What the River Keeps

by

Cheryl Grey Bostrom

Damaged souls find healing much like the river valley where they live.

What the River Keeps by Cheryl Grey Bostrom is a complex and ultimately satisfying story of two damaged souls whose meeting sets them both on journeys of healing. Biologist Hildy Nybo leaves her life in Seattle and returns to her family’s fishing retreat in the Elwah Valley of the Pacific Northwest when her mother succumbs to early-onset dementia. She intends to oversee her mother’s care while taking a leading role in the ecological research needed prior to the removal of the two dams on the river, an overly ambitious plan from the get-go if you’ve ever been a caretaker for a loved one suffering from this horrible disease. 

Hildy is a wonderful underdog, scarred from a childhood of dealing with unexplainable misperceptions of her daily activities, the constant loss of random everyday objects, and later, the disappearance of her beloved father, the parent who had unconditionally accepted who she was and encouraged her love of nature and building things. The disconnect between what she thought she’d done during the day and what she was told she’d done had led her to some compulsive activities intended to ground her in the day and offer physical proof that what she remembered was true. However, these activities filled her small living spaces with collected objects that her older sister described as hoarding, and isolated Hildy from others, preventing her from building meaningful relationships. 

Luke Rimmer is a kind, nurturing man, recovering from his own tragedy. He sees similarities in his healing journey in Hildy and believes he can help, and soon develops deeper feelings for her. His love is not an easy path, as Hildy is so wounded by her past. His patience and faith are put to the test, but it is exactly what he and Hildy need. 

The details of Hildy and her team’s research in preparation for the dams coming down were fascinating and, at times, I just wanted to know more about their activities and observations. Their days in the field are both exciting and frustrating due to the uncooperative weather. The vivid descriptions of the natural areas created almost cinematic visuals and had me wanting to see these places for myself. 

The storytelling is compelling, and I read this book through in one evening, staying up late for the shocking resolution of the mysteries behind Hildy’s childhood experiences and missing father, with no regrets. I recommend WHAT THE RIVER KEEPS to readers of Christian fiction, domestic drama, and mystery. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through WOW! Women On Writing Book Tours.