Two Rivers

by T. Greenwood

In Two Rivers, Vermont, Harper Montgomery is living a life overshadowed by grief and guilt. Since the death of his wife, Betsy, twelve years earlier, Harper has narrowed his world to working at the local railroad and raising his daughter, Shelly, the best way he knows how. Still wracked with sorrow over the loss of his life-long love and plagued by his role in a brutal, long-ago crime, he wants only to make amends for his past mistakes.

Then one fall day, a train derails in Two Rivers, and amid the wreckage Harper finds an unexpected chance at atonement. One of the survivors, a pregnant fifteen-year-old girl with mismatched eyes and skin the color of blackberries, needs a place to stay. Though filled with misgivings, Harper offers to take Maggie in. But it isn't long before he begins to suspect that Maggie's appearance in Two Rivers is not the simple case of happenstance it first appeared to be.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Book Club, Drama, Contemporary, Thriller

367 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

T. Greenwood is the author of sixteen novels. She has received grants from the Sherwood Anderson Foundation, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Maryland State Arts Council. She has won four San Diego Book Awards. Five of her novels have been IndieNext picks. BODIES OF WATER was finalist for a Lambda Foundation award and KEEPING LUCY was a Target Book Club selection.

She teaches creative writing for San Diego Writer's Ink and The Writer's Center. She and her family split their time between San Diego and Vermont. She is also a photographer.

More information on T. Greenwood can be found at her websites: http://www.tgreenwood.com

Reviews

[Jaline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harper Montgomery harbors a terrible, tragic secret. He longs for love, for forgiveness, for someone – anyone – to give him permission to move on with his life and to find happiness. This novel is about his journey, the people who become part of his life, whether he finds what he’s looking for, and how it either happens or doesn’t happen for him and why.

The story unfolds in two parts. It moves between present time in the book (1980-81) and his past, particularly the year 1968. Even when he was a boy he became obsessed with Betsy, literally the girl next door. She becomes his whole world and everything he does is focused on her. We read about their many escapades and mischief as well as those poignant times like the first date, the first dance, the first kiss, and leaving for college.

We know from the beginning that Betsy dies and her last act is to deliver their baby daughter Shelly into Harper’s care. Through nurturing her and guiding her growth, Harper learns a great deal about himself. He also continues to track his life with Betsy in his heart and in his mind.

In 1980, Shelly is 12 years old and there is a train wreck. A survivor of that wreck, a young, pregnant black girl comes to stay with them. Shelly adores Maggie – and while Harper cares about what happens to her, he is also haunted by his past which colors everything with confusion. As their stories reveal themselves and swirl together with the past, there is a confluence visible – like a distant sighting of the confluence of waterways in Two Rivers itself.

T. Greenwood has written a very powerful novel that connects a time of civil unrest (the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War in particular) with some of the aftermath – and aftershocks – that continued for decades. In this book, while the main thrust takes place over roughly 12 years and meets in that confluence, the waters – past, present, and future – are not a photograph. The movement of the waters of the past stretches back into centuries of history and the waters of the future move rapidly out of sight. Where they meet in those 12 years of present time shapes and forms the lives of the characters in this book. It is a gripping and rewarding story; one that I highly recommend to everyone.

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐
Genre ~ family life fiction
Setting ~ Vermont
Publication date ~ December 30, 2008
Est Page Count ~ 367 (6 parts with multiple titled chapters within +e)
Audio length ~ 11 hours 4 minutes
Narrator ~ Joel Richards
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ multiple timelines, wife dies giving birth, murder

Within the pages we get a sense of Harper’s love for Betsy when it all began in 1968 and into present time in 1980 while he is raising his daughter, Shelley, alone since Betsy died while giving birth 12 years ago. Can Maggie, the pregnant girl, he’s saved from a train wreck help him make amends for something done back when he was grieving?

Overall, this was fine. I liked Harper's journey for redemption, but did find it to be slow moving. It didn’t give me all the feelings that I think it was supposed to.

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

[Crystal Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be sure to visit my Favorites Shelf for the books I found most entertaining.

NEW FAVORITE 🖤 Beautiful—everything about this book is beautiful. What first pulled me towards this book was the cover. It felt like a warm, summer day. It reminded me of sitting on the tailgate of an old pickup truck just watching the summer grass blow in the wind. I read the back of the book and the plot was something I felt would be interesting. I’d never heard of the author, T. Greenwood, but, I gave it a try anyway.

The writing was amazing. The story jumps back and forth between the 1950s to 1980s dealing with such topics as family, racism, teen pregnancy, mental illness, death and forgiveness. It’s about the relationship between a father and a daughter, a man and a complete stranger, and a man and his soul mate.

The book was full of interesting quotes. I will share one of my favourites. This is the main character, Harper Montgomery in reference to his mother.

“After Betsy's mother was sent away, Mr. Parker entrusted her to our family. He must have thought that because my mother was home all day that she had some sort of tether on me. What he didn't know was that my mother lived inside a world of books; it would take a natural disaster to pull her out of that world, and even then she would have come out kicking and screaming."

I will go on record and say that I can totally relate to Harper’s mother’s obsession.

The story takes place in Vermont. Ms. Greenwood describes everything vividly; it sounds like the most beautiful place in the world.

I could go on all day about how much I loved this book. Read it, recommend it to your friends; it would make a great book club book. I am really looking forward to reading more of Ms. Greenwood’s books.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

As always, T. Greenwood's style is lovely but in this one I kept gonig back and forth with. I was intrigued from the beginning, the prologue was promising and haunting... I was eager to see what would happens and how the guilt would affect his life.

The story itself was a good idea but lost it's way sometimes. The flashes between Harper's past and the present sometimes felt jarring and a few times I was reading one part before realizing it was a flash back to the past and not the present (then vice versa). Small quibble and maybe partly my own fault but I wish these had been labeled clearer.

I liked how she wrote the relationships between everyone, it felt authentic. Everyone felt like real people and not just ones who disappeared into the background. In Harper/Betsy's part, you could feel the sense of confinement and frustration on their parts when it seems things/people are conspiring to keep them in Two Rivers.

In one instance, I thought 'that night' was about Harper's mother, then Betsy, then Harper's mother again. When events became clear, it was a sad moment and I could understand why Harper was angry but it doesn't justify what happened.

The twist with Maggie was clever, didn't see that coming although I did suspect something with his mother. It was resolved well and I was happy for them at the end but it felt kind of empty in a way.

From the synopsis I expected one thing but it ended up being different than what I thought. Not always a bad thing and maybe my expectations were too high but I just felt underwhelmed really.

It's a good novel but just wasn't great for me...I do look forward to reading more of Miss Greenwood's work and I would recommend this somewhat, you may have a different experience.

[Melissa Crytzer Fry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the honor of hearing T. Greenwood speak at the Flagstaff Book Festival this year, and her readings were phenomenal.

Her novel TWO RIVERS is told by male protagonist, Harper Montgomery, through alternating childhood and adulthood chapters. The majority of the story actually takes place in the past. It tackles some of the very difficult events woven into the fabric of America’s history: the Vietnam War, racism, women’s and civil rights. Ultimately, it is a love story with messages of forgiveness and the importance of family ties peppered throughout.

The descriptions of Vermont are both lovely and haunting, and many passages were so lyrical they warranted a second read. Being a fan of character-driven fiction over plot-driven fiction, I personally hoped for more depth/insight into Harper’s psyche so that when he makes the pivotal decisions regarding the stranger who enters his life, I feel their authenticity as well. However, if you love redemptive tales that span decades and the unveiling of a good mystery (stemming from the character's past), you won’t be disappointed with T. Greenwood’s TWO RIVERS.

[Pamela Pickering · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars. Gosh, another hard one to review. If you read the synopsis of the book it is somewhat misleading, it leads the reader to expect most of the book to be about the relationship between Harper and Maggie (the girl from the train wreck) but it's really not. The book lends most of its time to Harper's relationship with the love of his life, Betsy. Many times I sighed that "Here we go again" noise when reading this. It's stated in the book that Harper was living in the shadows of his deceased wife (not giving anything away here) and the book certainly illustrates this--so much in fact, I almost abandoned it. Had I expected this I might be a little less critical. Although I found myself frequently frustrated I also found the story calling me back which may be attributed to the writing. There are also many other issues that lie beneath the surface of this story--some subtle, some not so subtle--which could illicit some excellent discussion: racism, forgiveness, the draft, hate, et al. Eventually it all works out into a tale of redemption, forgiveness, and understanding.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

The word I would use to describe this book is juvenile. It's a slightly better Nicholas Sparks sort of tale of true love such as never exists in real life happening to/at a couple of sixth graders, ending in tragedy, leading to angst, then a sudden visitor turns it all around.
Aside from the simplistic tale, the telling of it is trite as well. Alternating between past and present every other chapter is rarely anything but a gimmick and does not do much except align story lines so that chapter three introduces a dress in present tense and - fear not! - seemingly random dress will be explained through flashback in chapter four. Lead character in his moodiness and otherwise emptiness did nothing for me nor did anyone else in the book.
Decent enough writing but rather shallow.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

when I got my Kindle, I was pleased to find out that free books were offered for it .... then I got a look at the free books. I'm not really interested in evangelical Christian novels, romance, conspiracy-theory ranting, sexy vampires, or thriller series, so there was little that tempted me there.

Two Rivers is an exception (it was only free for about four hours, sadly). I downloaded it on the strength of the reviews already on the site and really enjoyed it. It's an atmospheric little novel that jumps from the '60s to the '80s in alternate chapters -- we know at the outset that our affable, lowkey single-father narrator was involved in a horrific murder in 1968, and the earlier plotline leads up to that pivotal event, while in the latter narrative his constricted life is upended by a pregnant black teenager who serenely inserts herself into his household after a train crash.

Two Rivers covers a lot of ground -- the Civil Rights movement, desperate housewives, obsessive love, redemption and renewal -- and it does it very nicely. Around the halfway mark I thought that some of the minor characters, notably the narrator's parents, were a little thin, but they gain enormously from what we learn later in the book. In the end, only his daughter felt a little generic to me -- perhaps because the narrator is so afraid of failing as her father that he isn't capable of seeing her very clearly himself.

I enjoyed seeing how the "two rivers" of the plot converged and would definitely pick up another by Greenwood.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This almost got a 2 star for my experience as reader here, but the writing ability (it is easy to read) and the human emotive quality made it just ok- 3 star.

This placement, order of the telling (way, way too circular surrounding a terrible train derailment and of course, Betsy) was loss of an entire star. It not only sunk the tension but put this entire plot/tale into rather a flat line to all the gushing over his life and soul mate love for his wife Betsy on top of it.

I read this because it was a monthly pick for a group of women at my library and I was deciding if I wanted to join that group. (Will not, but this book is only a minor reason for declining.) They in majority liked it and found the emotive love story aspects coupled with the daughter/father parts much more interesting than I did.

Actually, I am probably wrong, but I would classify this as a chick lit novel. It's sad, and I think the voice was about redemption from a former instant decision mistake that the narrator protagonist had made when very young. And thus (for me) both morose, and also containing a context that was primarily guilt laden depression surrounding issues that were most probably way beyond any individual culpability to begin with. He would have been much "better ordered" in the conscience department if he had tried to take personal and improved physical care of his own daughter, like actually cooking some fresh base foods for her, for example.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed this mindset voice more in a different locale feel and especially within another time frame. These same years, so very different from my "eyes" that it is hard for me to get past all that innocence here. And frankly, because of the VAST difference to what I saw in those years, an incredible naivety in comparison.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the writing in this one. The story took a few turns and ended up surprising me in the end. Young love, tragedy, regret and mistakes. A lot of story filled the pages of this book! Great read!

[Diane Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the story of Harper and Betsy.

[JudiAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is in the early 1980s Two Rivers, Vermont, that the story opens. Harper lives a simple life with his 12 year old daughter Shelly. He lost his wife to a violent crime shortly after his daughter was born and has never been the same since the horrendous tragedy. Nonetheless, he raises his daughter to his best ability but their lifestyle leaves a lot to be desired; for example, supper is given very little thought since it usually comes from a can. This is how they live, dreary day after day until their lives take a dramatic turn when he rescues a young pregnant girl from a train wreck who has traveled to Two Rivers from the south. He brings her home because she has nowhere else to go. Of course, Shelly falls in love with Maggie who gives her love and attention not to mention Maggie is a marvel in the kitchen providing them with delicious southern cooking.

After reading T. Greenwood's novel, Grace, I liked her writing style and also liked it in this novel, however, I did have an issue with the choppy time period transitions in Two Rivers. I expected the story to be somewhat of a mystery concerning Maggie and it was, but that was not obvious until two thirds in. The story jumped around much too much and seemed to center on the past which was way too long and sappy. Consequently, I was left feeling as though something was missing from the main story. Harper seemed to be happy only in his jumbled memories of his wife and he was stagnant in the present time. Harper and Betsy were frustrating characters and frankly I got tired of their teenage and adulthood angst. The synopsis written, by the publisher, is misleading. I went into the book thinking the story would focus mainly on Harper, Shelly, and the mysterious Maggie. Unfortunately, I was dragged back in time to explore a tumultuous relationship that got stale after a while. I will try another of her books since I really like the first one.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner and page-turner by T. Greenwood! Once again, this talented author knows how to tell a powerful, and beautifully written heartwarming story! Looking forward to reading her remaining three books which I have not read (each is as good as the previous one).

Two Rivers is a bittersweet story of a man living in Two Rivers, Vermont, who is suffering daily from guilt after his role in a brutal crime which still haunts him daily. His sins of the past threatens to destroy his present, as Harper seeks forgiveness to make amends for his involvement in the crime long ago.

After his wife, Betsy died twelve years earlier, Harper is raising his daughter, Shelly and working at the railroad, until one day a train derails, he has a chance at redeeming himself when he encounters, Maggie, a pregnant 15 yr old girl who needs his help.

Does the tragedy of losing Betsy justify Harper’s involvement in the scene at the river and the blackberry imagery? A very interesting take on motherhood of Mrs. Parker, Helen, and Betsy and how they embrace their role and are they victims of their time?

A master of combining past with present, the intense feelings and emotions will warm and engage fans of Greenwood for a highly moving love story of redemption, racial tension, loss, love, and forgiveness.

http://judithdcollins.booklikes.com/p...

[Amy Hatvany · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving, lyrical portrait of redemption and the forgiveness to be found in the most unexpected places. I loved every word.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

One man’s story told in two timelines: when Harper Montgomery is a young boy growing up in Two Rivers, Vermont and 12 years later, after the death of his wife Betsy, as he is dealing with the aftermath of a train derailment in town. A mysterious young, pregnant, Black girl who survived the wreck seeks him out and with some misgivings, he allows her to stay with him and his 12-year-old daughter Shelly. The story switches between the two timelines, along with references to disturbing events on the night that Betsy died that have haunted him over the years.

Harper and Betsy and their friends grew up in the 60s and are impacted by the civil rights movement, Vietnam War, and racism which turned violent. Many of the characters are complex, especially Harper’s and Betsy‘s mothers, who bristle at the roles they are confined to in the time period, and how they cope (or don’t cope) in their own ways.

The book is well written, although it is a slow burn in many ways. It took me about halfway through for it to really grab me. It is fascinating to see how it all comes together.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story took a while for me to be invested into it but once I figured this all was happening for a reason, I kept reading and in the end--this is a powerful slow story of race, secrets, love, and what is family!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 stars but I always round up with 1/2 stars....T. Greenwood has become one of my current favorite authors. She has a lovely writing style that makes even uncomfortable situations sound less so.

This particular story took me a little more time to get into than some of her other books, but I stuck with it & I am glad I did.

There are a few different time frames within this book- the 60's ( think civil rights, Vietnam War, etc) & also the early 80's. We meet Harper as a young boy & learn of his friendship with Betsy & that is who most of this story revolves around. But there are a few secrets along the way, one that Harper has a hard time living with & one he has yet to even know about.

I liked this & found parts of it to be a little scattered but not enough to take away from the story. This is an older book from this author & I can see how she has grown & evolved ....

[Ana Mckee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about a man named Harper Montgomery who loses his love and the center of his world, his very being, in a matter of a few minutes. After Betsy's death, Harper is a broken man. He has been left with a baby daughter, that was born the night Betsy died,and the haunting memories a man with "skin the color of late summer blackberries" begging for his life. The story is set during the years of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam war. Few people are unaffected from the violence and incidences of that time. When a 15 year old girl with "skin the color of late summer blackberries" strangely comes into Harper's life 12 years later, the bare threads of his life start to unravel and new fears and unknowns take over. Harper sees life and loss and redemption and rebirth through with different lenses.

T. Greenwood describes Harper's life with a vivid sensualness that you can almost touch. You can smell the river and the trees, experience the seasons and feel the yearnings of the characters. Greenwood tells this story with sensitivity and insight into the human soul. Love and loss are part of our lives but so are redemption and rebirth if we are willing to look through different lenses.

[Denise MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully crafted story of love, loss, forgiveness and trying to move under very trying circumstances. It brought to the forefront how little we may really know about those people we call friends, family, enemies, or lovers. And how we may allow certain moments to define us and shape us. Small towns, rumors, secrets, mistakes, this novel had it all and mixed into that so many emotions- love, loss, revenge, fear, hopelessness. Most of all I think it was about how people will sacrifice their own hopes and dreams to protect the ones they love.

The writing was amazing. The story wasn't told, you were pulled into it, like you were there watching and feeling what the characters were feeling. She captured moments in her characters lives and weaved them together into a beautiful story.

Obviously, I loved it!

[Tattered Cover Book Store]

This is a beautifully written novel with a complex tapestry of family, racism, sociology, cultural matters,love, hate, past and present. The story bounces effortlessly back and forth between the mid 1950's to 1980, building the story much like you would put together a jigsaw puzzle. It's fiction, but it certainly appealed to the mystery lover in me as those bits and pieces began to fit together. Ultimately it is about understanding and forgiveness, though on it's surface it seems to be about a man, a pregnant teenager and a train wreck. But it's so, so, so much more. This is going to be a great bookclub pick--it touches upon such a cornucopia of discussion topics.

Jackie

[Sara Zernechel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a really hard time with this book. It jumps around so much with it's timeline and so much of the story just wasn't exciting to me. I stopped reading about halfway through, then several months later I finally finished. The best thing I can say is that the author does explain everything in the end.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting story of love, race and discovery with a touch of redemption. I didn't think I would like it all that much, but I was sucked in from the first chapter. I did have a problem with a couple of things and some just seemed unbelievable.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way this book was written. I understood the struggles of every character and appreciated the way they sacrificed for others.

[Jodi Bodenheimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. This book tells two stories about the main character at the same time. One is about the character's growing up years and the other was his present life.

[Rindi Trainer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book set in Vermont, during the 1960s. Part of the story is about race relations during that time period, but the story is mostly about love and perseverance. I will definitely read this author again!

[Lisajgray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touching and emotional for me. Maybe not extraordinary, but a lovely summer read.

[Jeremy Shoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually not a fan of these books but who doesn’t like a bunch of curve balls thrown at them! Great read.

[Deenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story line and interesting characters, nice read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book. The ending was such a twist! I would definitely recommend this book to others.