Once Upon a River

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Average customer rating 4.7 (7 comments)

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Bonnie hit it out of the park, and deserves all the love she's getting. Couldn't have happened to a nicer gal.

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Margo Crane is one of the most mesmerizing and memorable heroines in years, a free spirit who is nonetheless acutely aware of the realities of being a young woman trying to live life on her terms. Campbell's lyrical prose captures the rhythms of the Stark River for which the novel is named and carries readers to the story's satisfying conclusion.

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hands down, my favorite read of 2011.

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Bonnie Jo Campbell is on a roll. Her writing style is compelling and lyrical.

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The untalkative Margo Crane makes her way along the world of the Stark River (the Kalamazoo River) to avoid and avenge and discover. If you overlook Margo you overlook a journey upon a river. Even once, you've lost your chance.

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ONCE UPON A RIVER by Bonnie Jo Campbell begins with description of the natural surroundings in the rural Michigan area where the story takes place and Margo Crane’s interaction with them. Margo is a teenager. The book continues with Margo’s story. • She’s gorgeous. • She doesn’t talk much. • She is exceptionally good with a gun. • Her grandfather Murray had one of his children, her father, out of wedlock. His other son, Cal, and Cal’s family live right across the Snake River from her family. • She has a beautiful mother who hated the life in rural Michigan so took off, promising to return for Margo, except she didn’t. • Margo lives with her very short father who did work at a metal shop and now works at a grocery store for much less money. That Margo is gorgeous turns out to be a problem. While most would count this as a lucky asset, in her case, it just means trouble. That’s because, in this book, too many grown men in rural Michigan can’t keep their hands off beautiful teenage girls. And Margo says nothing. Her father (who Margo thinks of as Crane, their last name) wants to go to the police in one instance, but she will say nothing. And she continues to say nothing when she should be speaking up, maybe yelling, kicking, and screaming, throughout the book. Many writers use this device, but it is not a good sign. That is, when a character is wronged but refuses to talk about it or defend herself, it seems that the author couldn’t think of a better reason for what happens next. Besides, this device is terribly frustrating and makes the story predictable. Other readers of ONCE UPON A RIVER post mostly praise for the book on the Internet. So I think it must be a good book for some. But it’s not for everyone. My trouble with this book is that it didn’t grab me. That’s because no character, Margo in particular, was given enough depth for me to care about her. If you think, as I do, that this style is more appropriate for a short story, then this book may not be for you.

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It is 1970s Michigan. When her father is killed, 16 year old Margo Crane loads a rowboat with supplies, along with her rifle, and sets off in search of her mother. Margo doesn’t consider this dangerous, as the river is her sanctuary, her salvation. She also has her favourite book, the book of her personal inspiration: Annie Oakley. This river journey through Michigan becomes one of self exploration and self discovery. It is a defining journey for Margo. She will meet with many hardscrabble people, and encounter experiences beyond the normal for a 16 year old girl. But Margo is not the normal 16 year old. Once again, Bonnie Jo Campbell has written a unique book, filled with characters and situations that life is really made of. It is intense, even harsh at times. This book will take you on quite a ride!