Book details

Saints at the River

A Novel

Author: Ron Rash

Saints at the River

Saints at the River

$11.99

About This Book

From a major voice in Southern literature comes award-winning author Ron Rash's Saints at the River, a novel about a town divided by the aftermath of a tragic accident--and the woman...

Page Count
288
On Sale
04/01/2007

Book Details

From a major voice in Southern literature comes award-winning author Ron Rash's Saints at the River, a novel about a town divided by the aftermath of a tragic accident--and the woman caught in the middle.

When a twelve-year-old girl drowns in the Tamassee River and her body is trapped in a deep eddy, the people of the small South Carolina town that bears the river's name are thrown into the national spotlight. The girl's parents want to attempt a rescue of the body; environmentalists are convinced the rescue operation will cause permanent damage to the river and set a dangerous precedent. Torn between the two sides is Maggie Glenn, a twenty-eight-year-old newspaper photographer who grew up in the town and has been sent to document the incident. Since leaving home almost ten years ago, Maggie has done her best to avoid her father, but now, as the town's conflict opens old wounds, she finds herself revisiting the past she's fought so hard to leave behind. Meanwhile, the reporter who's accompanied her to cover the story turns out to have a painful past of his own, and one that might stand in the way of their romance.

Drawing on the same lyrical prose and strong sense of place that distinguished his award-winning first novel, One Foot in Eden, Ron Rash has written a book about the deepest human themes: the love of the land, the hold of the dead on the living, and the need to dive beneath the surface to arrive at a deeper truth. Saints at the River confirms the arrival of one of today's most gifted storytellers.

Imprint Publisher

Henry Holt and Co.

ISBN

9781429900836

Reading Guide

In The News

“A compelling novel...Rash tells his story with subtlety and with the best kind of empathy.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Captivating...Rash's clear, concise prose and regional voice add an authentic veneer to this rich tableau of Southern life.” —Entertainment Weekly

“Ron Rash writes like a prince.” —Pat Conroy

“Maggie is an ideal observer from the center for things. Her knowing voice carries us through this sad, complex, and beautiful story.” —Time Out (New York)

“Rash's clean prose and love for the land easily carry this book to its conclusion, providing readers with a powerful ending that is both surprising and well earned.” —The Charlotte Observer

“Shows [Rash's] versatility and chutzpah...Rash's prose... has a peculiar headlong drive akin to that of hard-boiled detective novels--the best sort.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Fluid...Rash's prose sparkles....He does the best thing a writer can do: entrench the reader in a scene.” —Greensboro News & Record

“Gripping...Spare, resonant, unputdownable.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

About the Creators

Saints at the River

Saints at the River

$11.99