In the Heart of the Canyon

A rafting trip down the Colorado River unites an unlikely group of people, and their adventure only gets wilder when a stray dog appears. When their luck turns bad, trip leader J.T. and his motley group must seize what joy they can as they paddle through the Grand Canyon despite injuries, arguments, and surprises. Mark Deakins performs with confidence and competence, making a mildly interesting novel one that is difficult to shut off once the myriad characters take form. Cassandra Campbell's role is smaller, but she too is part of the production's appeal. Even when the tension increases, the narrators remain consistent. Filled with appreciation for nature's beauty and peppered with incidents that demonstrate human foibles, CANYON is worth the ride. L.B.F. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Starred review from April 20, 2009
A group of strangers converges for a rafting trip in Hyde's fifth novel, an astute, engrossing character-driven affair. Assembled for guide JT Maroney's 125th excursion down the Colorado River are Peter, a Cincinnati 20-something; Harvard professor Evelyn; the Compsons, a family of four from Salt Lake City; and three couples: the Frankels, seasoned rafters in their 70s; mother and daughter Susan and Amy Van Doren; and the Boyer-Brandts, both 60-ish. After a cursory safety orientation, personalities emerge: Evelyn is nursing a broken heart; Peter is desperate to hook up with assistant guide Dixie; Ruth Frankel frets over her forgetful husband, Lloyd; and Susan battles inner demons and her overweight daughter, Amy (whose diary entries are interwoven). A stray dog joins the gang as bouts with heatstroke, festering open wounds and capsizing boats threaten to sabotage the adventure, though these seem tame compared to the surprise that hits downriver. The novel succeeds as both a study of strangers striving toward a common goal and as a suspenseful drama filled with angst and humanity. Hyde outshines herself with this wild ride.