First, There Is a River (Paperback)
by Kathy Steffen
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Overview
A family conceals a cruel secret.
Emma Perkins' life appears idyllic. Her husband, Jared, is a hardworking farmer and a dependable neighbor. But Emma knows intimately the brutality prowling beneath her husband's facade. When he sends their children away, Emma's life unravels.
A woman seeks her spirit.
Deep in despair, Emma seeks refuge aboard her uncle's riverboat, the Spirit of the River. She travels through a new world filled with colorful characters: captains, mates, the rich, the working class, moonshiners, prostitutes, and Gage, the Spirit's reclusive engineer. Scarred for life from a riverboat explosion, Gage's insight into heartache draws him to Emma, and as they heal together, they form a deep and unbreakable bond. Emma learns to trust that anything is possible, including reclaiming her children and facing her husband.
A man seeks revenge.
Jared Perkins makes a journey of his own. Determined to bring his wife home and teach her the lesson of her life, Jared secretly follows the Spirit. His rage burns cold as he plans his revenge for everyone on board.
Against the immense power of the river, the journey of the Spirit will change the course of their lives forever.
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Related Categories:
Books > Fiction > Historical - General
- ISBN-13: 9781932815931
- ISBN-10: 1932815937
- Publisher: Medallion Press
- Date: September 2007
- Page Count: 368
Customer Reviews
Publishers Weekly® Reviews
- Reviewed in: Publishers Weekly, page 146.
- Review Date: 2007-07-16
- Reviewer: Staff
Set in 1900, Steffen’s debut presents a captivating view of life aboard a riverboat a century ago, but minimal character development makes it hard for readers to become attached to the novel’s protagonist, Emma Perkins, an Ohio woman who leaves her abusive farmer husband, Jared, to serve as a cook aboard her uncle’s riverboat, Spirit. Despite the often laborious work of providing meals for crew and passengers, Emma is glad to be free of Jared’s vicious physical and verbal assaults. At the same time, she misses her young son and daughter, sent by Jared to work at a neighbor’s farm. A love triangle emerges among Emma, Capt. William “Briggs” Briggham and Gage, Spirit’s solitary engineer, but subplots involving a riverboat race and the love life of Emma’s assistant, Lilly, detract from the potency of the primary plot line. (Sept.)
- ISBN-13: 9781932815931
- ISBN-10: 1932815937
- Publisher: Medallion Press
- Date: September 2007
- Page Count: 368