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The River Audiobook
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(3.02) - 121 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
During the summer of 1958 in the English village of Cameldip, two children drown while playing in a leaky boat on the river. Their parents, Isabel and Robert, are bound together in guilt and anger. Thirty years later, a young woman secretly pregnant and determined to make a new start for herself arrives in Cameldip. Taken in by Isabel, she slowly uncovers the secrets of the village’s past and is inexorably drawn into the conflict.
A story of families, old secrets, and new beginnings, The River is a lyrical and haunting tale of betrayal, failure, love, and fortitude.
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"Another page turner, absolute thriller and I am very pleased to say, I was surprised. I can often guess what happens next, but this one had some great twists and turns all the way through. You don't realise how dark it is until you finish it. Excellent book, would highly recommend. "
— Catherine (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Kate Reading’s work here is immensely skillful; she peoples this stunning story with breathing characters of all ages and stations and with accents bred from the Scottish isles to Provence. Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“Intense and lyrical…Wastvedt steers a clear course through a narrative of escalating suspense.”
— The Guardian (London) -
“Skillfully evokes a sense of impending doom…Wastvedt brings her story to its climax over one Christmas with a finale that Daphne du Maurier herself would have been proud of.”
— Daily Mail (London) -
“This suspenseful, atmospheric story progresses with the irresistible flow of the river itself, and readers may find themselves pulled in right up to the ghastly ending.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Threat and suspense are juxtaposed with lyrical romanticism…a deft...fusion of gothic and rhapsodic.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Careens toward a stunning conclusion…Deftly written and assured.”
— Library Journal -
“The author does a masterful job of showing how unhappiness must be dealt with by everyone, and how grief has its own timetable.”
— Kliatt
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
The River Listener Reviews
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" Picked it up in the airport. Pretty run of the mill... kept my interest for the trip, but the characters were not particularly realistic or gripping. "
— Nancy, 2/23/2013 -
" This was a page turner! The loss of 2 children in a tragic drowning affects the members of a small community in different ways. Each new character she introduces is subtly connected to each other and adds to the suspense of the story- I was very surprised at the ending she chose! "
— Jane, 11/22/2012 -
" Overall I liked the book but I didn't really get the ending. "
— Esther, 8/23/2012 -
" There were a lot of characters to keep straight - but I liked it pretty well "
— Suzi, 6/16/2012 -
" Didn't make much of an impression! I stopped reading it over Xmas/New Year & when I picked it up again I couldn't even remember what it was about. Didn't bother trying to finish it. "
— Jynx, 6/13/2012 -
" This book was tragic yet beautifully written. The visual images it created burned into my head. I would highly recommend it. "
— Molly, 4/17/2012 -
" Another page turner, absolute thriller and I am very pleased to say, I was surprised. I can often guess what happens next, but this one had some great twists and turns all the way through. You don't realise how dark it is until you finish it. Excellent book, would highly recommend. "
— Catherine, 5/11/2011 -
" Really enjoyed the writing and the story was beautifully done. "
— Marissa, 5/6/2011 -
" Lots of characters to keep up with, but the ending is a bit of a surprise. Interesting story to see how intertwined everyone is in a small village in England. The book goes faster after you overcome the first few chapters of being introduced to all of the characters. "
— Adrienne, 4/7/2011 -
" Story about a drama that happened 30 years ago, with lines going back and forth in time. The drama, children drown in the river, influences on many lives. The end is quite awful, far from a happy end. "
— Carla, 2/17/2011 -
" This story had lots of history that kept running into the current story line. The characters turned up in a variety of ways and so I was constantly having to rebuild my image of who they were, their motives and the complexity of their lives. "
— Nancy, 11/22/2010 -
" Lots of characters. Ending that didn't make sense. Not a book I'd recommend. "
— Dana, 11/11/2010 -
" Didn't get on with this - very slow and quite dull. Not what I expected - disappointing "
— Jill, 10/28/2010 -
" There were a lot of characters to keep straight - but I liked it pretty well "
— Suzi, 8/12/2009 -
" This was a page turner! The loss of 2 children in a tragic drowning affects the members of a small community in different ways. Each new character she introduces is subtly connected to each other and adds to the suspense of the story- I was very surprised at the ending she chose! "
— Jane, 7/28/2009 -
" Didn't make much of an impression! I stopped reading it over Xmas/New Year & when I picked it up again I couldn't even remember what it was about. Didn't bother trying to finish it. "
— Jynx, 12/28/2008 -
" Lots of characters to keep up with, but the ending is a bit of a surprise. Interesting story to see how intertwined everyone is in a small village in England. The book goes faster after you overcome the first few chapters of being introduced to all of the characters. "
— Adrienne, 10/13/2008 -
" Picked it up in the airport. Pretty run of the mill... kept my interest for the trip, but the characters were not particularly realistic or gripping. "
— Nancy, 9/6/2008 -
" Lots of characters. Ending that didn't make sense. Not a book I'd recommend. "
— Dana, 8/28/2008 -
" This book was tragic yet beautifully written. The visual images it created burned into my head. I would highly recommend it. "
— Molly, 8/3/2008 -
" This story had lots of history that kept running into the current story line. The characters turned up in a variety of ways and so I was constantly having to rebuild my image of who they were, their motives and the complexity of their lives. "
— Nancy, 3/9/2008 -
" Overall I liked the book but I didn't really get the ending. "
— Insidemyshell, 7/24/2007
About Tricia Wastvedt
Tricia Wastvedt was born in London in 1954. She lives in Bath, England.
About Kate Reading
Kate Reading, named an AudioFile Golden Voice, has recorded hundreds of audiobooks across many genres, over a thirty–year plus career and won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. Among other awards, she has been recognized as an AudioFile Magazine Voice of the Century, Narrator of the Year, Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy, and winner of an Publisher’s Weekly’s Listen-Up Award. She records at her home studio, Madison Productions, Inc., in Maryland.