River Talk

One man has recently returned from a second tour of duty in Iraq, finding it almost impossible to re acclimate to his past life, but begins to heal when he finds a way to be a hero again. One wife is a talented jewelry artist, who finally finds the courage to stand up to her cold, controlling husband. Another, newly divorced, woman rejects the impersonal art of her new boyfriend as she reflects on the important details of her marriage. Others finally allow themselves the possibility of new relationships or of letting go past hurts and finding a new peace with themselves.

This intriguing book is centered by the understated murmuring of the river in the background; seemingly constant, but, in fact, endlessly changing and with the potential for reinvention. The stories are poignant, written in tight, quiet prose; readers will feel drawn to these characters written with empathy and compassion. Although bleak, the stories are tempered by small rays of hope as many of the characters realize they still have some volition and can try to shape their own fates. River Talk is a sensitive book, carefully constructed, that has a still power reflective of the river itself.