Lost River: The Waters of Remembrance, A Memoir

by Harry Thurston

Harry Thurston’s eco-memoir Lost River is an elegiac meditation on the way that fishing, the rivers he has fished, and the people he has fished with have shaped his life. It is a story that encompasses both significant loss—of his childhood homestead, of rivers, and of the Atlantic salmon stocks, as well as of family and friends—and significant reward. Whether he’s recounting his experiences fishing his way down his native rivers and streams, reflecting on family bonds and writerly struggles, or recollecting the long work of establishing Nova Scotia’s Kelley River Wilderness Area, Thurston reminds us how fully the human and non-human worlds are interconnected, and of the great value of a life based in attentiveness and affection. Like a fish finally rising to the fly, the beauty and insight of Lost River elicit a bolt of excitement and hope. As one of Thurston’s mentors would say, “It’s good to know that we’re not fishing over barren water.”

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

208 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars
Lost River: The Waters of Remembrance A Memoir by Harry Thurston would appeal to naturalists and those who enjoy fishing in brooks and rivers. The vignettes about time with family, friends, childhood games, and experiences interacting with nature and rivers were a good mixture of serious, sad, happy, hope, and sometimes humorous.

This memoir brought back memories of my little sister and I going fishing with our mother, and years later my son catching his first fish in the Gatineau Hills.

Thurston reminds us how fully the human and nonhuman worlds are interconnected, and of the great value of a life based in attentiveness and affection. As one of Thurston's mentors would say, "It's good to know that we're not fishing over barren water."