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Rivière tremblante
August 1979: twelve-year-old Michael Saint-Pierre disappears in the woods near Rivière-aux-Trembles when he and his friend Marnie Duchamp encounter a sudden storm. After an extensive search, only a muddy sneaker is found. Thirty years later, in a neighboring town, little Billie Richard, who is about to celebrate her ninth birthday, fails to return home after school. Again, it's as if she's vanished into thin air. Just like Marnie, who is haunted by the trauma of Michael's disappearance, Billie’s father is consumed by mourning and grief. As tehy come to terms with the inconceivable disappearances that have marked their lives, neither suspects that another tragedy will soon strike close to home... An atmospheric mystery and a sharp exploration of guilt and sorrow, Trembling River is a powerful work from internationally renowned novelist Andrée A. Michaud and translated by J. C. Sutcliffe.
- GenresCrime
410 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published January 8, 2020
3 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Andrée A. Michaud
20 books98 followersDeux fois lauréate du Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général (Le Ravissement, 2001, et Bondrée, 2014), récipiendaire du prix Arthur Ellis et du prix Saint-Pacôme du roman policier pour Bondrée, ainsi que du prix Ringuet en 2006 pour Mirror Lake (adapté au cinéma en 2013), Andrée A. Michaud construit une œuvre éminemment personnelle qui ne cesse, depuis son premier roman, de susciter les éloges de la critique et des lecteurs avides de mystère. Son polar Lazy Bird, porté par des airs de jazz, est paru en 2010 au Seuil, en France, dans la collection Point noir.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 21 reviews
March 10, 2024
J’ai adoré le début. Le développement psychologique autour du père qui souffre d’une douleur innommable suite à la disparition de sa fille. Toute l’intrigue autour de la disparition étrange et glaçante de Michael devant les yeux de Marnie. Mais par la suite, je me suis TELLEMENT ennuyée!!!!! Il ne se passait RIEN!!!! 😫
February 5, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the English translation of this book to review. Trembling River was originally written in French by Québécois author Andrée A. Michaud. The English translation is available February 7, 2023.
Overall, I’m glad I read this book. The structure is quite interesting, shifting between the two main characters’ viewpoints and sometimes third person narration. This book is divided into three parts, but there were no chapters. I found this difficult to keep up with sometimes as I was getting a hang of the multiple perspectives and it made finding a good stopping point more difficult.
Trembling River is a fascinating character driven story that deeply delves into the psyches of two people who have had a loved one go missing as a child. Bill’s daughter Billie disappeared after school several years ago, and in 1979 Marnie was the last person to see her best friend Michael alive. This book doesn’t shy away from the dark thoughts that plague them and the suspicion and cruel treatment given to people close to a disappearance. There was a point in part two that was a bit of a slog to get through as it was just stream of consciousness passages from Bill and Marnie. Thankfully, then it picked up and I was interested enough to plow through to the end.
Overall, I’m glad I read this book. The structure is quite interesting, shifting between the two main characters’ viewpoints and sometimes third person narration. This book is divided into three parts, but there were no chapters. I found this difficult to keep up with sometimes as I was getting a hang of the multiple perspectives and it made finding a good stopping point more difficult.
Trembling River is a fascinating character driven story that deeply delves into the psyches of two people who have had a loved one go missing as a child. Bill’s daughter Billie disappeared after school several years ago, and in 1979 Marnie was the last person to see her best friend Michael alive. This book doesn’t shy away from the dark thoughts that plague them and the suspicion and cruel treatment given to people close to a disappearance. There was a point in part two that was a bit of a slog to get through as it was just stream of consciousness passages from Bill and Marnie. Thankfully, then it picked up and I was interested enough to plow through to the end.
January 26, 2024
Marnie returns to Rivière-aux-Tremble in Quebec for her father’s funeral. She hasn’t been back since she was twelve years old, when her best friend disappeared when they were together. In a parallel storyline, Bill is in mourning after his nine year old daughter, Billie, went missing a year before. He also moves to the town, looking for a new life.
The second part is much slower paced. The separate stories of Marnie and Bill exploring their emotions as they deal with their grief threatens to coalesce, but there’s a chance the reader might run out of patience waiting for it to happen. There is a sense of mystery, but that dissipates rather than gathers. Just in time, a new strand to the plot materialises; when another young child disappears Bill and Marnie are suspected as being involved. However, it’s not enough to pull the novel out of the mediocre category, when for its first half, it had shown plenty of potential.
The second part is much slower paced. The separate stories of Marnie and Bill exploring their emotions as they deal with their grief threatens to coalesce, but there’s a chance the reader might run out of patience waiting for it to happen. There is a sense of mystery, but that dissipates rather than gathers. Just in time, a new strand to the plot materialises; when another young child disappears Bill and Marnie are suspected as being involved. However, it’s not enough to pull the novel out of the mediocre category, when for its first half, it had shown plenty of potential.
September 26, 2018
3,5/5. Si vous cherchez un policier qui vous fera frémir, vous serez sans doute déçus : vous trouverez plus que ça. Car c'est bien plus un roman sur comment vivre après de terribles drames. Comment survivre, plutôt. Survivre avec la culpabilité, l'angoisse, l'horreur, avec le vide, l'absence qui aspire l'âme comme un trou noir. C'est aussi la terrible histoire de deux victimes qui se retrouvent sur le banc des accusés, simplement parce qu'il faut un coupable, et peu importe si on détruit un peu plus deux innocents. C'est très poignant mais parfois un peu longuet malheureusement.
February 5, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of Trembling River. This book was published in French in 2018, and the English translation will be available on February 7, 2023. Since moving to Montreal, I have been trying to catch up with Quebec thrillers translated into English and was very pleased to receive the ARC.
The author Andree A Michaud is one of the most celebrated writers in the French language, and her books have won numerous literary prizes. She has twice won the Governor General's Award, the Arthur Ellis Award for Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing, and a prize in France, and has been nominated for other prizes. The English translator has also been acclaimed.
This character-driven, emotionally intense, and highly atmospheric story plunges the reader into the chilling Quebec winter. The snow-laden trees, the forest with snowbanks, ice, and mud, and the frozen ground crunching underfoot are vividly described. The children are well-written and age-appropriate.
Trembling River centres on the tragic disappearance of three children. One, a twelve-year-old boy, vanished while playing in the woods in 1979. He was with his best friend, Melanie Duchamp. Thirty years later, Billie Richard vanished just before her 9th birthday. Her father Bill is shattered by anguish and grief. He is a writer of popular children's books featuring talking animals that he and Billie enjoyed. The now-adult Melanie has never forgotten her friend Michael and still worries if she could have done anything to prevent what happened to him. Before he vanished, he seemed to go into a trance-like state, and she thinks he uttered nonsense, but the noise of an approaching storm garbled his sentence. The story is straightforward up to the point where Bill begins a heart-aching struggle affecting his mental health. No trace of either child was found, and the bodies were never recovered. There has been no closure for Melanie or Bill who are living with anguish, guilt and sorrow.
We now get lengthy, highly emotional streams of consciousness from the two adult's perspectives. Their inner thoughts are meandering and go off on unexpected tangents of gloom and melancholy. These passages became an emotional overload leaving me numb. Bill wonders what he could have done to protect Billie. He thinks a hovering parent would cause his daughter to become frightened and depressed and that she would rebel by becoming delinquent. He imagines the horrible things the predator may have done to her. Then he switches his mind to imagining she is frolicking with his talking animals from the stories they both loved or her spirit is visiting parts of the galaxy. He thinks he receives her messages in the songs of birds. Both unhappy adults remove themselves from society.
Now another boy, also named Mike, has disappeared. The police and residents regard Bill and Melanie as prime suspects in the case of the new missing child. They have become pariahs. As one person remarks, they are the present Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. They receive threats and are in danger of going outside. Both are aggressively questioned at their homes and the police station, and it is clear they are not believed. If they are absolved of the murder of the third child, Bill dreams of getting as far away as Australia. The book was not my style, but I believe will appeal to the majority of readers.
The author Andree A Michaud is one of the most celebrated writers in the French language, and her books have won numerous literary prizes. She has twice won the Governor General's Award, the Arthur Ellis Award for Excellence in Canadian Crime Writing, and a prize in France, and has been nominated for other prizes. The English translator has also been acclaimed.
This character-driven, emotionally intense, and highly atmospheric story plunges the reader into the chilling Quebec winter. The snow-laden trees, the forest with snowbanks, ice, and mud, and the frozen ground crunching underfoot are vividly described. The children are well-written and age-appropriate.
Trembling River centres on the tragic disappearance of three children. One, a twelve-year-old boy, vanished while playing in the woods in 1979. He was with his best friend, Melanie Duchamp. Thirty years later, Billie Richard vanished just before her 9th birthday. Her father Bill is shattered by anguish and grief. He is a writer of popular children's books featuring talking animals that he and Billie enjoyed. The now-adult Melanie has never forgotten her friend Michael and still worries if she could have done anything to prevent what happened to him. Before he vanished, he seemed to go into a trance-like state, and she thinks he uttered nonsense, but the noise of an approaching storm garbled his sentence. The story is straightforward up to the point where Bill begins a heart-aching struggle affecting his mental health. No trace of either child was found, and the bodies were never recovered. There has been no closure for Melanie or Bill who are living with anguish, guilt and sorrow.
We now get lengthy, highly emotional streams of consciousness from the two adult's perspectives. Their inner thoughts are meandering and go off on unexpected tangents of gloom and melancholy. These passages became an emotional overload leaving me numb. Bill wonders what he could have done to protect Billie. He thinks a hovering parent would cause his daughter to become frightened and depressed and that she would rebel by becoming delinquent. He imagines the horrible things the predator may have done to her. Then he switches his mind to imagining she is frolicking with his talking animals from the stories they both loved or her spirit is visiting parts of the galaxy. He thinks he receives her messages in the songs of birds. Both unhappy adults remove themselves from society.
Now another boy, also named Mike, has disappeared. The police and residents regard Bill and Melanie as prime suspects in the case of the new missing child. They have become pariahs. As one person remarks, they are the present Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. They receive threats and are in danger of going outside. Both are aggressively questioned at their homes and the police station, and it is clear they are not believed. If they are absolved of the murder of the third child, Bill dreams of getting as far away as Australia. The book was not my style, but I believe will appeal to the majority of readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2023
Trembling River by Andrée A. Michaud, translated by J. C. Sutcliffe is a highly recommended mystery and explores the heartbreaking disappearance of three children.
In August 1979 twelve-year-old Michael disappears in the woods of Trembling River while with his friend Marnie Duchamp. A search only came up with a muddy sneaker. The disappearance of her friend has haunted Marnie ever since it happened. Thirty years later Billie Richards never makes it to her dance class and disappears just before her ninth birthday. Her father Bill, a children's book author, is devastated and falls into a deep inconsolable state of grief and mourning. Neither knows that another child will disappear from the village of Trembling River.
The writing is exquisite and captures the anguish, mourning, guilt, and even anger while Marnie and Bill attempt to somehow comprehend their loss. Marnie constantly questions what she could have done to prevent Michael's disappearance. Bill is despondent and struggles with his mental health. Understandably, he is heartbroken and can't comprehend a life without his beloved daughter.
The structure of the novel is divided into three parts but these parts are written with no chapters. The narrative switches between viewpoints and readers are expected to follow who is speaking. This can be a bit off-putting, especially in the second part when the novel delves into lengthy and very emotional interior monologues from Marnie and Bill. I'm not a fan of protracted stream-of-consciousness passages, so this was a bit of a struggle to get through, although it is highly distressed and heartbreaking. Then, when tragedy strikes again and another child disappears, the mystery and heartbreak deepens.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of House of Anansi Press via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/0...
In August 1979 twelve-year-old Michael disappears in the woods of Trembling River while with his friend Marnie Duchamp. A search only came up with a muddy sneaker. The disappearance of her friend has haunted Marnie ever since it happened. Thirty years later Billie Richards never makes it to her dance class and disappears just before her ninth birthday. Her father Bill, a children's book author, is devastated and falls into a deep inconsolable state of grief and mourning. Neither knows that another child will disappear from the village of Trembling River.
The writing is exquisite and captures the anguish, mourning, guilt, and even anger while Marnie and Bill attempt to somehow comprehend their loss. Marnie constantly questions what she could have done to prevent Michael's disappearance. Bill is despondent and struggles with his mental health. Understandably, he is heartbroken and can't comprehend a life without his beloved daughter.
The structure of the novel is divided into three parts but these parts are written with no chapters. The narrative switches between viewpoints and readers are expected to follow who is speaking. This can be a bit off-putting, especially in the second part when the novel delves into lengthy and very emotional interior monologues from Marnie and Bill. I'm not a fan of protracted stream-of-consciousness passages, so this was a bit of a struggle to get through, although it is highly distressed and heartbreaking. Then, when tragedy strikes again and another child disappears, the mystery and heartbreak deepens.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of House of Anansi Press via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/0...
March 7, 2022
Janvier 2022. Quelle lecture! Ce n’est pas le style de coup de cœur qui te donne envie de relire le roman parce que les sujets sont un gouffre mais je ne peux pas nier le transport d’émotions que cette lecture m’a donné.
Se faire arracher un enfant, être témoin d’une disparition d’un ami puis vivre avec cette perte. Puis voir sa douleur être niée parce que les autorités/autres cherchent un coupable, se faire accuser, pointer du doigt et juger par la populace et passer sur le fil tranchant de la folie parce que tout ça est juste trop...
J’enrageais, j’imaginais, je désespérais pour Bill, pour Marnie.
C’était fort et l’écriture de Michaud me plait beaucoup. Son humour aussi.
Se faire arracher un enfant, être témoin d’une disparition d’un ami puis vivre avec cette perte. Puis voir sa douleur être niée parce que les autorités/autres cherchent un coupable, se faire accuser, pointer du doigt et juger par la populace et passer sur le fil tranchant de la folie parce que tout ça est juste trop...
J’enrageais, j’imaginais, je désespérais pour Bill, pour Marnie.
C’était fort et l’écriture de Michaud me plait beaucoup. Son humour aussi.
September 17, 2018
Une belle et lente lecture au fil de la rivière tremblante. Un livre où se développe avant toute chose une atmosphère tout en attente qui nous fait toucher du doigt, l’étrange, la disparition, la peur, les fantômes et le climat hostile du petit village de Rivière-aux-Trembles, suite à la disparition de Michael, 12 ans dans la forêt sous le regard impuissant de sa meilleure amie Marnie. Trente ans plus tard c’est la petite Billie qui disparaît non loin de là. Nous allons suivre Bill son père ainsi que Marnie devenue adulte dans la lente descente aux enfers, d’un deuil impossible. C’est tout le territoire de l’enfance qui est exploré par deux adultes blessés et traumatisés. Bill est le personnage qui m’a le plus touché, c’est un survivant en quelque sorte, il était si proche de sa petite fille, lui inventant constamment de superbes histoires, qui ne craquerait pas pour Ronie le Crapaud et Myrtle the Turtle ? Cette ambiance de madeleine de Proust à jamais perdue était douloureuse à lire. De son côté Marnie n’a pas la vie facile lorsqu’elle revient dans sa région à la mort de son père. Le village ne lui fait pas de cadeau entre incompréhension, bêtise et culpabilité.
Si vous vouliez un thriller avec beaucoup d’action passez votre chemin, ici il s’agit d’une combustion lente et pourtant elle dévore tout sur son passage. Rien de telle qu’une sombre forêt pour donner le ton et Andrée A. Michaud excelle dans l’art de nous transporter dans ce décor sylvestre sombre et envoutant. Le fait que le récit de Bill et de Marnie soit écrit à la première personne en fait une œuvre très personnel où le lecteur se sent plus impliqué.
J’ai beaucoup aimé le parlé québécois qui colore tout ce texte.
« Grouille-toué, Marnie, vite, ça va nous attraper, ça s’en vient, je le sens. »
Il y a aussi de nombreuses références musicales qui viennent à point nommé pour alléger cette ambiance noire. Ne passez pas à côté de ce petit bijou tout en intériorité qui m’a transporté au loin chez nos cousins québécois. Bonne lecture.
Si vous vouliez un thriller avec beaucoup d’action passez votre chemin, ici il s’agit d’une combustion lente et pourtant elle dévore tout sur son passage. Rien de telle qu’une sombre forêt pour donner le ton et Andrée A. Michaud excelle dans l’art de nous transporter dans ce décor sylvestre sombre et envoutant. Le fait que le récit de Bill et de Marnie soit écrit à la première personne en fait une œuvre très personnel où le lecteur se sent plus impliqué.
J’ai beaucoup aimé le parlé québécois qui colore tout ce texte.
« Grouille-toué, Marnie, vite, ça va nous attraper, ça s’en vient, je le sens. »
Il y a aussi de nombreuses références musicales qui viennent à point nommé pour alléger cette ambiance noire. Ne passez pas à côté de ce petit bijou tout en intériorité qui m’a transporté au loin chez nos cousins québécois. Bonne lecture.
January 16, 2024
Un roman très bien écrit, et sûrement très appréciable, mais dont la publicité est terriblement trompeuse et le dessert indéniablement.
Ceci n'est PAS un roman policier, mais alors PAS DU TOUT. Et si, comme moi, c'est ce que vous êtes venu.e.s chercher, vous allez être vraiment déçu.e.s et vous vous ennuierez certainement. C'est avant tout une histoire de deuil, et on ne suivra finalement jamais l'enquête espérée -un peu promise par la quatrième de couverture- sur la disparition de Michael et celle de Billie. J'ai attendue jusqu'au bout des réponses, mais ça n'est fondamentalement pas le sujet du livre....
Je pense que la plume est agréable et fleurie, la charactérisation complexe et travaillée. Bref, en d'autres circonstances j'aurais peut-être pu prendre beaucoup de plaisir à cette lecture lente et pesante, à l'image de ce que traverse les personnages. Malheureusement j'étais ici en quête de l'excitation de Bondrée, LE page-turner par excellence et Rivière tremblante en est le parfait opposé. Michaud sait manier ces deux narrations contraires, et je suis désolée que tant de lecteurices soient comme moi mal orienté.e.s.
2/5
Ceci n'est PAS un roman policier, mais alors PAS DU TOUT. Et si, comme moi, c'est ce que vous êtes venu.e.s chercher, vous allez être vraiment déçu.e.s et vous vous ennuierez certainement. C'est avant tout une histoire de deuil, et on ne suivra finalement jamais l'enquête espérée -un peu promise par la quatrième de couverture- sur la disparition de Michael et celle de Billie. J'ai attendue jusqu'au bout des réponses, mais ça n'est fondamentalement pas le sujet du livre....
Je pense que la plume est agréable et fleurie, la charactérisation complexe et travaillée. Bref, en d'autres circonstances j'aurais peut-être pu prendre beaucoup de plaisir à cette lecture lente et pesante, à l'image de ce que traverse les personnages. Malheureusement j'étais ici en quête de l'excitation de Bondrée, LE page-turner par excellence et Rivière tremblante en est le parfait opposé. Michaud sait manier ces deux narrations contraires, et je suis désolée que tant de lecteurices soient comme moi mal orienté.e.s.
2/5
August 19, 2018
A plus de trente ans d’intervalles, deux enfants ont disparu sans laisser de trace. L’auteure québécoise Andrée Michaud, nous transporte dans une contrée hostile et sauvage où les protagonistes face à l’horreur de la disparition d’un enfant essaient de faire le deuil. Mais est-ce possible ? Ce terme n’est-il pas galvaudé ? L’écriture est lente et le vocabulaire québécois « ...arrête de niaiser , Mike tu n’es pas drôle pantoute... ». L’enquête n’est pas centrale. Le sujet tourne autour de la difficulté du deuil, la culpabilité, suite à un tel drame. La partie relative à la suspicion du village est intéressante.
Généralement, les histoires de disparitions d’enfants ne n’attirent pas et là en particulier, je me suis ennuyée. J’ai trouvé l’écriture fastidieuse et d’une lenteur éprouvante. Je n’ai pas réussi à m’attacher aux personnages et à m’intéresser à cette histoire surnaturelle. Dommage, je suis passée à côté de ce roman.
Généralement, les histoires de disparitions d’enfants ne n’attirent pas et là en particulier, je me suis ennuyée. J’ai trouvé l’écriture fastidieuse et d’une lenteur éprouvante. Je n’ai pas réussi à m’attacher aux personnages et à m’intéresser à cette histoire surnaturelle. Dommage, je suis passée à côté de ce roman.
January 5, 2025
Une histoire captivante, on rentre vraiment dans la vie des personnages et dans toutes leurs complexité. J’ai trouvé les deux premiers tiers du livre un peu trop long à mon goût. J’ai plusieurs fois eu l’impression que l’autrice remplissait les pages pour que le livre plus long, mais à la fin du deuxième tiers j’ai été happée parce qu’il y a enfin du suspense. Comme j’ai attendu un peu longtemps que le suspense commence, j’étais un peu déçue par la fin de l’intrigue, mais dans l’ensemble j’ai aimé ce livre et je l’ai lu vite. L’histoire est quand assez dure c’est très pesant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2024
can't get connect to the book. i jumped around to see if any part of it make any sense, nope, so I pull the plug.
the summary on the dust jacket is compelling me to read it but the story didn't come together for me. What a disppointment.
the summary on the dust jacket is compelling me to read it but the story didn't come together for me. What a disppointment.
January 26, 2020
Difficile à noter. Ce n'est absolument pas un roman policier. C'est plutôt une très longue élégie sur le deuil et sur les activités psychiques destructrices que génère la perte d'un enfant....
June 14, 2022
Je n'ai pas beaucoup aimé car je pensais que sa aller être du policier mais e'faite c'est surtout de l'autobiographie !
July 8, 2025
C’était pas ce à quoi je m’attendais.
Lecture lourde et triste en émotion.
Lecture lourde et triste en émotion.
February 28, 2023
In the summer of 1979, a young boy named Michael disappeared in the woods while he and his friend Marnie were sheltering from a storm. At first Marnie receives comfort and sympathy, but as she tells her story of what happened, she falls under suspicion and is ostracized. Thirty years later, a young girl disappears after school in a nearby town. Her father Bill spirals into despair, haunted by the traumatic experience of losing his daughter and the suspicions of the detectives. And then when a third child goes missing, both Marnie and Bill find themselves the prime suspects and are forced to relive their past traumas.
This book just didn’t work for me. It’s a dual POV, told from Marnie’s experience in the past and present, and told from Bill’s experience in the present. The two stories don’t come together until the end of the book and even then it’s just a brief convergence. This makes the swaps in POVs feel disjointed – I kept waiting for some reason why these two stories were put together to appear, but it never really did. The characters were bland and lacked anything that made them emotionally relatable or engaging.
The writing style was not enjoyable or conducive to telling an immersive or atmospheric story. It was often more stream-of-consciousness stylistically and quite dry; there would be a sentence or two of action then paragraphs and pages of rambling remembrances or thoughts on something mostly unrelated to what was currently happening. This work was not atmospheric at all because the author constantly told the reader everything rather than showing. There were many instances where I could have skipped between three and ten pages and not have missed anything of substance. Unfortunately, none of this exposition added to the character depth or development either nor did it aid in creating emotionally compelling characters. There were no transitions between the POVs, and as the characters lacked unique voices, I had to just keep reading and wait for context clues to figure out who the narrator was.
I hate to be harsh, but there was no plot to this book and honestly it felt like there was no real point in reading it. It was neither a mystery nor a thriller. I think it was supposed to be an examination of how trauma and grief can affect people differently even thirty years down the line, but it was poorly executed with detached and flat characters. The tone of the exposition was completely flat as well, which made none of the exploration of emotions feel meaningful or emotional in the slightest. It could be because this is a translation of the original work, but as it is, I can’t recommend this book at all. My thanks to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This book just didn’t work for me. It’s a dual POV, told from Marnie’s experience in the past and present, and told from Bill’s experience in the present. The two stories don’t come together until the end of the book and even then it’s just a brief convergence. This makes the swaps in POVs feel disjointed – I kept waiting for some reason why these two stories were put together to appear, but it never really did. The characters were bland and lacked anything that made them emotionally relatable or engaging.
The writing style was not enjoyable or conducive to telling an immersive or atmospheric story. It was often more stream-of-consciousness stylistically and quite dry; there would be a sentence or two of action then paragraphs and pages of rambling remembrances or thoughts on something mostly unrelated to what was currently happening. This work was not atmospheric at all because the author constantly told the reader everything rather than showing. There were many instances where I could have skipped between three and ten pages and not have missed anything of substance. Unfortunately, none of this exposition added to the character depth or development either nor did it aid in creating emotionally compelling characters. There were no transitions between the POVs, and as the characters lacked unique voices, I had to just keep reading and wait for context clues to figure out who the narrator was.
I hate to be harsh, but there was no plot to this book and honestly it felt like there was no real point in reading it. It was neither a mystery nor a thriller. I think it was supposed to be an examination of how trauma and grief can affect people differently even thirty years down the line, but it was poorly executed with detached and flat characters. The tone of the exposition was completely flat as well, which made none of the exploration of emotions feel meaningful or emotional in the slightest. It could be because this is a translation of the original work, but as it is, I can’t recommend this book at all. My thanks to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
February 17, 2023
Trigger Warnings – disappearance of a child, suicide
“Once upon a time there were two children and a river, is how the story begins.”
In Part One – we begin with The Stories. We meet Marnie and Bill at the worst moment in their life, thirty years apart, experiencing grief and loss of a friend and daughter. These chapters grab you and draw you into the grief. The author provides descriptions that are both atmospheric and haunting. Then comes The Names where the author expertly weaves the origin story of these families, further connecting you to these characters. Part One leaves you feeling the sadness, grief and uneasily anticipating what terrible thing will happen next.
In Part Two – we live in the present, switching between Bill and Marnie as they try to move on with their lives and struggle to deal with their grief. This author truly excels at creating this world and helping you visualize it. All the feelings are palpable and as part two concludes, tragedy strikes again and threatens any stability they have tried to build.
In Part Three – the pace picks up and we continue alternating the perspectives. I honestly cannot say enough about the writing style of this author. It is lyrical and engaging. I felt the rawness of their sadness and grief. I felt frustration for these two, who never get to move on, who will forever have their worst moments tossed in their faces. For me the ending was perfect. It wraps up the story, but also leaves you wishing you could stay immersed in this place and follow these two in their next steps.
I wrote this review a little differently then most. The book is divided into three parts, with two parts in each. After each one, I stopped to write my thoughts. I knew there was a mystery and I wanted to see how my thoughts changed throughout the story. I have to say - I loved everything about this book. It is perfectly divided into sections and expertly constructed alternating chapters. It is quick paced and engaging. I was quickly endeared to both Marnie and Bill. My heart ached for their losses, and I was rooting for them to be happy. This is a translated story, which can sometimes be a challenge, however with this book you would never know it. This author is new to me but this not her first story. I will be seeking out Back Roads, one of the author’s previous novels which has also been translated. If you love a mystery that grabs you, makes you feel all the things and then kicks you out the other side, this book is for you. Highly Recommend.
Thank you House of Anansi for my gifted copy!
“Once upon a time there were two children and a river, is how the story begins.”
In Part One – we begin with The Stories. We meet Marnie and Bill at the worst moment in their life, thirty years apart, experiencing grief and loss of a friend and daughter. These chapters grab you and draw you into the grief. The author provides descriptions that are both atmospheric and haunting. Then comes The Names where the author expertly weaves the origin story of these families, further connecting you to these characters. Part One leaves you feeling the sadness, grief and uneasily anticipating what terrible thing will happen next.
In Part Two – we live in the present, switching between Bill and Marnie as they try to move on with their lives and struggle to deal with their grief. This author truly excels at creating this world and helping you visualize it. All the feelings are palpable and as part two concludes, tragedy strikes again and threatens any stability they have tried to build.
In Part Three – the pace picks up and we continue alternating the perspectives. I honestly cannot say enough about the writing style of this author. It is lyrical and engaging. I felt the rawness of their sadness and grief. I felt frustration for these two, who never get to move on, who will forever have their worst moments tossed in their faces. For me the ending was perfect. It wraps up the story, but also leaves you wishing you could stay immersed in this place and follow these two in their next steps.
I wrote this review a little differently then most. The book is divided into three parts, with two parts in each. After each one, I stopped to write my thoughts. I knew there was a mystery and I wanted to see how my thoughts changed throughout the story. I have to say - I loved everything about this book. It is perfectly divided into sections and expertly constructed alternating chapters. It is quick paced and engaging. I was quickly endeared to both Marnie and Bill. My heart ached for their losses, and I was rooting for them to be happy. This is a translated story, which can sometimes be a challenge, however with this book you would never know it. This author is new to me but this not her first story. I will be seeking out Back Roads, one of the author’s previous novels which has also been translated. If you love a mystery that grabs you, makes you feel all the things and then kicks you out the other side, this book is for you. Highly Recommend.
Thank you House of Anansi for my gifted copy!
January 31, 2023
Thank you to House of Anansi Press Inc for the opportunity to read this arc. It is available to buy Feb 7,2023.
Holy tears, Batman. Oh this book made me cry. As a mother this book has laid out my worst fears. The sudden inexplicable disappearance of your child. Mr. Michaud wrote a parents guilt, anger, and mourning with such eloquence and emotion. Children are disappearing in the small villages surrounding a lake and no one knows why. The writer brings you through rough shod of the emotions parents go through when their children are taken and there is no trace. It made my stomach twist in knots reading it. I highly as highly recommend this book.
Holy tears, Batman. Oh this book made me cry. As a mother this book has laid out my worst fears. The sudden inexplicable disappearance of your child. Mr. Michaud wrote a parents guilt, anger, and mourning with such eloquence and emotion. Children are disappearing in the small villages surrounding a lake and no one knows why. The writer brings you through rough shod of the emotions parents go through when their children are taken and there is no trace. It made my stomach twist in knots reading it. I highly as highly recommend this book.
May 13, 2023
This novel is categorized as a mystery, but it is not an action-packed page turner with a final surprise ending. It is instead a deep and respectful study in the impact of loss, the proliferation of guilt and judgment, and the ability of people to survive to face another day. Perhaps the story could be trimmed, some moments bypassed, and the denouement shortened, but in Michaud’s narrative, we are immersed in each moment of the protagonists’ struggles and can come to a better appreciation of an experience that is never over. Perhaps then, we can move forward to honour the struggles we witness beyond these pages.
March 12, 2023
Disappointing overall, despite an interesting and compelling premise, the sudden disappearance of children, trauma, and what comes after. I had to make a real effort to reach to end of this book, only to be exposed to the writer's opinions about the conclusion.
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