The River

Tell me a story... about the perils of nature

 The River by Peter Heller

Publication date: March 5, 2019

Date read: November 1, 2021

Two college friends, Jack and Wynn, decide to embark on a wilderness canoe trip in Northern Canada, far from civilization. Their plan is to take their time, enjoying nature and solitude. But when they catch a glimpse of a wildfire in the distance, it adds urgency to their plan, and they decide to head downriver to the nearest settlement as fast as possible. When Jack and Wynn hear a couple arguing near the riverbank, they decide to turn around to warn them about the fire, but are unable to locate the pair. The next day, they see a man, alone, on the river. Could this be the same man? And if it is, where is the woman?

This is a hard book to categorize. There are the rare mystery elements (where is the woman?). There are some action scenes (the approaching fire, some confrontations with other travelers). But really this book is mostly just a relatively uneventful canoe trip down a river - slow, but beautiful. The writing in this book is wonderfully evocative, and I could picture myself on the river with the boys. But I’d you’re looking for a lot of plot, this is not the story for you.

I don’t want to dissuade anyone from reading this book; I actually did like it. The few really action-packed, dramatic moments were really tense reading, and (as mentioned before), this author really has a way with words. Also, the characters of Jack and Wynn were really well-written, and I enjoyed spending the book with them. 

I worry that the summary for this book makes it sound a little more of a thriller than it actually is, but it’s hard to describe it otherwise. If I had to compare it to anything, it would actually probably be Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (although it’s been many years since I’ve read that, and it might have more action in it than I’m remembering). This book is about two friends traveling on a river in a remote location, just being friends, and then throw in a natural disaster and a few questionable passers-by for the occasional dramatic moment.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, even though it wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s definitely a book that you need to be in a certain frame of mind to read. Not for everyone. But if you love reading books about the outdoors and getting back to nature, you’ll really like this one.

Audiobook note: The narrator sounds like Robert Redford.

Rating: 3 stars

Trigger warning: drowning (off page), death of a parent, murder, attempted rape