Two Rivers

October 13, 2008
In this evocative novel of redemption, Greenwood (Undressing the Moon
) finds humanity and redemption in the life of a smalltown widower and his legacy of guilt. In 1980, 12 years after his involvement in the murder of a black man, railroad worker Harper Montgomery is still living under a cloud of guilt. Alternating between past and present, Harper's narrative reveals bit by bit the circumstances of the crime, as well as the long-devoted lover Harper was, and the caring father he's become. Harper's narrative makes a mystery of much: we know he participated in the murder, but not why. We know his wife died, but not how. Already struggling to raise his daughter, Shelly, further questions surround his decision to take in pregnant teen Maggie. As the past catches up the present, however, Harper's grave fears give way to unexpected and poignant developments. Greenwood is a writer of subtle strength, evoking smalltown life beautifully while spreading out the map of Harper's life, finding light in the darkest of stories.

December 15, 2008
Harper Montgomery, a young widower raising his daughter, Shelley, in the small Vermont town of Two Rivers in 1980, is still mourning the loss of his beloved wife, Betsy, in an accident 12 years before, when Shelley was just a baby. A train derailment leads Harper, who is a railroad worker, to rescuing a pregnant black teenager from the water. This sets in motion a complex tale of guilt, remorse, revenge, and forgiveness. Greenwood ("Undressing the Moon"; "Nearer the Sky") holds our attention by alternating the train wreck in 1980 with flashbacks from 1968 that set the scene for the following events. For an author too young to remember the 1960s, Greenwood is convincing in her portrayal of that turbulent decade, from the civil rights marches to the Vietnam War protests. By the conclusion of this interesting novel, she has deftly tied up all the loose ends. Recommended for most public libraries.Leslie Patterson, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence

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