Narrow River, Wide Sky: A Memoir

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Jenny Forrester’s memoir drew me in, then got under my skin, then filled me with sadness and life and joy. A beautiful book. Recommended By Doug C., Powells.com

Jenny Forrester's engrossing memoir Narrow River, Wide Sky is a coming-of-age tale that unfolds effortlessly. From her hard-scrabble childhood, through her turbulent teens, into her awakening young adulthood, Forrester's story covers poverty, politics, partnering, and more, against the backdrop of her evergrowing awareness of feminism. She chronicles her fraught relationships with her mother, her absent father, and her brother; the boys and men who take advantage; and the small-minded folks who make up her rural neighborhoods. Told in a straightforward voice, this memoir is a wise look at the way life shapes us, and how we can be redeemed by finding our own truth. Funny, poignant, beautiful, and raw, Forrester's memoir is a must-read addition to Pacific Northwest literature. Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com

A bleak, beautiful landscape, a small rural Colorado town, an enigmatic family. Jenny Forrester's memoir of growing up poor and resolute in America is, as the title suggests, both intimate and expansive. In gorgeous, elegant prose, she probes the complexities of relationships and uncovers the unending strengths of the human heart. Recommended By Gigi L., Powells.com

"Jenny Forrester has hit the mother lode." — Lidia Yuknavitch, Author of The Chronology of Water

"This is a voice of the American West." — Ariel Gore, Author of The End of Eve

On the Colorado Plateau among slot canyons and rattlesnakes, Jenny Forrester grew up with her mother and brother in a single-wide trailer proudly displaying an American flag. Forrester’s powerfully eloquent story reveals a rural small town comprising God-fearing Republicans, ranchers, Mormons, and Native Americans. With sensitivity and resilience, Forrester navigates feelings of isolation, an abusive boyfriend, sexual assault, and a failed college attempt to forge a separate identity. As young adults, after their mother’s accidental death, Forrester and her brother are left with an increasingly strained relationship that becomes a microcosm of America’s political landscape. Narrow River, Wide Sky is a breathtaking, determinedly truthful story about one woman’s search for identity within the mythology of family and America itself.

"The landscape and culture of west Colorado are vividly evoked in an accomplished literary debut. A modest, thoughtful memoir that traces hard-won liberation from the past." Kirkus Reviews

"A taut memoir about coming of age in the middle of nowhere where there are no minor decisions. Narrow River, Wide Sky is a haunting, intimate visit to the unforgiving landscape of life." Mark Russell, Author of God Is Disappointed in You and Apocrypha Now

"Forrester’s debut memoir is a lyrical account of coming of age as a woman in the West. Amid urgent geography, aching choices, and uncertain faith, Forrester explores the moments and forces that hold us together and shape our lives. This family flickers on the page like a constellation; Forrester is both a star unto herself and an inextricable part of the glowing whole." Megan Kruse, Author of Call Me Home

Jenny Forrester has been published in a number of print and online publications, including Seattle’s City Arts Magazine, Nailed Magazine, Hip Mama, The Literary Kitchen, Indiana Review, and Columbia Journal. Her work is included in the Listen to Your Mother anthology published by Putnam. She curates the Unchaste Readers Series.

When I wrote Narrow River, Wide Sky: A Memoir, I wanted to say everything to everyone I’ve ever loved about everything I’ve wanted to say, but elegantly, artfully, succinctly, and with few adverbs...

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