Follow the River by JAMES ALEXANDER Thom
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Book Reviews of Follow the River
Book Review: PIONEER ADVENTURE at it's best !
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved this book! I love any story that is about pioneer life and this one takes the cake. One thing I really appreciated was the way the author let you experience all the awful things this woman endured, but there was still a positive thread throughout. For example, when he tells of the Indian Massacre in the beginning of the story, he describes in detail all the horrible things they did to the settlers and I felt myself "in" the story, yet I was not traumatized. Usually if I read of humans being tortured or murdered at the hands of other humans, I am haunted for days with a sick feeling in my stomach. But somehow James Alexander Thom was able to keep my hope in humanity in tact.
He told of how Mary (the main character) witnessed her sister-in-law being badly injured and tortured by the braves but then 2 minutes later when they held a knife to Mary's throat, she could hear her sister-in-law praying for her --praying for God to spare her life-- and she was moved at her sister-in-law's love for her. That love carried her through that horrible experience. I thought that was such an uplifting thing to share in a story that would normally be discouraging.
He portrayed Mary talking to herself in a positive way to encourage herself to keep travelling toward home no matter how tired and hungry she was. I think reading about her actually caused me to grow in my own life. She was so strong and I want to be more like that.
Book Review: Gripping
Summary: 5 Stars
Thom has fictionalized a true story with such powerful description that one forgets the fact that most of the details are imagined. They are, however, totally believable, and even though the reader knows the ending (she finally makes it home), the book is difficult to put down. Every footstep of the journey is vivid. The author also manages to portray the Indians as human beings in spite of the gory details of the massacre. Mary Ingles was a fourth great-grandmother of a friend of mine, and this makes the book more immediate for me. My own great-great grandfather was survivor of a Shawnee massacre in the same area 20 years later. I am astounded at the courage and endurance of these brave people who were our forebears. As a writer, I was amazed at how many different ways Thom describes weather, terrain, pain, and terror. Mary's decision to give up her baby to the Indian girl was a selfless, practical act, and her mental and emotional strength kept her from descending into a morass of romantic, sentimental, blubbering guilt. This book should be required in American history courses as adjunct reading material. It tells us what a history book cannot--the human side of the early development of this country.Book Review: This is the best book I have ever read!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
One of my best friends gave me this book to read several years ago, I loved to read but never allowed myself the time to do so. She told me I'd love the book but also advised the book had to be read by the end of the summer as she had checked it out of the school library and it was due back when school started. I thought what a challenge this would be for me to complete this book in a couple of months. Once I started I never stopped. I loved it!! It was the first book that ever enabled me to really vision just what the main characters were seeing and feeling. A month or so later I found myself in the southern part of WV near the New River (I lived in WV at the time) and saw the immense beauty of that part of the state as discribed by the author. It was late summer or early fall and the mountains were spectacular. They were just as discribed by Mary. Needless to say I finished the book in plenty of time and have been reading non stop ever since. I think of this book often and tell people about it all the time. I'd like to see any of us modern day folk follow in Mary Ingles footsteps, I dare say we'd never survive. You really walk away with a different outlook on life after reading this!Book Review: In my "Top 3" of best books I've ever read...
Summary: 5 Stars
Right next to "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell and "Oh Kentucky!" by Betty Layman Receveur. However this book holds a place of distinction because Mary Ingles was a real person and the story is based on the true, historical account of her escape from indian captivity to find her way back home to the arms of her husband.
The story follows her trek down the entire course of the Ohio river and her amazing tale of survival. It's truly one of the most amazing stories I've ever read. I've read this book at least three times now and the cover is falling off. I would buy it again and I would definitely read it again.
As has already been said, 'Follow The River' should be required reading in schools. I had a history teacher in high school promise extra credit to whomever read it. I grudgingly bought the book...and was surprised to fall in love with it. It made history come alive for me and I couldn't put it down.
For other fans of this book, I'd also recommend 'Oh Kentucky' by Betty Layman Receveur...(the only thing not real in this book are the main characters, the rest is based on true, historical events).
Book Review: My absolute favorite among all historical fiction titles.
Summary: 5 Stars
The historical figure in Thom's book could not swim when she escaped from her Shawnee captors with the determination to return home. Yet she forded rivers and streams, surviving in the wild by sheer determination. In this book you don't just read about the experiences of this remarkably brave woman. Through James Alexander Thom's skill as a writer you plumb the depths of her loneliness and your gut knots tight with her fear. In preparing to write this great book, James Thom hiked the actual trail followed by the pioneer women who became the leading figure of his novel. Most amazingly, when he has led you through the trauma of his horoine's remarkable trek home, he tells you what details she actually lived and which events he fabricated for your benefit as a reader. When I realized what he was doing, I was sure it would ruin my perception of the work. Instead, it deepened my appreciation for the book, its author, and the amazing woman he portrayed. I recommend Follow the River for EVERY reader--but especially for those who are taking their first taste of historical fiction.