The River by Peter Heller

THE RIVER by Peter Heller is an engrossing adventure story that I read in a day.  Two college friends, Jack and Wynn, are enjoying the canoe trip (on the Maskwa River near Hudson Bay) that they have spent so long planning when things begin to go wrong. First, there’s a major forest fire that seems to be heading their way and then, there’s the two voices (a man’s and a woman’s) they hear arguing in the heavy fog.  This story has plenty of action, mystery and struggle for survival, but what makes it so special is Heller’s descriptions of the characters and of the natural beauty around them. For example, he says, “berry picking was like throwing a Frisbee around, or taking a walk up the orchard road, or jumping into the lake and then lying on the sun-warmed stones. It was an achievement-free zone which Wynn was coming to realize is where most of his joy happened.” 

Jack grew up with his Dad on a ranch in Colorado whereas Wynn’s family lives in Vermont.  Both young men are experienced wilderness instructors who love to fish, camp and simply marvel at nature; they trust each other implicitly. Yet, Jack has a more cynical, pragmatic side while “Wynn would bet all his chips on goodness. … Like the fish who had no idea what water was: Wynn swam in it.  The universe cradled him, it cradled all beings, … step back far enough and take the long view and everything would take care of itself.” Despite the danger and increasing tension, this trip allows them to reflect: “if one concentrated on one thing and then another – the good things in each moment – the fear wrapped deep in the gut seemed to unswell, like an iced bruise. Still there, but quieter.” THE RIVER received starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal and was chosen as a March LibraryReads selection.  Highly recommended.

On a related note and for a real-life wilderness adventure, complete with a “streak of serendipitous problem-solving,” see “It was just a Kayaking Trip. Until it Upended Our Lives” from The New York Times.