"River's Song" by Melody Carlson - Glass Road Tour with Review

River's Song
Inn at Shining Waters: Book 1
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Abingdon Press
ISBN: 9781426712661

About the Book:

Her relationship with her daughter in shambles and tensions mounting with her mother-in-law, Anna Larson returns to her childhood home on the banks of the Suislaw River to sort out her parent's belongings and put the pieces of her own life back together.

Embracing her native heritage for the first time since childhood Anna transforms her old family home into Shining Waters Inn, a place she hopes will give her family a new beginning.

River's Song is Book One in the Inn at Shining Waters series.

My Thoughts:

Taking place in 1959, Anna Larson, is a descendant of the Suislaw Indians of Oregon, and because of her heritage, she is treated as a substandard human. She faces racism and emotional abuse from her mother-in-law for the sake of her husband and daughter. When she returned home to bury her mother, she realizes that she really doesn't want to return to that life.

This beautiful and well written story carries some powerful messages: realization of self-worth, the power of racism and emotional abuse over another, and most importantly, the power of faith and healing. "River's Song" illustrates how emotional abuse can affect a person and how they end up staying in an abusive situation, but more importantly, how they can leave and heal.

I found this novel a most enjoyable read. The descriptions of the river made me want to pack up and go there - they were so realistic and it sounded like such a beautiful place. Nature has always been a place of comfort for me, so I could really identify with Anna's love for the river.

Although I loved the whole storyline, I felt the end was rushed. I wanted to linger more with the events that were occurring. I needed descriptions, more interaction between characters and what was happening. So for me, the ending was a bit disappointing. That small gripe won't keep me from wanting to read the next in the series, though. I'm really looking forward to the next book!

About the Author

Melody Carlson published her first book in 1995 and she has been writing prolifically ever since. To date, Melody has published over 200 books, making her one of the top 20 most prolific authors of all time. With total sales of over 1.4 million her award-winning books include: Homeward, Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon; Limelight; the Diary of a Teenage Girl series; the True Colors series; and the Charter House Girls series.

In her professional life, Melody has worn many hats: from pre-school teacher to political activist to senior editor. Currently, she writes full-time, and freelances from her home. She has two grown sons and lives in Sisters, Oregon with her husband, Chris, and Bailey, her chocolate lab. They enjoy skiing, hiking, and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.

Book was supplied through Glass Road PR for me to honestly review.