Reviews

[Minda Zetlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable. Evan Anderson skillfully blends historical figures and fictional ones to re-create the world of the late 19th-early 20th centuries when showboats roamed the rivers of the Midwest and what would grow up to be today's Hollywood got its start in nickelodeons and Fort Lee, New Jersey, of all places.

It was a time of opening up and new beginnings, new inventions and new industries, a time when a poet from Illinois could tramp the nation on foot exchanging poems for food (a real historical figure who becomes a major character in the book). We see it all through the eyes of Anne Blackstone, an endearing and courageous 16-year-old orphan, a natural-born director determined to make her own way in this new and changing world.

[Amelia Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evan Anderson’s Downriver sweeps you into an era that feels both lost and strangely familiar.
The story opens like a reel of silent film soft light, drifting fog, a whisper of music and before
long you’re standing beside Anne, the orphan whose heart beats with the same rhythm as the
river that carries her toward destiny. Every paragraph glows with authenticity: the worn timber of
the showboat stage, the metallic scent of projection reels, the laughter that hides desperation.
Anderson doesn’t romanticize the past; he illuminates it. Anne’s search for belonging unfolds
against the dawn of cinema itself, and the two stories one of a girl, one of an art form mirror
each other beautifully. You feel the pulse of invention, the danger of temptation, the ache of
hope. The prose shimmers like light on water: patient, rhythmic, hypnotic. Few novels capture
the birth of modern storytelling with such grace. By the final pages I wasn’t merely reading; I
was transported. When I closed the book, I heard the river still moving, carrying dreams toward
the screen.

[Danielle Boggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Downriver felt like stepping through a sepia photograph and finding it alive. Evan
Anderson paints the early days of motion pictures with such color and emotion that I could
almost smell the riverbanks, hear the creak of the showboat, and see the flicker of the first films.
The characters are vivid, fragile, and brave especially Anne, whose determination and
innocence guide us through a world both magical and cruel. I found myself completely absorbed
by the moral dilemmas and the quiet courage that runs through every page. The writing style
has a rhythm that feels cinematic, like a camera slowly panning across a forgotten era. There’s
an old-world beauty in every sentence. Downriver isn’t just about film it’s about the power of
dreams, survival, and the price of freedom. This book reminded me why I love historical fiction it
made me feel something deeply human.

[Mark Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Downriver on a whim and couldn’t put it down. There’s something special about this
story it feels like discovering an old film reel that’s been waiting for decades to be seen again.
Evan Anderson’s prose flows like the river itself: calm one moment, rushing and full of danger
the next. The characters are real people you come to love and worry about. The blend of
cinema history and personal drama makes it unforgettable. I laughed, I teared up, and I kept
thinking, “How have I never heard of this book before?” It’s that good.

[Madison Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those books that play out in your head like a movie? That’s Downriver. I could see
every scene the river, the stage lights, the faces full of hope and heartbreak. The dialogue
snaps. The tension builds. And the atmosphere... perfection. It’s got that mix of grit and grace
that you only find in the best period dramas. I’d compare it to Water for Elephants meets The
Artist. Anne is a character you’ll root for from page one strong, scared, real. I didn’t want the
story to end, and when it did, I just wanted to start over.

[Ethan Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those books that play out in your head like a movie? That’s Downriver. I could see
every scene the river, the stage lights, the faces full of hope and heartbreak. The dialogue
snaps. The tension builds. And the atmosphere... perfection. It’s got that mix of grit and grace
that you only find in the best period dramas. I’d compare it to Water for Elephants meets The
Artist. Anne is a character you’ll root for from page one strong, scared, real. I didn’t want the
story to end, and when it did, I just wanted to start over.

[Evan Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

"Downriver: A Tale of Moving Pictures Before Hollywood" by Evan Anderson is a historical novel that follows the life of Anne Blackstone, a woman who witnessed the birth of the movie industry, working behind the scenes at a time before Hollywood. She lost her father in a barge explosion and, when her mother died, Anne was sent to live in an orphanage run by the church ladies whom she’d grow to detest, which is why she escaped from the home and joined a travelling crew. She would later join a touring motion picture exhibitor and learn the art of directing. Before the advent of motion pictures, Anne was already part of the industry, and this novel follows her incredible journey from the orphanage to the life of a movie director and the challenges she had to overcome.

I felt that the novel is well-researched, featuring a compelling cast of characters. I took a quick liking to the protagonist and was just so curious about what she’d become. The author demonstrates strong storytelling skills, arousing a keen sense of empathy in the reader as they follow the protagonist through her misfortunes into her newfound freedom. Anne is a compelling character who comes across to readers as motivated and strong-willed. It is interesting to see her fighting to create her own world. The scenes are well-crafted, with the points of view coming out neatly. Evan Anderson’s prose is beautiful and it is punctuated by vivid descriptions and great dialogues. "Downriver: A Tale of Moving Pictures Before Hollywood" is a gripping story that explores the origins of the movie industry with characters that are as memorable as they are realistic.