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The Day the Falls Stood Still

by Cathy Marie Buchanan (Goodreads Author)

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 2,801 ratings · 585 reviews

Tom Cole, the grandson of a legendary local hero, has inherited
an uncanny knack for reading the Niagara River's whims and
performing daring feats of rescue at the mighty falls. And like the tumultuous meeting of the cataract's waters with the rocks below, a chance encounter between Tom and 17-year-old Bess Heath has an explosive effect. When they first meet on a trolley p...more Tom Cole, the grandson of a legendary local hero, has inherited
an uncanny knack for reading the Niagara River's whims and
performing daring feats of rescue at the mighty falls. And like the tumultuous meeting of the cataract's waters with the rocks below, a chance encounter between Tom and 17-year-old Bess Heath has an explosive effect. When they first meet on a trolley platform, Bess immediately recognizes the chemistry between
them, and the feeling is mutual.

But the hopes of young love are constrained by the 1915 conventions of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Tom's working-class pedigree doesn't suit Bess's family, despite their recent fall from grace. Sacked from his position at a hydroelectric power company, Bess's father has taken to drink, forcing her mother to take in sewing for the society women who were once her peers. Bess pitches in as she pines for Tom, but at her young age, she's unable to fully realize how drastically her world is about to change.

Set against the resounding backdrop of the falls, Cathy Marie
Buchanan's carefully researched, capaciously imagined debut novel entwines the romantic trials of a young couple with the historical drama of the exploitation of the river's natural resources. The current of the river, like that of the human heart, is under threat: "Sometimes it seems like the river is being made into this measly thing," says Tom, bemoaning the shortsighted schemes of the power companies. "The river's been bound up with cables and concrete and steel, like a turkey at Christmastime."

Skillfully portraying individuals, families, a community, and an
environment imperiled by progress and the devastations of the
Great War, iThe Day the Falls Stood Still/i beautifully evokes the wild wonder of its setting, a wonder that always overcomes any attempt to tame it. But at the same time, Buchanan's tale never loses hold of the gripping emotions of Tom and Bess's intimate drama. The result is a transporting novel that captures both the majesty of nature and the mystery of love.(less)

Hardcover, 307 pages

Published August 25th 2009 by Voice (first published January 1st 2009)

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338th out of 1,225 books — 6,460 voters

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Community Reviews

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Sep 12, 2010 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: didn-t-finish, for-trade

I recieved this book as a review copy from the publicist. Started out very interesting, but I am putting it away halfway through. It was too depressing. A suicide, girl who's life is spiraling downward and sexual content I didn't want to read. The book has an overall sad tone though it is poetic.

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Aug 05, 2011 Danielle Lentz added it

Good book with a wonderful and fascinating setting of Niagara Falls-on the Canadian side. The author carefully intertwines this setting into the story of a young woman, Bess, her family and husband Tom Cole-the"riverman" . The story takes place at a time when there are many changes to people's lives in terms of technology. The power of the river is being harnessed to "benefit" people's lives (for electricity) yet the Falls and the river still have the power to take away people's lives. It also t...more

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Sep 05, 2009 Cynthia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2009

This book had everything, a beautiful setting, a love story, cultures and classes clashing, occult overtones, but ultimately it was disappointing. I kept wondering what the author's point was. Sometimes, if the story is engrossing enough, meandering can be forgiven but Buchanan's writing showed seams badly and her characters went in and out of focus, sometimes feeling real then fading into caricatures. Rather than speaking their frustration, confusion, anger, etc. Buchanan repeatedly had them "o...more

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Aug 28, 2009 Tara Chevrestt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, canada

This is a magical, well told tale about a young woman named Bess, a riverman named Tom, and the history of the Niagara Falls. Bess meets Tom at the beginning of World War One when her family has fallen on hard times. They both reside on the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls in a town being overcome by hydroelectric power plants. Bess comes from a family that made its riches from the power plants, whereas Tom strongly believes in the beauty of the river and leaving nature untouched. This differe...more

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Aug 15, 2009 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

We live in an age where nearly all of our threats are human. Nature has no recourse against man-made factories, bridges, levees, and weapons. We are safe. We are secure. In the middle-north of the country, though, nestled between the United States and Canada is a reminder that we are human but only human. When I was a little kid I fell in love with Gordon Lightfoot’s Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. There is something helplessly beautiful and tragic about the power and majesty evoked by lore surr...more We live in an age where nearly all of our threats are human. Nature has no recourse against man-made factories, bridges, levees, and weapons. We are safe. We are secure. In the middle-north of the country, though, nestled between the United States and Canada is a reminder that we are human but only human. When I was a little kid I fell in love with Gordon Lightfoot’s Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. There is something helplessly beautiful and tragic about the power and majesty evoked by lore surrounding the Great Lakes basin.

While not as factual as Lightfoot’s recount, Cathy Marie Buchanan’s The Day the Falls Stood Still succeeds in capturing the breathtaking spirit of the rivers and lakes that contain the unshakable spirit in the heart of the north. What begins as a typical society girl’s junior year at a local prep school on the Canadian side of the falls, becomes a heart wrenching love story between man and woman but also between mankind and the river.

Set in the early to mid twentieth century, the story is told through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Bess Heath, the second and youngest daughter of a man who, prior to the beginning of the story, has been a social and financial success in the hydro-electric efforts in town. Immediately before Bess returns home for the summer, her father runs into a bit of trouble when a prediction fails to bring success to his fellow businessmen. He is let go from the industry and sets in motion a drama that rolls forward like a stack of dominoes. Caught in the inevitable social recourse of her parents’ plummeting social stature Bess and her sister Isabel are left to wonder what their glitzy upbringing has prepared them for and where to turn.

Amidst the downfall of the industrial elite, there is a softer voice. The voice of the river slips quietly through town, in the form of Thomas Cole, grandson of a famous river man who was more river than man, metaphysically and physically. In a melding of two worlds, Bess and Tom find their lives intertwined in ways that challenge both the unstoppable progress of the hydro era and the fading grandeur of the water that is their livelihood.

To say that this is a historical fiction romance is to completely miss the point. There is history, steeped in incredible drama, which found me at my computer in the wee hours of the morning, searching for more tidbits about the period. And, of course, there is the love story, both believable and magical. However, those two things are not the elements that drive this book. It is Buchanan’s complete dedication to inviting her readers to fall in love with the falls, to imagine themselves there, wading waist deep in the stories, the tragedy and the beauty.

The story reads a good deal like Steinbeck’s more detailed works in its straightforward prose but also carries the depth and honest crafting of characters that one would expect to find in East of Eden or Grapes of Wrath. Even though it’s a small book, it carries the epic weight of something much heavier. The Day the Falls Stood Still is an absolutely stunning debut and I am waiting at the edge of my seat to read more by Buchanan.(less)

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Apr 21, 2010 Barb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009, wwi, vine, book-club-reads, read-in-2010, anne-and-i-agree-on, recs-for-virginia-s-book-club

I love Niagara Falls, every time I visit I am completely awestruck. It is an amazing wonder to behold, it's literally breath taking. If you have never been I would urge you to go. I have seen much of the landscape the author describes in this book and I remember some of the folk lore from my many visits. My family and I saw Jay Cochrane walk a tightrope to the Skylon Tower in 2005. Niagara Falls has a magic and wonder that is hard to describe.

I really enjoyed this novel that incorporates so much...more

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Jun 10, 2009 Cathy Buchanan added it · (Review from the author)

This is my debut novel. Hope you love it. On the shelves September 2009 in Canda and the US and February 2010 in the UK and Italy.

What's is about? Read on.

Steeped in the intriguing history of Niagara Falls, this is an epic love story as rich, spellbinding and majestic as the falls themselves.

1915. The dawn of the hydroelectric power era in Niagara Falls. Seventeen-year-old Bess Heath has led a sheltered existence as the youngest daughter of the director of the Niagara Power Company. After gradua...more

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Aug 31, 2009 KrisT rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2009, tbr-2009

Sometimes a book just wraps you up inside its covers and you don't recognize the regular world when you look up. That is what happened to me and this story. Bess Heath is a boarding school girl used to a better class of life but when her father is laid off from work they must all pitch in. Bess is 17 and a marriage to the right boy would help the family but the young river man holds her attention.
The characters are interesting and life-like in this story of love and death and progress versus nat...more

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Jun 21, 2009 Suzze Tiernan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book! Best book I have read so far this year. I really felt what it might have been like to live in Niagara Falls, Ontario in the very early 1900's. The characters were so real, I felt like I was right there alongside them, and the falls, as I read. If you like historical fiction, you must read this book. I plan on recommending this to all my friends!

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Feb 22, 2012 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

Bess Heath is 15 years old and looking forward to her final year at an exclusive girl’s academy. However, on her last day at the academy she is informed that she will not be returning to complete her graduating year. Her father has lost his job at the Niagara Power Company. Thus begins Bess’ new life, complete with a sister rejected by her fiancée, a chance encounter with the “ne’er do well” Tom Cole, and having to help as a seamstress just to make ends meet.

Bess’s story is the basis for the boo...more

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Sep 25, 2010 Rachelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever been enjoying a treat, a cookie or a piece of pie, when the phone rang or someone knocked at the door? And while you are taking care of your interruption, your mind wanders back to that unfinished decadence and you pine to finish?

That’s how I felt while reading the debut novel "The Day the Falls Stood Still" by Cathy Marie Buchanan. My days have been filled with thoughts of this story and I longed to get back to it each night. I know a story is truly great when my life is made up o...more Have you ever been enjoying a treat, a cookie or a piece of pie, when the phone rang or someone knocked at the door? And while you are taking care of your interruption, your mind wanders back to that unfinished decadence and you pine to finish?

That’s how I felt while reading the debut novel "The Day the Falls Stood Still" by Cathy Marie Buchanan. My days have been filled with thoughts of this story and I longed to get back to it each night. I know a story is truly great when my life is made up of reading and the little details in between.

"The Day the Falls Stood Still" is a story of life – a life filled with hardships, happiness, hard work and sacrifices. Set mostly on the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls in the years surrounding WWI, this was an informative book as well as a wonderful love story. Bess, the daughter of a recently financially ruined businessman is forced to deal with the changes this brings upon each member of her family. On the trolley coming home from her beloved boarding school Bess meets a young working-class man who is enthralled with the Niagara River. His name is Tom Cole, of Cole family fame. Tom’s grandfather was a local hero who rescued countless people from the river and seemed to have a feeling when things were going to happen. Tom inherited this special sense of the river. His soul is tied to the river and its health.

The story of Bess, Tom and the river is an amazing endeavor; a delightful mixture of a Victorian love story, a coming-of-age novel and an important environmental history. This would be a great read for a book club or would make a wonderful present. Oh, and what a beautiful movie could be made! I learned so much from all of the details in this book. Bess becomes a dressmaker and the descriptions of the materials, colors and forms she uses was amazing. I would love to travel back in time to see firsthand the gorgeous dresses she made. I have never been to Niagara Falls but after reading Buchanan’s story I know in my mind the colors of the mist at the bottom of the falls, the roar of the water as it tumbles over and the strength of the whirlpool farther below. Um…wow.

Make sure to check out Cathy’s website – one of the most beautiful author sites I have ever seen. There is an interactive map of the Niagara River Gorge that is amazing even if you haven’t read the book – and an invaluable resource if you have (especially if you haven’t visited Niagara Falls).

The Day the Falls Stood Still is just pure lovely. A true decadence only an eclair could rival. I wish I could go back and experience it again.
Accolades:
Barnes and Noble Best Book of 2009
New York Times Bestseller
American Booksellers Association IndieNext Pick
Salt Lake County Library Reader’s Choice for July through October (less)

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Aug 19, 2010 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was an excellent novel based on the history or Niagara Falls at the turn of the century when the power plants and other industries were discovering the energy of the falls. Niagara Falls has a fascinating history and lots of colorful stories about those who has lived and died there through accidents and through stunts that have driven people to challenge the river.

The main character is a young lady in a wealthy family who finds herself torn from society and comfort when her father loses his...more

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Oct 03, 2009 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own

Reason for Reading: The book takes place in Niagara Falls, Canada and that is where I live plus the historical time 1915-1923 is a favourite period I like to read about. I was excited to read a book set in my city and the cover is beautiful and actually blew me away when I saw it in real life.

Comments: I'll start off by admitting I may be a little biased. There is something captivating about reading a book when you recognize the street names, know the buildings mentioned, have been to the natur...more Reason for Reading: The book takes place in Niagara Falls, Canada and that is where I live plus the historical time 1915-1923 is a favourite period I like to read about. I was excited to read a book set in my city and the cover is beautiful and actually blew me away when I saw it in real life.

Comments: I'll start off by admitting I may be a little biased. There is something captivating about reading a book when you recognize the street names, know the buildings mentioned, have been to the natural landmarks and live a block away from the church the family attended. But when I also find myself reading a brilliant epic love story I think my insider knowledge is more of a bonus than a bias.

Bess and Tom come from different classes. Bess is the 17yo daughter of an influential man at Niagara Power and lives in Glenview Mansion. She attends a Catholic Girls Academy (even though the family isn't Catholic) and leads a sheltered life. Tom is about 22 and is the local riverman. He catches fish for pay, pulls dead bodies out of the river, works a few nights in the saloon he has a room over and is always on hand when help is needed down at the river. When these two meet each other it is love at first sight but many things stand in their way including themselves.

While the beautiful love story is the main plot there are many other themes running through the book. The plight of women during this period is masterfully woven into the story with unwed pregnancy, suicide, women working during the war, and women being given the vote during WWI if they had a husband or son overseas. The effect the war had on the women as they stayed home and wondered if their husbands would ever come home and the plight of the men who did come home who were wounded beyond repair and others who had unseen wounds, those of the mind that don't heal so easily.

It is also a story of the environment as the whole history of the harnessing of the power of the Falls for electricity takes place during this time period. Sir Adam Beck, the government, the big business and everyone else it seems is so excited about more and more electricity at less cost that nobody seems to know what it is doing to the river itself, nobody but Tom that is, who knows the river like the back of his hand, and what he sees scares and saddens him. The characters all stand out wonderfully but it is Tom, a true hero, who captures your heart.

A riveting book. I could hardly put it down and read it very quickly. It is emotional; there is sadness. I almost cried at the end, with a lump in my throat, mad, for a moment, at this tragedy we call life. An astounding first novel! Ms. Buchanan is a talented writer with a future ahead of her. I will be interested to see where she goes with her next novel. Highly Recommended! This one is certainly going to make my top ten list this year.(less)

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Aug 18, 2009 Bridget rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: enjoyable-but-thought-provoking

I am somewhat biased because I grew up near Niagara Falls, NY, but I would have loved this book even if I was from Atlanta. The book is set on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls from 1915 to 1925. The main character, Bess, endures many successes and tragedies from the age of 17 until she is 26, when the book ends. Her privileged life is abruptly taken away from her, and everyone, including Bess, is pleasantly surprised by her perseverance. While there are frequent references to sacrificing becau...more

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Sep 13, 2009 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Day the Falls Stood Still is a very promising debut novel by Cathy Marie Buchanan. The story is set in Canada near the Niagara where its wonderful beauty and history is emanated from Cathy's descriptions. This is the story of Bess Heath, who suddenly finds herself at a turning point in her life when everything is forced to change due to the fact that her father lost his job at the power plant. Bess's mother, father and sister are intriguing characters along with Bess herself, and we immediat...more The Day the Falls Stood Still is a very promising debut novel by Cathy Marie Buchanan. The story is set in Canada near the Niagara where its wonderful beauty and history is emanated from Cathy's descriptions. This is the story of Bess Heath, who suddenly finds herself at a turning point in her life when everything is forced to change due to the fact that her father lost his job at the power plant. Bess's mother, father and sister are intriguing characters along with Bess herself, and we immediately get drawn into this captivating telling of this family's journey. There are quite a few supporting characters as well, each adding depth and drama to this story as Bess must make difficult choices that end up haunting her family, which cast her as a strong and brave woman.

Mr. Heath, Bess's father, loses his long-time job at the hydroelectric plant which puts the family into a downward spiral of economic hardship and despair. Although set in 1915, the modern economic times also mirrors the struggles that the Heath family faced back then, and they also had the war to deal with. Mr. Heath shuts his family out, Mrs. Heath can do little to get him out of his self-induced funk, and Bess's treasured sister Isabel is going through her own personal crisis. And through it all, Bess is watching trying to add strength to her family, as she is trying to adjust to a new way of life after her father loses his job.

A light at the end of the tunnel is when the son of a prominent family member proposes to Bess, but Bess has fallen in love with a fishmonger of whom her family strongly disapproves. And then suddenly a horrifying tragedy occurs, sending the family into an emotional spiral of grief and depression and further forces the family into the speculative limelight of gossipers. How Bess and her family deal with this tragedy is portrayed simply, but it is told with a distinct grip of grief that is significant of excellent writing that resonates throughout the novel.

All the while through this story of Bess and the trials of her family, Bess goes through her own life events of marriage, career and children which makes the book a sort of romance in the beginning; but all is told with the Niagara as an integral part to the novel and not just as a backdrop. The story of the man, Fergus Cole, who previously was a renowned riverman known for daring river rescues at the Falls, is the undercurrent in the story with interesting anecdotes about him and his rescues, which also makes the book a sort of historical. The author was inspired for this novel by the true riverman William "Red" Hill, and the rescues are depicted in the novel as well. It is cleverly portrayed through newspaper clippings along with inspiring old photos of the Falls themselves. The residents of the area were caught between the controversy of technology and development versus the preservation of the sanctity of the Falls and the river, and serves as a theme throughout this novel as Bess finds herself right in the middle of the issues.

This is an informative look on the impact of both the electric powerhouses of the times, and the majestic force of the Niagara. The story moves swiftly and is sadly poignant but engrossing all the same. Giving the novel an even more realistic flavor is the attention given to the dressmaking projects that Bess takes on, as this is how many women helped to support the family in the days of WWI. The few criticisms I have is that the book ended, and that the back cover exposes a major turning point in the book that should not have been given away on the back cover (which will not be divulged here). This is not for the weak of heart as it is certainly not a happy-joy-joy type of book. The ending leaves you feeling bereft through its heart wrenching details, but this makes for a compelling read and I recommend it for the main character's fortitude and strength. I look forward to future works by Cathy Marie Buchanan, so that I can again relive the intense drama that she writes.
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Mar 07, 2010 Sandra aka Sleo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

From an inauspicious beginning and an at first annoying narrator, this book turned into one I could not stop listening to and then at the end broke my heart. I'm giving it five stars because it touched me so deeply, but maybe I should give it four stars because it tore me up. I was sobbing and my poor little doggie who is very attuned to my moods was howling in distress.

My friend Vered and I were discussing love stories that stole our hearts, and this was one. It's a historical novel about Niaga...more

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Aug 27, 2009 Kathrina rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-hate, canadian

Sorry, Goodreads author. This book struggles in many ways, and I'm not going to finish it. My biggest issue is the anachronistic dialogue. I'd like to read a book about the small but heroic efforts of women making it on their own in 1915, where cooking and sewing are the domestic skills that empower them, but it's not enough to keep this novel alive. Bess's attraction to Tom is trite and predictable, and the historical references feel like slaphazard inserts thrown in after the first draft was w...more

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Sep 14, 2009 Lianna Vigil rated it 4 of 5 stars

I would have given this book 5 stars but it was just too sad for me. I kept hoping for good things to happen to the characters but they lived very hard and sad lives. There were times of quiet joy but more apparent were their times of hard pain.

It was a very haunting and memorable book and I know I will think of these characters often and the beautiful falls. I loved the history and nostalgia that this book recreates and I am glad I got a chance to read it. Truly this was a well-done and beauti...more

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Dec 18, 2009 Donna Jo Atwood rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-10-winter-challenge, canadian-author, fiction, first-person-narrator, historical-fiction, family

This book of class structure and change is told in first person by Bess, the daughter of the man who was the head of the director of the Niagara Power Company. Bess has to drop out of school when her father loses his job. Her mother takes in sewing; her older sister loses her fiance. And behind and around it all is Niagara Falls and the river. It is such a conversational tone that the story creeps up on the reader. Do not read this one in a hurry, but do read it.
Task 10.8

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Oct 24, 2009 Chelsie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was beautifully written. I had a hard time putting this book down, it was so full of tragedies and heartwarming moments that I never knew what would happen next! You could tell the author really loved her characters and in turn you cant help but fall in love with each and every one! Amazing book!

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Feb 10, 2013 Leya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorite, library-book

I love discovering new authors, especially Canadian ones, and when I saw this book under the debut area I just had to have it. But what really caught my eye was the title, The Day the Falls Stood Still, the story is set in Niagara Falls during the years of 1915 to 1923. I live about an hour and half from the Falls...so it's basically in my backyard.

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan is a love story. It's a love story between two people, Bess and Tom. But it is also a story abo...more

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Jul 31, 2009 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All my girlfriends

This is a must read for anyone who loves historical fiction, great character development. I smiled, I sobbed. I never wanted it to end. I haven't felt so emotionally connected to a book since reading Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace.

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Dec 29, 2009 Quiltgranny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

Nice, old fashioned love story fitting for the time period involved. I loved the descriptions of Niagra Falls and now I want to go find out more about the hydro power plants and what they might have done to the Falls themselves.

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Jun 23, 2009 Sheila rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really, really liked this book. A little more emotional depth would have enhanced the story but I loved the characters and the history. I would definitely read another book by newcomer Buchanan.

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Sep 10, 2012 Susan MO rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own-read, historical-fiction, read-2012, yahtzee-challenge

I enjoyed reading this book and now I want to know more about Niagra Falls. The historical pictures in this book were really interesting.

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Oct 19, 2012 Megan Chance rated it 4 of 5 stars

Again, I'm frustrated by the stars system here at Goodreads. This book rates somewhere between a four and a five for me--probably a 4.5. The book, set on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls when the power plants were being erected to harness Niagara's power, spans the years from WWI to the early 1920s. The story is poignant, moving and character-driven. There is no real plot here--the drama is in the river, (a character in itself, and one that brings a great deal of tension and dread to the proce...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Lydia Laceby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-must-read, historical-fiction, canadian

Originally Reviewed at Novel Escapes

The Day the Falls Stood Still is a hypnotizing read with depth and detail that astounds. Bubbling with an understated emotion, this delightful debut delves into love, family, duty and the choices that divide.

Although centered around a love story, many other themes swim beneath the surface of this novel including war time strife, economics, politics, theology, and environmental issues just to name a few and that doesn't even delve into the personal issues many...more Originally Reviewed at Novel Escapes

The Day the Falls Stood Still is a hypnotizing read with depth and detail that astounds. Bubbling with an understated emotion, this delightful debut delves into love, family, duty and the choices that divide.

Although centered around a love story, many other themes swim beneath the surface of this novel including war time strife, economics, politics, theology, and environmental issues just to name a few and that doesn't even delve into the personal issues many characters in this novel face. They are all woven together in a rich tapestry and along with the delightful details of the era and Buchanan's elegant prose, it is not difficult to see why this novel was chosen as a finalist for Canada Reads 2010.

From the first sentence, I was immediately immersed into the story and the setting. The smallest details were the most powerful and I have such a vivid picture of every location in this novel, yet I never felt bogged down in detail. At times I wasn't even sure if what I was reading was fiction, which is a testament to how skillfully woven this tale is between fiction and the historical events that took place in Niagara Falls at that time.

I really enjoyed Bess's character. A strong female protagonist, she picks herself up and moves forward with each challenge that's thrown at her. She holds herself together for her family and never becomes whiny, needy or hard. She simply carries on. Bess supports her husband, stands by her decision to marry him when others question it, and even when she does herself on rare occasion. At no time did I ever question her love for Tom and it was such a wonderful love story to read, and with the other interwoven themes, this novel stood out for me as a complex story.

Having been to Niagara Falls multiple times over the years, I've always had enjoyedd the falls, but this novel's portrayal of their beauty, majesty, power and force will have me viewing them differently next time I visit. I will also have much more of an appreciation for the environmental challenges surrounding the falls and how the tourist industry now overshadows them.

I don't often quote from novels, but thought this was lovely and poignant, and it was far from the first or last snippets of prose that I savoured: "It seems a cruel trick that time contracts when you want to savor it and expands insatiably when you do not."

I am certain I will reread The Day the Falls Stood Still at some point and definitely look forward to reading more from Cathy Marie Buchanan.
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Mar 01, 2012 Florinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've looked forward to reading Cathy Marie Buchanan's first novel, The Day the Falls Stood Still, ever since I started seeing reviews of it cropping up several months ago. I tend to prefer historical fiction that deals with more recent history, and the early 20th century - a time of great change in the world - is a period that particularly interests me. I'm intrigued by Canada, the only foreign country I've visited. And I love waterfalls. The abundance of waterfalls was one of the most appealing...more I've looked forward to reading Cathy Marie Buchanan's first novel, The Day the Falls Stood Still, ever since I started seeing reviews of it cropping up several months ago. I tend to prefer historical fiction that deals with more recent history, and the early 20th century - a time of great change in the world - is a period that particularly interests me. I'm intrigued by Canada, the only foreign country I've visited. And I love waterfalls. The abundance of waterfalls was one of the most appealing things about living in the Finger Lakes region of New York, and I've never forgotten my family's one visit to Niagara Falls when I was a child; I've always wanted to see it again. However, according to the Author's Note at the end of Buchanan's book, the Falls were much more of a sight to see a hundred years ago

This well-researched novel is set in a period of great change in the Niagara River and the area around the Falls, as hydroelectric power was becoming a greater force (no pun intended), and it views those changes through their effects on a family - because although the river plays a significant role, this is the story of a family: the family of Bess Heath Cole.

Buchanan divides the novel into two parts. Book One is a more personal, intimate story, as the Heath family is forced to adjust to a change in their financial and social standing by taking in sewing and trying to ensure an advantageous marriage for at least one of their two daughters. However, these things don't always go as planned, and the eligible young man Mrs. Heath has in mind for her older daughter Isabel has his eye on her younger sister Bess. Bess, however, is quietly developing a relationship with Tom Cole, a young fisherman whose late grandfather, Fergus, passed on his legendary knowledge of the river (and his daring rescues of those who met trouble at the Falls) to him. When these two eventually do come together, it's in the aftermath of personal tragedy and in the midst of the First World War.

Book Two is larger in scope, as it starts out with Bess as a war bride getting started as a seamstress in her own right, soon to become a mother while her husband fights on the battlegrounds of Europe. When Tom returns from the war, he needs to get to know his wife and son, and to get reacquainted with the river, which is changing as the new power plants are being built to harness his power, and where his knowledge is more needed than ever. The political and ecological effects of development are a big part of this story, and it's interesting to note that some of the same debates are still going on today.

The Day the Falls Stood Still didn't really become the novel I expected it to be until Book Two, and although it held my interest all the way through, it was the last third of the book that really grabbed me, and I found its final chapters riveting and touching. I liked the way that the issues of the day were integrated into the story, and I think that this was largely accomplished through Buchanan's development of her characters. The story is narrated from Bess' first-person perspective, and I didn't entirely warm up to her for a while. However, the character truly grows over the course of the novel, and she became someone I could believe in; I think I could say the same for the book as a whole, to be honest, as I felt that it strengthened as it went along.

I enjoyed my trip back in time to Niagara with Cathy Buchanan, and I'm wondering where she will take readers next.(less)

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Feb 05, 2012 Geetha rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first glance “The Day the Falls Stood Still”, seems like a beautiful love story, which it is, but it is much more than that. The story incorporates within its pages, the lore and legend of the beautiful Niagara Falls and Niagara River. Several of the incidents retold in the story are historical facts. Most interesting to me were the environmental questions already rising in the early 1900s, the conflict between the Falls and it use for hydroelectricity. A good story, strong prose, well drawn...more At first glance “The Day the Falls Stood Still”, seems like a beautiful love story, which it is, but it is much more than that. The story incorporates within its pages, the lore and legend of the beautiful Niagara Falls and Niagara River. Several of the incidents retold in the story are historical facts. Most interesting to me were the environmental questions already rising in the early 1900s, the conflict between the Falls and it use for hydroelectricity. A good story, strong prose, well drawn likeable characters, fact woven into fiction and social history – all make this an extremely readable book.

The main protagonists are Tom Cole and his wife Bess. The character of Tom is loosely based on the best known of Niagara “rivermen” Red Hill. Red Hill grew up on the shores of the Niagara and from a very early age he was obsessed with the river and the Falls. He was supposed to have been able to forecast weather simply by listening to the Falls, he could predict disaster , at night he knew that the next morning he would find a body in the river he would need to salvage. Several daring rescues, some retold in the story are credited to him.

Even today 50% of the waters of the Niagara river are redirected for purposes of hydroelectricity before they reach the Falls. Tom faces the serious ethical choice of whether to work for the Hydroelectric plant and earn a decent living for his family when he knows well that he is employed primarily for purposes of public relations. If the riverman can work for the power plant, it cannot be a bad thing. There are those who would have drained the Falls dry and if you have ever seen the wondrous Niagara Falls you would be so thankful they did not succeed. The story raises so many questions, conservation of nature versus its exploitation, duty versus principle, duty to society versus to one’s family.

Tom’s deep and abiding love for the river is moving. Tom does not believe in stunts on the river or Falls, he has no desire to go over the Falls in a barrel. The river and Falls are to be worshipped and loved, not conquered. The book includes newspaper articles and photographs from the early 1900s which add value to the book. An excellent book for a book club, it will prompt plenty of conversation and discussion.
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May 31, 2011 Shauna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Please! Come talk to me about the ending after you've read the book!!
Favorite Quotes: 'In those clouds I have seen aberrations-flecks of shimmering silver, orbs of color a shade more intense than their surroundings. I have seen them more than once, and I haves decided they are prayers, mine and everyone else's, too.'

'“There’s something more, too. There are moments, usually on the river. It’s nothing I know how to explain.”
I watch him, filling with wonder. ..I am not so quick to rule out mystery...more

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About Cathy Marie Buchanan

CATHY MARIE BUCHANAN is the author of The Painted Girls and The Day the Falls Stood Still. Published January 2013, The Painted Girls has received enthusiastic reviews (Kirkus, The Globe and Mail, The Washington Post, People, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today) and has garnered favourable notices in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, Chicago Tribune, Costco Connection, Harper's Bazaar, The Boston...more

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