A very welcome return to Dalton…
It’s been five years since Bridget Theroux’s death shocked the small town of Dalton, Maine, leaving behind husband Nate and daughter Sophie, now a vibrant young child. Nate doesn’t always know how to answer her questions, but he is intent on raising her with joy — and shielding her from her grandmother, Annette, who remains dangerously locked away in her grief.
After his first year away at college, Greg Fortin is back in town for the summer to work at the family store. It’s expected he’ll take over the hardware business eventually, but finding the words to tell them no — and the truth about who he is — has become his own Everest. Rose’s abusive ex, Tommy finally disappeared a few years ago, though sometimes his presence in the eyes of her oldest son unnerves her. She and Nate are finding themselves drawn together by their children’s playdates, and into a delicate balance between friendship and the possibility of more.
And Trudy and Bev, always so sure of their love for each other, find themselves rocked when Trudy’s husband Richard suffers a heart attack, bringing into focus all the guilt she has felt about their empty marriage for years.
Shannon Bowring demonstrates once again that she understands exactly where the heart of a story lies. Where the Forest Meets the River is a poignant return to the small town of Dalton, whose inhabitants continue to startle and humble both themselves — and us.
This is the second novel by Shannon Bowring set in 1990s Dalton, Maine. I loved the author’s debut, The Road to Dalton, and have been eagerly anticipating the author’s follow-up. The publisher was kind enough to send me an ARC, and I dove right in. I’m happy to report that Where the Forest Meets the River is another excellent novel from an author whose books have very quickly become a must-read for me.
Where the Forest Meets the River takes place five years after the events of the first book, and picks up the stories of many of the same characters. We learn how they have navigated various losses and struggles, coming to grips with the tragic event at the end of The Road to Dalton. Not everyone has weathered the years as well as others, and additional events have upset the balance in many of their lives. For example: Richard, Dalton’s doctor, suffers a heart attack that causes a fair amount of change for the town and its inhabitants — from his wife, Trudy who is in an accepted, but unspoken-of relationship with Bev; to Vera who returns to help out in the clinic.
As in the first book, I found Greg’s story to be one of the most engaging (very hard to pick a favourite character, though). He’s back from college for the summer, begrudgingly helping out at his father’s hardware store. All he wants to do, though, is become a horticulturalist, and during the summer work with Trudy in her garden. (They have a great friendship, and she offers him support in far more than just his professional interests.) Greg is quietly balancing parental expectations and his own dreams, while simultaneously getting to grips with himself. He’s changed quite a bit since the first book, but remains a thoughtful and compassionate young man.
Bridget’s death still casts a heavy pall over a handful of Dalton’s residents. Nate is still trying to figure out how to be a single parent to Sophie, who is now old enough to ask questions about her mother. He also quit the police force, and is now working for Marshall, Bridget’s father, at the mill. Questions that he feels utterly unprepared to answer. He and Rose, whose abusive husband Nate battered in the previous book, are also starting to grow — tentatively — closer. Meanwhile, Annette, Bridget’s mother has spiralled out of control, becoming a retail addict and shut-in. Nate and Marshall manage to develop more of a relationship, though, repairing some of the long-standing tension between them, and ensuring that Sophie has a relationship with her grandfather. Ultimately, Annette’s condition will lead to big changes for Marshall’s business, and therefore also the town.
Overall, Where the Forest Meets the River is another engaging and moving story of small town life and the people who make up its community. It is generous, kind, and nuanced. Once again, Bowring’s prose is excellent, and brings the town and its residents to life on the page.
Very highly recommended. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
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Shannon Bowring’s Where the Forest Meets the River is due to be published by Europa Editions in North America and in the UK, on September 3rd.
Also on CR: Review of The Road to Dalton
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Review copy received from publisher