The blog
May 18, 2025
Go as a River: A Fierce and Beautiful Story of Love, Land, and Longing in Colorado
Jessica’s Bookshelf – Go as a River by Shelley Read
Title: Go as a River
Author: Shelley Read
Genre: Historical Fiction / Coming-of-Age
✍️ Synopsis of Go as a River:
Set in post-WWII Colorado, Go as a River follows Victoria Nash, a young girl whose life is shaped by tragedy, first love, and the untamable forces of nature and fate. Living on a peach farm in the small town of Iola, Vic’s world is turned upside down when she meets a drifter named Wilson Moon—a moment that triggers a series of events leading her to confront profound loss, the harshness of isolation, and the quiet power of resilience. As the Gunnison River slowly drowns her hometown, Vic must decide how to shape the future from what remains.
(The fictional town of Iola has real historical roots—read more about it here.)
👍🏻 What I Liked:
The sense of place in this novel is stunning. Shelley Read paints the Colorado landscape with aching beauty—if you’ve spent any time in the Rockies or along a mountain stream, this book will feel like home. I loved Vic’s quiet strength. She’s not flashy or loud, but she endures. She listens to the land. She adapts. The metaphor of the river—sometimes still, sometimes raging—was woven throughout in a way that felt natural and deeply symbolic.
I also appreciated how this novel doesn’t shy away from grief or complexity. It lets us sit with the quiet in-between places. Vic’s story doesn’t offer tidy resolutions, but it offers truth—and a kind of hope that feels earned.
👎🏻 What I Didn’t Like:
There were moments when the pacing lagged, especially in the middle chapters. The book is meditative, which I liked, but if you’re expecting plot twists or high drama, this might feel slow. And while the love story is poignant, some readers might find it underdeveloped compared to Vic’s relationship with the land and her internal growth.
🤔 Meaningful Quote:
“To go as a river means to be carried by something greater than yourself, but to still keep moving, carving your place through the world.”
And another one I loved:
“In the end, it is not the storm that breaks you, but the forgetting of how to bend.”
⭐️ Rating:
4.5 Stars
⚡️Would I Recommend Go as a River?
Absolutely—especially for readers who love introspective, place-based stories in the vein of Where the Crawdads Sing or The Four Winds. This book has that same quiet strength and will resonate with anyone who has ever felt deeply tied to the land or shaped by silence.
(If you loved the poetic tone and connection to the land in Braiding Sweetgrass, this novel will speak to you too.)
🔗 Want More?
✨ Learn more about Shelley Read in this fun Q & A with Shelley Read
✨ See what else I’ve been reading on Jessica’s Bookshelf
If you’ve read Go as a River by Shelley Read , I’d love to hear what you thought! Did it leave you craving an adventure… or just a perfectly brewed cup of tea?
Next on My Reading List:
The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
Sincerely,
Jessica
