“You have to know the rest of my story, the
part I can’t yet bring myself to say. A story
of a boy I knew a long time ago and a... read full description
part I can’t yet bring myself to say. A story
of a boy I knew a long time ago and a... read full description
reviews
Feb 27, 2009
L
rated it: 
I suppose that if I couldn't put down the book, it has to have 4 stars, at least, no? And this is one I couldn't stop reading, once I'd started. It's got engaging, sympathetic characters. Now, some of these characters could easily slide into stereotypes (the young teenage girl, essentially abandonded and abused, teetering on the edge of "bad girl," but with a heart of gold; the elderly widower who doesn't know quite what to do with himself; the elderly gay man who's been alone since a
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May 12, 2008
Jackie
rated it: 
I had not read anything by Lee Martin, Pulitzer Prize Finalist for the book The Bright Forever, until this book and now I know what an amazing talent I've been missing.
River of Heaven is a bittersweet, moving novel about loneliness, forgiveness and how we touch each others lives without even knowing it. The central character is 65 year old Sam Brady who lives alone with his dog,sometimes going years without someone so much as touching him. Whether this is a self imposed exile or a so More...
River of Heaven is a bittersweet, moving novel about loneliness, forgiveness and how we touch each others lives without even knowing it. The central character is 65 year old Sam Brady who lives alone with his dog,sometimes going years without someone so much as touching him. Whether this is a self imposed exile or a so More...
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Dec 09, 2009
Holli
rated it:
Good book. Even though Sam has a dark secret from his past that has kept him isolated from the human race, the book is ultimately about how he finds his way back into the flow of life. There's Dewey Finn who died a tragic death and there's Cal, Sam's brother, who has spent his whole life running away from that death. But then there's Enis McMeanus: "I like your dog." "Oh, for a world of days like this and one Enis McMeanus after another." (p. 162) And there's Stump: "
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May 13, 2008
Jenn
rated it:
Gripping story about the yearning for close relationships, the inescapable effects they have on us, and how we pull each other through the events in our lives.
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May 25, 2010
Debby
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This is a wonderfully written novel about a dark secret held by Sam and Cal Brady for 50 years; a secret that connects them and yet has alienated them for decades. This is a secret Sam Brady cannot bring himself to talk about and yet it has been at the heart of how he has lived his life ever since that evening in 1955 when Sam's 15-year-old best friend Dewey Finn died.
Like a beach ball held under water, the truth just can't be held down any longer no matter how hard yu try to keep that " More...
Like a beach ball held under water, the truth just can't be held down any longer no matter how hard yu try to keep that " More...
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Jun 07, 2011
Ami
rated it: 
Lee Martin's "Bright Forever" is one of my all-time favorite books, and I was so looking forward to reading this one! It fell far short of my expectations. Martin's writing is subtle and evocative, but the plot? Sort of a murder mystery, with homeland terrorism, lots of dead people...I wasn't compelled by it, but pushed through to the end by speed-reading. He used kind of a tired plot: old man finds new life when young, vivacious teenage girl moves in...I rated it as "ok"
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Sep 19, 2011
Lexie
rated it:
1/7/11 -- I still have 94 pages to go and I'm already giving *River of Heaven* five stars. It's the second of Lee Martin's books that I've recently read, and I'm going to read them all. This man is a consumate and merciful storyteller; *River of Heaven* has been tugging at my heart since page one. I gave *The Bright Forever* four stars; one of my friends asked me why and I had no answer. Now I do: *River of Heaven* is to my eye, even more a universal story. In *The Bright Forever*, at least one
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Jun 08, 2010
Marvin
rated it:
A beautiful novel set in a small town in the Midwest (southern Illinois), narrated in the gentle, humble voice of a 65-year-old lifelong resident of the town. He has lived a life of isolation and loneliness ever since a devastating incident cost the life of a boy he loved, the secret details of which he shares only with his older brother, who has disappeared from his life, only to reappear early on in the novel, bringing yet another devastating secret with him. (Our narrator learns of his brothe
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Mar 03, 2010
Sandy
rated it:
A rather suspenseful novel about a closeted old gay man living in a small town in Illinois, and what happened to one of his best friends fifty years ago, and what his brother has been up to since they were estranged.
It was very good, very spot-on in the descriptions of the town (white squirrels, like Olney, IL!) and townsfolk. The only thing I really didn't like was the title - when I finally figured out where it came from, at the end of the book, I thought it didn't fit in well with More...
It was very good, very spot-on in the descriptions of the town (white squirrels, like Olney, IL!) and townsfolk. The only thing I really didn't like was the title - when I finally figured out where it came from, at the end of the book, I thought it didn't fit in well with More...
May 12, 2009
Laura
rated it:
It's been a while since I've read anything mainstream -- or what I regard as mainstream -- and I'm so glad that my return to it was with this novel by Lee Martin. (I won't bore you with a plot summary; you can read that anywhere.)
Anyway, oh, sure, the story is a little sappy toward the end. Martin didn't need to express exactly what his main character had learned to the degree that he did. I could've figured that out all by myself. But the rest of the story was so rich with emotion, More...
Anyway, oh, sure, the story is a little sappy toward the end. Martin didn't need to express exactly what his main character had learned to the degree that he did. I could've figured that out all by myself. But the rest of the story was so rich with emotion, More...
Jan 18, 2009
Mama Kaye
rated it:
I guess I would have to say that overall, I enjoyed this book, but there were a couple of things that annoyed me so much, I can't recommend it.
The main thing is, it was told in first person. Now, I admit that I'm already biased because generally speaking, I don't care for first-person narratives, but sometimes it works fine. Sometimes, in fact, a story NEEDS to be told in first person. This one didn't. There were several interesting characters in this story who I would have liked to More...
The main thing is, it was told in first person. Now, I admit that I'm already biased because generally speaking, I don't care for first-person narratives, but sometimes it works fine. Sometimes, in fact, a story NEEDS to be told in first person. This one didn't. There were several interesting characters in this story who I would have liked to More...
Nov 12, 2008
Dorie
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 03, 2009
Andy
rated it: 
The story was compelling. It focused on an older gay man who has been alone all his life due to the impact of a childhood event and how his solitude and repression of the past starts to unravel. My disappointment was the well written plot was not matched by the thoughts and inner life of the main character. Attention to this was sorely lacking and the book lost the poignancy that was needed given the subject matter.
Oct 04, 2011
Jadawhite1
rated it:
This book was boring when I first read it but there was something I liked about it.I would sit the book aside but it compelled me to read further.Each chapter had a cliffhanger that kept you thinking maybe the excitement will start.Also when the excitement really starts,if you understand what I mean.Great book,regardless.This book will make you cry.Haven't you ever lost someone?
May 02, 2011
Maureen
rated it:
"River of Heaven" is a well-written story of a man who lives with guilt and self-deceipt for his entire life. In the twilight of his life, events occur that force him to confront the truthes in his life. I highly recommend this book to read, most especially because his story is very unique. (I don't want to give any more than that away...) Very thought provoking....
Dec 24, 2008
Molly
rated it:
Another truly outstanding book from Lee Martin. I loved River of Heaven, and I think it's because his characters, once again, are so wonderfully complex but still seem completely real. Also, I noticed that, again, Martin masterfully repeats a single phrase, a refrain if you will, to keep the emotional back story present in the reader's head at all times--in this book, it's two of the main characters who say, "You asleep?" to anyone who does something out of the ordinary, a shorthand c
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Aug 03, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
An intriguing story...I liked the way it was told and, being told by an old man, I thought it was told very well/believeable/true to that character's age. Whatever, I loved it. Not a topic I've ever read about. And lots of good intertwining w/characters and not how I thought it'd turn out. And I still liked it. It has a strong underyling message too...you are responsible for your actions, and you live with your decisions...and maybe forgiving oneself vs. wanting others forgiveness is what w
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Oct 07, 2009
Deborah
rated it:
This is both well written and a real page turner. The characters just walk off the page - they are so real - actually your next-door neighbors. Like "Loving Frank" this book has a SHOCKING ending - enough said!
Apr 06, 2009
Magi
rated it:
elderly gay manliving in small home town. dog Stump ,neighbor Arthur. build a ship doghouse. Brother comes back to town on the run. Go down memory lane,death of young friend on train tracks....living w/ a secret.
Dec 10, 2008
Kate
rated it:
Small town tragedy shaped the life of the main character, an elderly gay man, who lives an isloated life with his basset hound. In spite of his reluctance, he is drawn into the lives of his neighbors. Humor and affection, a little bit of thriller, mostly happy ending.
Feb 25, 2009
Mona
rated it:
Wow. What a nice surprise. Well written; interesting characters; a bit of theology; page turning plot. A story about choices, chance, split second decisions and the inability to escape all that.
Dec 08, 2008
Anne
rated it:
This is great read for anyone, and I did not find it at all depressing. A 65 year old closeted gay man finds love, acceptance and the healing power of friendship. What's depressing about that?
Dec 01, 2010
Rlcohen1235
rated it:
Martin writes about society's isolates--the lonely, the disenfranchised, the forgotten, the neglected. His characters are often seriously flawed, but they cry for our understanding and our sympathy.
Mar 08, 2009
Angie
rated it:
I didn't like this one - it was another audio CD. The narrator wasn't very dramatic with his voices, intonations, etc. The plot was ok, but somewhat predictable.
Mar 31, 2009
Annie
rated it:
This book starts off a little slow. If I would have had something else to read I probably wouldn't have finished it, but I'm glad I did.
Aug 06, 2011
Donna
rated it:
I really enoy Lee Martin's style of writing and his development of charcters. This story is about a death in a small midwestern town and the life of lies spent covering it up. His novels are very haunting and the stories certainly stay with you.
Dec 17, 2008
Kitty Tomlinson
rated it:
Sam Brady regains his life when his brother, Cal, returns and they face events that have life-altering consequences.
Nov 30, 2009
bob
rated it:
Narrative style evocative of Richard Russo. Very enjoyable tale about living with secrets in a small town.
Dec 08, 2011
Mie
rated it:
Surprisingly great read....not a book I would have picked up but a friend of mine read it and liked it....I am glad I read it as well. Will read other books written by Lee Martin!
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Aug 15, 2010
Sherrie
rated it:
Bought this as a remainder book & can't understand why it didn't sell better. It was great!
