Rapids

March 27, 2006
Parks, whose Europa
was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, sets his highly engrossing novel on a swollen, swift-moving river in the Italian Alps, where 13 Brits from a London kayak club have come to run the rapids. Vince, a timid, middle-aged banker, recently widowed, serves as the story's center and worries that he won't be able to keep up with the group. He has good reason: Clive, the guide, is a fierce environmentalist and veteran of antiglobalization demonstrations whose frustration with peaceful protests coupled with his shock over the death of two fellow demonstrators leads him to consider—with ominous undertones—doing "something bigger" for the cause. In Clive's wake is Michela, a young Italian whose clinging, worshipful love of Clive renders her increasingly unstable as the trip progresses. Parks keeps the kayaking scenes lively, and he nails the strange hierarchical culture of group trips—and their possibility for implosion. It's part of what transforms Vince, who begins by ruminating over his wife's cryptic last words ("I'm so, so sorry"), but who, over the course of the trip, loses himself in the immediacy of the rushing river, and in Michela, with whom he forges a peculiar bond. It's an urgent, thoughtful and convincing portrayal.

May 1, 2006
On the surface, this latest novel from Parks ("Destiny") tells the story of a group of kayaking enthusiasts learning how to hold their own in the white water of the Italian Alps. In fact, this novel is about the inner struggles of three of these characters: Clive, the rugged instructor who yearns to change the world; Michela, his loyal girlfriend, whose deepest wish is to leave Italy; and Vince, a high-powered British banker who is literally and figuratively drowning in the aftermath of his wife -s death. On a more philosophical level, Parks also examines the nature of extreme sports and those who participate in them. Parks -s writing style perfectly matches his subject matter. It ebbs and flows like a river, twisting and turning like the rapids. Eschewing quotation marks, his dialog flows into the narrative as seamlessly as a creek meeting a river. While some readers may become alienated by the incessant jargon, kayakers and canoeists will love this book precisely because of Parks -s intimate knowledge of the sport. Recommended for large fiction collections." -Karen Walton Morse, Univ. at Buffalo Lib., NY"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2006
Set against the backdrop of nature, global warming, and middle-age crises, 15 members of a kayaking club from Britain descend upon the Italian Alps to test their mettle on the white waters of the torrential River Aurino. Clive, the strong and stoic leader of the expedition, along with Michela, his Italian partner, are fresh from protesting globalism in Milan. Vince, a recently widowed banker--whose late wife was formerly active in the group--along with his daughter, joins the group and immediately must confront his own fears, insecurities, and shortcomings, as well as his role in Third World debt and climate change. The rapids are definitely not for beginners. The summer heat has accelerated the melt-off of the glaciers, increasing the volatility of the water, and an unusual number of mishaps result. An infatuation with kayak-savvy but emotionally unstable Michela forces Vince to reappraise his marriage, his career, and his worldview. Parks, author of " Europa "(1998), shortlisted for the Booker, expertly captures group social dynamics and the Alpine locale, all while maintaining an ongoing sense of environmental calamity. An adrenaline-filled cautionary tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)