Go as a River : a deeply moving debut - a love story in the spirit of Where the Crawdads Sing

With echoes of Where the Crawdads Sing, Read's hypnotic debut traces the path of a lifetime in lyrical prose as young Torie Nash absorbs the transformative words of a mysterious stranger.

'When a moment changes everything, how do you live the rest of your life?'

1940s Colorado: Teenage Victoria Nash is the sole surviving woman in a family of troubled men. She spends her days running the household on her family's peach farm.

Wilson Moon is a young drifter with a mysterious past. Displaced from his tribal land, he wants to believe one place is just like another.

When Victoria and Wil meet on a street corner, their unexpected connection ignites both passion and danger, revelations and secrets.

But when tragedy strikes, Victoria is propelled away from the only home she has ever known and towards a reckoning with loss, hope, and her own untapped strength. Gathering all the pieces of her small and extraordinary existence, she will arrive at a single rocky decision that will change her life for ever.

Go as a Riveris a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story and a drama of enthralling power.



MEDIA REVIEWS A lush tale of female resilience. Evokes the awe-inspiring beauty of the Colorado landscape with affection - SUNDAY TIMES

Spellbinding novel of finding home where you least expect it - THE TIMES

Shelley Read's lyrical voice is a force of nature and when she lends it to a woman leading a hardscrabble life in rural Colorado, the result is tragic, uplifting and completely unforgettable - BONNIE GARMUS, author of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY

A key title for 2023. This soaring, compassionate tale of female resilience is set against the breath-taking beauty of the natural world - its trees and mountains and light - INDEPENDENT

Beautiful, lyrical and vivid ... Shelley Read's beautifully drawn characters are brought to life against the backdrop of the Colorado mountains. Full of wisdom and strength ... this is a powerful love story with an unforgettable heroine at its heart - SUNDAY EXPRESS

A beautiful, compassion-filled debut - a hymn to the cycles of the natural world and testament to the resilience of the human spirit - DAILY MAIL

A compelling tale of love and a heroine fighting back. She had me racing to bed so I could read another chapter - PATRICK GALE

To be so immersed in a setting is a privilege. A mesmerising coming-of-age story. Simply stunning - WOMAN & HOME

A lush, beautiful, strong book. It took me on a transformative life journey. I could not put it down - CLOVER STROUD

Completely spell-binding, vivid and luminous - JANE GREEN

A young woman broken by circumstances who must find a way to forgive before she can love. Torie Nash is a character for the ages as she navigates loss and despair on the road to redemption. Stunning. - ADRIANA TRIGLIANI

The outer landscape both delicately and unflinchingly traces the inner landscapes of Read's characters. This is a story full of heartbreak, yet also hope - THE I-PAPER

A powerful love story with an unforgettable heroine - DAILY EXPRESS

Echoes of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. Luminous - WATERSTONES

An extraordinary story of fate, determination and love. Gorgeous, and beautifully written, your heart will break for all Victoria has to lose and mend with all that she has to find. Tender and heart-breaking. - MARIANNE CRONIN, author of THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF LENNI AND MARGOT

Go As A River swept me away. It is gorgeously written. Longing, passion and heartbreak are all set down with such a beauty and restraint that I had to set the book down, amazed. Every page was a joy to read. Magnificent - SUE FLETCHER

Suffused with wisdom and compassion, this shattering testimony to one woman's life must be savoured, treasured and shared - MEG WAITE CLAYTON, author of THE POSTMISTRESS OF PARIS

The way in which the rivers flow, the land gives and takes back, and how these things shape Victoria's life and livelihood are beautiful. It is such a redemptive story, despite the heartache. We should all care for our peach trees with this much tenderness - ANNE YOUNGSON, author of MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM

Tragedy, heartbreaking decisions and strength is found in this mesmerising coming-of-age story. The harsh but magical environment of Iola serves as her guide and you can almost taste the sweet peaches. Simply stunning - WOMAN'S WEEKLY

Heart-wrenching and mesmerising ... Combining unforgettable characters and a breath-taking natural setting, it is a sweeping story of survival and becoming - Women's Prize for Fiction