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Taneumcg, September 20, 2011 (view all comments by Taneumcg)
"River House: A Memoir" is a lively bright view of present day life in central Oregon, touched with a breath of air from other continents. The mixture is refreshing and thoughtful. Sarahlee shares a slice of experience with us, as she takes on building her new home with her father. I enjoyed the book.
Diane Prokop, January 3, 2011 (view all comments by Diane Prokop)
Sarahlee Lawrence is a master storyteller. In her memoir, River House, she channels the frontier spirit of Willa Cather and recalls the high seas exploits of Jack London. Her story is both riveting and heart wrenching as she seeks to find herself, first by riding the white water of some of the world's most deadly rivers and then amongst her family in the backbreaking work of building her home with her own hands in the harsh winter weather of Eastern Oregon. The hardships and hardscrabble living of farm life reminds this reader of the Joads of The Grapes of Wrath. Her family, especially her father, is the puzzle she tries to parse for clues to finding meaning in her life. It's a literary page turner and we will hopefully hear much more from this bright, new voice.
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Product details
200 pages
Tin House Books -
English9780982569139
Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"Determined to leave her home in the high desert of Oregon, Lawrence departed at an early age to work as a river guide running some of the world's wildest ribbons of water. Though beguiled by her worldwide fresh-water exploits, Lawrence found herself longing for the arid environment of her upbringing while sitting in a rain-soaked tent in a South American jungle. 'For the first time, I wanted to go back. I was ready to explore my own place for once, to live and work each season in an ecosystem as familiar as Sunday breakfast.' Lawrence explores the deep bond she shares with her troublesome yet lovable father as together they build the house of her dreams on the family ranch. She chronicles her deep connection to the dry, beautiful landscape of eastern Oregon. With her keen eye and talent for writing about the natural world, Lawrence pays homage to the American West, capturing the changes washing over her rural hometown as it transitions to a playground for the vacationing rich. Lawrence is one of those remarkable young women spawned by the American West who are adept at running wild rivers, operating heavy equipment, and building a log home, all evocatively told in this informative book. (Oct.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)
"Review A Day"
by Matt Love, The Oregonian,
"After finishing Sarahlee Lawrence's astonishing debut River House, a memoir set primarily in central Oregon, I looked at my vast collection of books written about living in the Pacific Northwest. It suddenly occurred to me that I had just read an original story by a rocking new talent that signals a fresh approach to writing about the region and its inhabitants." (Read the entire Oregonian review)
"Synopsis"
by Perseus,
River House is one young woman's story about returning home to her family's ranch and, with the help of her father, building a log house on the property. Sarahlee Lawrence grew up in remote central Oregon and spent her days dreaming about leaving her small town for world adventures. An avid river rafter through adolescence, by the age of twenty-one, Lawrence had rafted some of the most dangerous rivers of the world as an accomplished river guide. But living her dream as guide and advocate, riding and cleaning the arteries of the world, led her back to the place she least expected — to her dusty beginnings and her family's home. River House is a beautiful story about a daughters return and her relationship with her father, whom she enlists to help brave the cold winter and build a log house by hand. Lawrence's father, landlocked on the ranch for decades, is a surfer who longs for the sea. Lawrence, a reformed river rat, has forsaken the water for a spell, determined to build a home. Together, they work through the harsh winter, father helping daughter every step of the way to achieve her dream. The surprise comes when Lawrence sees how she has helped him live his.
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