Lost River, 1918

by Faith Shearin

“ Lost River  is an extraordinary work of art. It has the feel of an instant classic.” Anthony McGowan, Carnegie Medal Winner for  Lark
Lost River is the story of the Van Beest family, which inherits a house at the edge of a magical forest where the dead return from the afterlife. When 13-year-old Anne’s mother, a midwife, delivers a stillborn baby and her father, a mortician, accidentally brings that infant back to life, the Van Beests find themselves at the center of a drama that raises questions about the relationship between the living and the dead. 

Genres: Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2022

About the author

Faith Shearin is the author of six books of poetry. Her work has been frequently featured by Garrison Keillor on “The Writer’s Almanac.” She is the recipient of awards from The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, The Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work also appears in The Autumn House Anthology of Contemporary Poets and in Good Poems, American Places. She lives with her husband, her daughter, and a small, opinionated dachshund, in a cabin on top of a mountain in West Virginia.

Reviews

[Kathy Stinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual story full of lines that beg to be read aloud.

[Laurie Conney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just WOW. I’ve never read anything like this before and strongly suggest that you don’t wait any longer until you do as well.

[Nathaniel Horowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There was a hush, during which we could hear the wind become a wolf." This book is full of lines like that, poetry in the service of narrative. It's a poet's novel, inviting the reader to linger on images; meanwhile, events transpire, curious, surreal, matter-of-fact, and filled with rich detail from the early 20th century. "The house was quiet though I could hear the wind rearranging the snow outside." The novel is quiet and full of the movement of unseen forces rearranging human lives.

[Gin Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This haunting story of love and grief can’t be compared to any book I’ve ever read. It’s a ghost story, for certain, but it’s more comforting than scary and prompts the reader to ponder what they would do if they actually had the ability to bring a loved one back from death. Lost River is a unique and compelling story that reads like poetry.

[Elaine Burnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent opening line: “The living are concerned with houses, and clocks, and fine dining, while the dead, unmoored, drink moonlight and shadows.” You can tell she's a poet. Such a melancholy vibe to it—as one would expect when the dead rise up, I suppose. Beautifully written. Not just for “young adults.”

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is going to haunt me. Beautiful piece of writing, well drawn characters. A piercing novel about grief, time and longing.