Episode 41: [BOOK CLUB] Discussing Go As A River by Shelley Read

Our Book Club selection for the month of August was Go As A River by Shelley Read and we’re talking about it in this week’s podcast. There is so much packed into this novel that is both enjoyable for readers and for writers. We balance our discussion this week with insights for both, but definitely lean into what we learned as writers. We’re not putting all of the details in the newsletter because we, of course, want you to go listen for yourself, but we’ll share a brief overview of what we touched upon and hope that, if you haven’t already, you’ll add this book to your list. For writers, we talk about the brilliant flow of adding backstory in scenes where the main character, Victoria, touches an object, such as her father’s rifle, and it brings up a memory that gives us insight into her experience and her family’s history. It’s an approach that is both reflective of the human experience, because we all have stories to tell about objects in our homes, but also lends itself to a seamless flow of language that doesn’t disrupt the story. There’s poetic language that you can find on just about every page of the book. It creates a rhythm to the story that is very engaging. It’s a great reminder of how poetry is a resource for writers of all genres to explore the precision and beauty of language. We also touch upon character development, the 3 Act structure, writing about a place, and how this novel, while fiction, can also help memoir writers. For readers, we discussed how the book just kept getting better and better with each turn of the page. In a workshop we attended led by the author, Shelley Read, she talked about how as she’s traveled the world now on her book tour that so many readers have come up to her to gush about how well she creates the feeling of belonging to a place. It creates a connection between people because we all have places in our lives that touch our heart, and this book accomplishes that for readers. Also, there’s a main character that you’re rooting for from start to finish as you read. It’s what readers expect. They want to have a main character they believe in and read about their transformation. It definitely happens when you read this book.

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Transcript

Elizabeth: 0:01

Welcome back listeners. Thank you for joining us for our August book club book. Um, I didn't know that it was going to be so timely. We really didn't piece that together with the whole peach season and this book, Go as a River, really featuring, you know, that, that concept of the peach and the peach farm and that transition and this massive change in the main character's world and everything revolving around peaches. So I loved it personally and being able to read this book while enjoying like all the fresh like palisade peaches here in Colorado. And I hope that as you read along with us that you also got to enjoy some of that as well. This is the debut, um, work of Shelly Reed and Stephanie and I had the privilege of getting to hear her speak at the Mountain Words Festival in Crested Butte back in May and that was part of our, our reason for, for choosing this book for this book club month. And also we have some insights from things that she shared with us from in panels and such that we're gonna like add into our discussion today that I think will provide even more fun discussion or insight. into the story. Um, this book, uh, she spent 10 years working on it, you know, on and off in those early years. And, you know, this character came to her when she was out on a hike high up in the mountains. And she actually experienced that, um, that moment with the, the mother deer and that injured fawn that was falling behind the other. And she realized that she was seeing that moment Not through her eyes, but through a character's eyes. And that's where Victoria Nash was born. Um, so she shared that with us, um, during the conference. And you see that, that story come through when Victoria is up there at the cabin, getting ready to have her own child. So, um, this, this book has kind of taken off. Um, like we said, this is her debut work. And now it's. She had back in May been signing contracts for I think it was 37 different countries or languages or something like it's gone international. So, um, that's why we wanted. It's been some time kind of looking at this work, um, especially from a debut author. We put so much pressure on ourselves, you know, to write a great first book, but also get it out there quickly. And I, I think we'll see as we talk through this book, how taking the time that Shelly did to develop these characters has really served the story so well. Stephanie, what were some of your like, big takeaways or something that really stood out to you about this book as you were reading?

Stephanie: 3:01

There's so much to take away from this book as a writer, but I'll touch upon just two things that really stood out to me, and that is that in a workshop that Elizabeth and I attended with Shelley Reed, she talked about how influenced she was by poetry, and it really comes through in her writing. Um, it reminded me about the importance of the precision of language, and just using so many other sources of writing to help inspire your own writing. The other takeaway was what a great example this book is of the three act structure. The book is very distinctly divided into three acts and this came to mind especially because I was at the theater recently, and I was just thinking about Curtain Up, Curtain Down, and the way this book is divided into different parts, it has that same aspect to it. And so it's definitely one of those books that as I was reading, just when I thought it was good, it just kept getting better and better.

Elizabeth: 4:15

yeah, I think Shelley does such a great job of creating such a nuanced, you know, set of characters. Um, one of the things that really stood out to me because the previous book, um, just for the summer that we had read together, We had a lot of critiques around how drastic, you know, some of the character development was and some of the storyline, and we felt like it was really over the top in some ways. And once again, we, are introduced to a character that's got a lot of darkness and aspects of abuse in Victoria's Brother Seth. But what was so well crafted in this book, Shelley did such a great job of not just showing Seth's dark side, but also showing his good side. And really showing Victoria's struggle with, you know, knowing how much to give or not her, you know, understanding and empathy because he also lost his mom, just, you know, they lost their mom, they lost, they went through a lot of struggle together. And then ultimately when he shows back up. Even though he comes back and he's very apologetic and he's, you know, had a rough couple of years, you know, she still holds a firm boundary, but it's still done with a lot of empathy and love. And I just thought that, especially in contrast. To our last book, this aspect was handled so well, and I, I just have to wonder if that's simply because of the time and care taken in this writing process, the fact that it was such a much longer writing process, um, than what Abby's doing between her books, you know, that she really had taken the time. To finesse these characters. And I think that more subtle and nuanced approach is actually what made the characters feel more relatable and believable as, you know, real people.

Stephanie: 6:22

Yeah, so the emotions and actions of Victoria, not only with her brother, but in her interactions with others, were so well developed in this book. Victoria is a character that, as a reader, you're just rooting for her throughout the whole book, and you're finding that just as she is riding the waves of different struggles, that you're right there along with her, and you're just watching her. grow, change, and it's really such a reflection of the human experience. And from beginning to end, you really see the character arc of how she really does transform. And that's one of the things as a writer, that a reader is looking for when they're picking up a book, is they're really looking for that transformation in a character. And, And through Victoria, there's so many ways that as a reader, you're seeing her experiences test her spirit and delight her heart at other times. And really, you want a main character that keeps a reader turning the page and wanting to see how they're growing and changing.

Elizabeth: 7:36

I really enjoyed the way that, and took note of the way that. Shelly integrated in effective backstory and reflection within this book. Um, I, I noticed cause I just noticed patterns. I noticed that she would start with like a sentence or two that was related to some kind of sensory. Um, and then she would drift into the backstory. So I've got a couple of examples. Um, Victoria is, you know, brushing her horse Abel's coat. She's Remarking about the breathing and the soft coat. And in that moment, then she goes into the backstory of when Abel was born, you know, and so it's a very natural flowing, you know, slide back into the past. And then I've also got another section flagged where she's talking about her father's rifle. And so it starts the next morning, dawned gray and solemn, the colorless sunrise found me sipping coffee in the den kitchen. Daddy's rifle by my side. I hadn't touched the gun after he died or for years prior, not since he'd taken me shooting a dozen times when I was 13, lining up Coca Cola bottles along the back fence. And so then she goes into the, you know, her experience with shooting and how much she didn't like it. And we get to see a little bit in, in, informs us about aspects of her character without having to just blatantly say I like this, I don't like that. And it's also just a beautiful way to drift into the backstory. And so I made note of that because as I'm writing my memoir, there's going to be times when I'm going to need to put in some background information. And I felt like that using that Sensory or when she's hiking, um, she makes observations about the landscape and then she starts to reminisce about seeing those familiar forms on a previous hike with Will. And so that for me was like, Oh, let me make note of this because that's going to be helpful for me to figure out how I'm going to, you know, Integrate in backstory and still let it flow and not totally just jolt the reader Like I found myself surprised that suddenly I was getting backstory. I'm like, oh we just drifted in here It was just such an easy progression You know into that backstory as opposed to just a chunk of like, okay And here's the other things you need to know about this and one time I went this, you know Um, so I made special note of that because that's something that I plan to utilize You When I need to integrate some backstory into my writing

Stephanie: 10:15

So yeah, writing backstory without burdening, burdening the reader with endless paragraphs of information is also so important in fiction. You're so right that Shelley's use of an important object such as her father's rifle, led to details about the character's history that we might not have already known, and it was such a seamless way for her to integrate those details into the story. Another aspect of how well the story is being told, um, is with using these objects such as the rifle, because we all have moments or memories and things in our lives that, and in our homes, that, um, remind us of stories and that's such a integral part of the human experience and it always allows us to connect with people and in this way the author is using these different moments of the character remembering to allow us to connect more deeply and Shelley does create such a seamless flow in this novel of giving the readers details without it taking away from the story. And a lot of this is also created through the poetic use of language that just creates such a rhythm to the story. And I also love how in our own language, as we're talking about this, that we're connecting so much to the title and this whole imagery of the river and the flowing. And there are different obstacles that of course we encounter in life. And it's the same way of thinking about a river and how it flows. And it, it's up and around rocks and, you know, around curves and bends. And, uh, sometimes it's flowing peacefully and other times it's tumultuous and it really is also. reflective of aspects of the novel. There are both times where, you know, it's very peaceful and carefree and lighthearted. And then other times it does get kind of intense and there's a lot of energy and activity, very much like the flow of a river. So I love how, just even in the way we're talking about the book, that there's the connection to the symbolism of the river in the novel.

Elizabeth: 12:42

I loved the exploration of the diverse paths to motherhood um, or you know Battles with motherhood that we see with the three female characters and we know from you know talking with shelly that Originally when this book was picked up when she got her agent It was a more equal telling of Victoria, Zelda, and Inga's stories and their motherhood journeys. And it was only in the editing process that it was shifted more towards, or largely, to Victoria's story and her being the central main character, with Zelda and Inga being sort of supporting characters. Um, but I loved the diverse, You know, views on motherhood and how, you know, we got, we get to see it through three very distinct lenses, um, and, and how each of those women wrestle with their identity of being a mother. when they do or do not have the children that they've wished for and dreamed of. And I thought that was just a really powerful, almost like subplot of this, this story. And I also think it was really crafty the way that Shelly then took Inga's story and gave it to us in this letter form. Cause obviously she had to edit, you know, and make changes. And so we, she didn't get to tell the reader, you know, um, This background about this character through a traditional narrative, but I think that was genius to have Inga's story be told through these letters to Victoria. And so for me as a memoir writer, I was really drawn into like the aspects of storytelling. And I wrote down a quote when Victoria is trying to decide whether or she's speaking about Sharing her story with Zelda and actually finally telling this friend of hers about this baby that she had and this, this lover that she had, and, and now how she wrestles with that. And she said, reliving it all in detail was more difficult and exhausting and in many ways more lovely than I anticipated. And like that sentence just struck me because I, I don't know a better way to explain what. writing memoir as like and what exploring your story as like other than that. It's way more difficult and exhausting than you could ever imagine. And things will come up that will really surprise you. But there's also so much benefit and beauty to exploring those stories, you know, even just for yourself. And then also when Inga starts her letters, she, she has a little paragraph. And she says, Forest Mother, this is my story, an attempt anyway. I thought I wrote this for myself, to try to make sense of it all, and to remember. But the hole in this story has always been you here. I finally tell you all you need to know. And for me, that just shows like that, that deeper need to then share that story. Like a lot of us start by just wanting to write down things. So we remember them, we journal or whatever. to untangle our feelings or to notice patterns in our thoughts. And that's super helpful. But then sometimes you also reach a place with your writing where you realize that there's some added value here and actually not keeping this story to yourself and that there may be other people that could benefit from hearing your story. And so the way that like sharing of story, especially very personal. Um, difficult moments is done in this book, I think is just It's really beautiful and and I just thought it I found it to be a great Representation of what writing and sharing your story is like.

Stephanie: 16:57

Yeah, there's definitely no doubt that every mother has their story. And this book very thoughtfully presents the different journeys of what that can mean. And especially from a historical standpoint, because the novel spans the time frame of 1948 to 1971, and how women's roles were viewed during that time, and how Victoria shakes up what people might expect, and you experience her strength and her growth. And her story is unique as are the stories of Inga and Zelda. And it really allows for that uniqueness of story. And I think oftentimes as moms, we sometimes struggle with what our story looks like in relation to others. And this book really holds true to, you know, some of the angst and, uh, overwhelm and, uh, Victoria has to give up. Her son, or at least she chooses to give him up because she doesn't feel that she's in a position as she's called the forest mother by Inga later, because of her circumstances, she isn't sure that she can care for her son in the manner that he should be cared for. And so she makes the decision to leave him on the car seat of Inga's car. And it's a very tough decision. And. We all know that as moms, um, and parents and caregivers, and there's so many times in life when you have to make those tough decisions. And the author does such a beautiful job of sharing that story and then later, uh, as you talked about with Inga's letters, there's the creative, it's such a creative strategy by the author of bringing in another perspective and experience through the use of letters, which, Almost to me felt like a long form poem. There's a rhythm to them. There's the story and it's a way that didn't take away from the flow of the overall novel. So a really creative strategy as a writer to include that. And it really allowed for more story to be included without creating such a burden on the reader of too much backstory. It was a creative way to tell the story of Victoria's son. and allow her to also feel a connection to someone else. And we all know that letters connect people and especially during that time in history. And it's really a very wonderful way that the author allows for the story to be told.

Elizabeth: 19:50

Mm hmm. I also love It stood out to me That in writing her story Inga also gained the courage to get a divorce. Um, because I really do think that the, the courage it takes to write your story does turn into courage to do other really hard things. Like you start to really recognize your own strength and your own power and the ways that maybe that you've given that power away. Um, at times in the past and I thought it was just, I mean, I definitely related because of my own experience. Um, but that stood out to me too, is like in writing down this story for this, you know, unknown forest mother, which was Victoria, you know, she actually recognizes and gets the courage to then leave that relationship, that marriage. That was, you know, Not supportive of her and not great for her boys. And, um, that was another thing that really stood out to me. The other thing that I know Shelley was really big on, and it definitely comes through in this, in this novel, is the concept of belonging to a place. Now, most of this, the broader picture in the historical piece is that there's this little town of Iola, and there's going to be a creation of a dam, which is essentially going to flood out this town and other small neighboring towns to create this big reservoir that currently resides and is in Gunnison. Colorado and this is this is true. This is the part that's like historical Um truth and while there's not a lot um of research that was remaining or available at the time Um that concept is is what this is based on in that time frame. And so this is a whole That is getting displaced and in our world today, that's very relevant, you know, subject matter of people losing their homes, whether it's war, famine, um, weather related events that, you know, take out whole communities and so I thought it was really important to talk about that. Really interesting the way Shelly tied these characters so closely to their, their sense of belonging to a place and even those characters that didn't settle in a place or have a place like Victoria's son, Lucas, not knowing where he's from, not understanding, you know, his, his identity. His place in the world, you know, you, you really see the value of belonging to an actual like geographic location and, and all the culture that comes with that. And I thought that that was You know a really poignant discussion of a place and you see it with victoria in her efforts Great efforts to bring her orchard with her when she needs to leave iola She's sold the property. She knows it's going to be flooded and these hundred year old peach trees are going to just be You know, be swept under the waters. And so then she, she goes through great lengths to be able to take those with her and find new property and rehab them and move them and, and regenerate them because it, that idea of place is just so important and ingrained.

Stephanie: 23:26

I definitely also appreciate how the author creates such a great sense of place in this book, especially through the peaches and Victoria's family history with the peach farm and how ultimately she's put in a position where she has to make the decision to move the farm because of course her town is going to be washed away and you don't know that this is happening until the Very towards the very end of the book and you don't see it coming at all. So definitely a spoiler here. Um, and'cause at the beginning you're very swept up in Victoria's youthful teenage love with Wilson Moon. And then there's some tragedy that happens with that and the peaches. are such an integral part of her identity and we can all relate to that because there's certain things in our life that definitely represent who we are and she is so solidly connected to the peaches and there's this aspect of her nurturing the sprouts and she has to go through several seasons of nurturing them because they're not quite ready to bloom because they have to adjust to their new environment and it very much parallels Her own journey as she creates a new space for herself and the new land and just creating that along with navigating the story around her connection with her son and eventually there is a connection at the end and it's very short and very brief and leaves you hanging. But you also have this sense of the story coming full circle because of. the way that, as we've already talked about, she so creatively weaves in Inga's letters that tell the story of the sun. And so it's very well done in the sense that you're not left with then being led into a whole thing where you have to relive the past. the story again through the son's eyes. And so it's very well done. And there's just this real fullness that you feel as a reader, uh, that Victoria's sense of place and belonging is so profoundly connected to her experiences. And there's a quote, um, let me find it here, uh, in the book. The book that comes right at the beginning that I love, uh, about this whole sense of belonging and it says, Imagine a town, silent, forgotten, decomposing at the bottom of a lake that once was a river. If this makes you wonder whether the joys and pain of a place wash away as the floodwaters rise and swallow. I can tell you they do not. The landscapes of our youths create us and we carry them within us, storied by all they gave and stole in who we become. And so, this very profound sense of place and you can even tell in that language there is such poetry in how that is shared and that's such a beautiful aspect of so much of the novel as you read.

Elizabeth: 27:01

Absolutely. Well, I think we can safely say that Stephanie and I give this book two thumbs up. We highly recommend this book. Um, we enjoyed our experience in reading it Our book for the next month is going to be green lights. Um, this is the memoir from matthew mcconaughey i'm Probably like I don't know two thirds of the way through it I'm listening to it, um on audiobook because I enjoy his accent and so i'm hearing him read read the book Um, so I think this will be a nice, you know change of pace Um, and I will say like most of it at least the portions i've heard so far are All of his younger years, like it's pre, you know, Hollywood and stuff. And I think that's a really cool, um, insights to have of, you know, what this person that we view as like famous and popular and well known, like who were they before all that? Um, so I hope you'll join us for the next month, read along and, and join in for this discussion. And, um, until next time, happy writing.