Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood

by Jame Richards

Sixteen-Year-Old Celstia spends every summer with her family at the elite resort at Lake Conemaugh, a shimmering Allegheny Mountain reservoir held in place by an earthen dam. Tired of the society crowd, Celestia prefers to swim and fish with Peter, the hotel’s hired boy. It’s a friendship she must keep secret, and when companionship turns to romance, it’s a love that could get Celestia disowned. These affairs of the heart become all the more wrenching on a single, tragic day in May, 1889. After days of heavy rain, the dam fails, unleashing 20 million tons of water onto Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the valley below. The town where Peter lives with his father. The town where Celestia has just arrived to join him. This searing novel in poems explores a cross-class romance—and a tragic event in U. S. history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Poetry, Historical, Romance, Teen, Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 13, 2010

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Papa says, "It's unnatural---
lakes weren't meant to be
so high in the mountains,
up over our heads.
Rich folks think
they know better than God
where a lake oughta be."

He's talking about South Fork Reservoir,
miles of icy creek water
held in place above our valley
by a seventy-foot earthen dam.

The owners call it Lake Conemaugh.
They raised it up from a puddle,
built fancy-trim houses all in a row
and a big clubhouse on the shore,
stocked it with fish,
and now they bring their families in from Pittsburgh
every summer season.

The South Fork Dam sat high above the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It was intended to be part of a cross-state canal system, but when that project was abandoned the dam, the reservoir, and Lake Conemaugh were sold to private investors - a group of wealthy speculators with the intent of turning the area into a resort. Their alterations to the dam made it less stable, and they failed to replace a system of relief valves that would lower the water level in case of emergency.



In late May of 1889, a series of storms dumped ten inches of rain on the area in one twenty-four hour period. When the dam failed on the afternoon of the 31st, it is estimated that it was holding back over three billion gallons of water.

Once the water gets a taste
for moving
nothing can stop it.

By the time the wall of water hit Johnstown, located 14 miles from the dam, it was carrying with it trees, houses, animals, train cars, and even barbed wire from a local wire works plant.

It is some time before we see water.
First is churning
trees
poles
fences
barns
and houses.
Then the valley is a river---
a boiling soup
of buildings
horses
cows
and people,
some clinging to rooftops
or logs,
some floating
already still.



Over two thousand people lost their lives in the flood, the worst in the nineteenth century.



I'm not sure why the author chose to write this in verse, but it worked. Every word counted, and it made her tale of this harrowing event even more riveting and intense. Richards uses multiple narrators to tell the story that leads up to the flood. During the catastrophe itself, the characters are located at different points along the water's path, providing constantly changing viewpoints of the action.

I found this to be a breathless read, and a compelling look at an American tragedy.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn in by Richards beautiful verse. Her writing style was fabulous and the plot was one I’d never read. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, but I’ve never read about the Johnstown Flood. Richards did a great job of tying historical facts in with a variety of sub plots. There were five different narrators which may seem like a lot, but it worked out well. The reader got to see different peoples perspectives of the flood and how their stories tied together. The romance was sweet and honest. Celestia and Peter’s relationship was believable and tugged on the readers heartstrings. When things got tough, I was anxious to find out what would happened next and Three Rivers Rising drew out a variety of emotions from me while reading. The first half of the novel let Celestia and Peter’s relationship develop as well as let the reader better understand all the characters. By the time the flood came I was on the edge of my seat, hoping my favorite characters would come out unscathed. It was a harrowing experience for the reader and I could picture everything that was happening. In the writing style of Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder, Jame Richards wrote an emotional and powerful debut that combines class tensions, family strife, love, friendship, disease, disaster, hope, death, love, and more. The ending was satisfying but I would love to read more about Celestia and Peter, as well as the other characters, in a future novel, but I think their stories are complete.

To elaborate, the multiple narrations were by Maura, Kate, Celestia, Peter, and Whitcomb. Maura was a young mother struggling to raise four children while her husband worked on the railroad. Her struggles to escape the flood with her family is empowering and awe-inspiring. Kate, a tough nurse, who has already faced death, is a character that meets up with all the other narrators at some point and even saves their lives. Celestia, a “rich” girl struggling to make her family understand her love for the “hired” boy is a great character. She doesn’t care about social class and wants her family to be together more than anything else. Peter, the love interest, is another great character- I loved him myself by the end. He was perfect for Celestia and their romance was well developed and real. Whitcomb, the final narrator, is Celestia’s father. He doesn’t have a huge role until the end, but his heartbreaking narration changes readers opinions of him from the beginning drastically. All in all, Richards did a terrific job of keeping the narrations easy to follow and developed each character perfectly. The reader gets very attached to the characters and they’ll definitely remain in my head for a long time.

The plot was extremely unique. I have never heard of the Johnstown Flood, much less read about it. Richards introduces readers to a time in our countries history rarely mentioned. Although the cast of characters are mainly fictional, she does portray this time in history quite accurately. Three Rivers Rising will attract both reluctant and veteran readers and I am definitely on the Jame Richards bandwagon now, I can’t wait to read more of her novels.

Keep in mind this was written in verse, one of my favorite writing styles and it perfectly fit this novel. The verse style helped capture emotions of the characters even more and made it a fast read. It wasn’t only a quick read because of the verse style, but also because it was hard to put down. By the time the story was going hour by hour on the day of the flood I couldn’t stop reading. I’ve already passed this book onto my mom, and will be sure to recommend it to my friends when it’s released. This is definitely one I’ll be picking up a finished copy of to add to my collection. A debut novel I wasn’t sure about at first, Three Rivers Rising surpassed all my expectations and more.

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

[Gwen NOW ON STORYGRAPH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not expecting this to be written in free verse, but was nonetheless pleased because it was a quick read. I enjoyed how the various perspectives showed the differences between people’s lifestyles as well as how the flood affected people in each town.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like novels in verse. I like books told from multiple perspectives. But I don't tend to like books in verse told from multiple perspectives. I find that the free verse doesn't lend itself to establishing different voices for the characters. And that's my major complaint with this book. I found the different stories to be interesting and the historical information at the end to fulfill my requirements--there is a timeline, information on whether characters are real people, modeled after real people, or completely fictional, and resources for further reading on the subject.

I picked this book because I knew it was set around the Johnstown flood, and my best friend from college is origianlly from Johnstown. The high society aspects were frustrating, as they always tend to be for me, just because I can't understand disowning a child who "disgraces" the family. But overall, it was a good story with an interesting historical backdrop.

Reading Scavenger Hunt: river, though it could also work for disease

[Frezanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't like to read story written in verses. I gues that's because of my wariness of poetry. This book ....what can I say about this book...There are several point of views in this book. The verses style actually help and improve the feeling and emotion the characters had at that point of time. It's really poignant.

The story is really good but for me the story went from good to awesome when the flood happened. Instead of reading the story, it feels like you saw it. You were in the story witnessing the flood happened through the characters' eyes. You saw. You ran. You got cold. You feared.

[Georgia Yeager · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most unusual book I have read about the Johnstown Flood. Being a resident of Johnstown, the flood and its story, both real and imagined, interest me. Three River Rising, however, stands out because it is written in modern poetry form. The backdrop is historic but the characters are imagined. The reader sees the flood through the eyes of several people - what it might have been like to live through the event if you were rich from the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club or if you were a common resident of the city involved in heroic efforts that day. The poetry was engaging and the characters memorable. I really enjoyed this fresh, unusual take on the flood story.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fast and fascinating read! I loved the blending of genres and that it was written in verse. However, something was missing for me to give it a 5... maybe that it just ended - it didn't leave me with anything new. Still a worthwhile read in the end.

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting topic. Quick read

[Janet Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely written and performed but predictable, not just the disaster, but the characters. Definitely more appealing for YA than adult readers

[Mrs. S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this novel-in-verse on a whim in the bookstore today and read it all in one sitting. Told from several (five, I think?) perspectives, this book does a remarkable job of building a world populated with characters I cared about and then crashing in with the flood waters to tear it all down.

If you're not familiar with the story of the flood (as I was not before I read this book), it's hard to believe. In the mid-1800s, a dam was built to create a reservoir for industrial use, perched on a mountain in rural Pennsylvania. Eventually the reservoir fell out of use and into disrepair. In 1879, it was purchased for use as a stocked fishing lake in what became a private club for wealthy sportsmen. The owner of the club made a few shoddy repairs in order to fill the lake, including several modifications that actually made it moredangerous. When an engineer came from the iron works that made up the backbone of the working class town just down the mountain and declared it unsafe, the owner of the club refused to change it. The iron works offered to pay for the repairs, but the owner couldn't be budged. The dam was so chronically on the verge of breaking that the citizens living below it had long stopped listening when anyone warned that danger was imminent by the time it actually broke in the spring of 1889. Thousands of lives were lost, both in the rushing waters of the flood and trying to survive the aftermath (cold, wet, ruined towns with little food, little heat, and the diseases borne by standing flood waters with no medicine to treat them.) The decisions made to keep a few wealthy people happy devastated several towns--which, of course, because this is the way of things--were all working-class or outright impoverished to begin with.

I found the story of the flood itself utterly fascinating and horrifying, and the author recommends David McCullough's book on the subject, which I may pick up. But the fictional stories woven against the backdrop of the flood were just as compelling. I found that some narrative voices worked better for me than others, especially in the beginning, but by the end of the story I was rooting for each and every one of them. I thought the verse format worked especially well for two of the supporting characters: one, a young woman turned to nursing to dull her pain after the drowning death of her fiance in a shallow stream near her home, the other, the young wife of a railroad worker who is half-married to her, and half-married to his work.

This is a quick read with a story that will sweep you away. It started a little slow for me but give it a chance: while it takes its time setting the stage, I think it's worth it for the investment I felt in the characters once the flood came.

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 3 out of 5]

THREE RIVERS RISING, Jame Richards’ debut novel, is a moving work of historical fiction, its verse format making it all the more accessible to a wider audience. The story and character development feel a little forced, however, but in spite of these problems I still found it a good read, worthy of sharing.

I had never heard of the Johnstown flood before, but it was a great backdrop for a variety of characters’ stories, and it added a deeper layer of complexity and suspense to the historical fiction. Celestia and Peter’s improper romance, in particular, was well developed, and presents to readers a moving portrait of class divisions in the late nineteenth century. The historical aspects of the book are unique, but not all-encompassing: you could probably consider this “historical fiction lite.”

Jame Richards’ verses are easy on the eyes and mind. It is happily devoid of the stiltedness that sometimes occurs in historical fiction; instead, the lines are straightforward, always more for plot and characterization than for building the setting. The sense of mounting tension we get as the moment of the flood draws nearer is spectacular. Richards’ writing and her sense of pace at crucial moments drove me forward in my reading, unwilling to put the book down.

Unfortunately, I felt that the multiple points of view contributed to the lack of thorough character development and connection. Celestia and Peter’s stories were the most developed; Maura’s and Kate’s felt sadly rushed, incomplete, and force, due to the less amount of space they are given in the novel. Switching narrators contributed to the rising suspense at the novel’s climax, but did not help me fully understand and sympathize with any of them. Dedicating the book to exploring the nuances of Celestia and Peter’s relationship would’ve probably made this a more emotionally satisfying story for me.

Additionally, the ending of the book felt unnaturally neat, which jars with our sense of the flood’s destructive power. The “perfection” of the ending brought me uncomfortably close to rolling my eyes and lowering the age range of readers I’d recommend this book to.

Despite these issues, I still overall enjoyed THREE RIVERS RISING for its unique way of approaching historical fiction. The verse was lovely, and the actual section where the flood occurs—which is what’s most important—will tug at your heartstrings. THREE RIVERS RISING is an easy historical read that can be enjoyed by a wide range of readers, from the middle school history buff to the grandparent looking for a light read on a fascinating moment in time.

[kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of the 1889 Johnstown flood as seen through the eyes of several fictional characters who experience it.
Celestia, the daughter of a rich industrialist falls in love with Peter, who is a working class boy from Johnstown, most of the story is about the two of them, her family and how they strive to be together.
I think her family's behavior/reaction was very true to the times and who they were. Nicely brought up young ladies simply didn't mix with the help, but Celestia sees the world differently. Her sister, Estrella, makes a big mistake and ends up exiled from the family, not even to be mentioned again so Celestia knows what price she'll pay for disobedience.
The flood is, of course, the centerpiece of the book and I liked that it was done that way, that we got enough back story to care about the characters, but that the flood didn't happen in the last pages so we got to see what happens after.
The description of the flood are very well done. I could imagine how it felt to be there, to have this mass of water and debris hurling down at them.
The story is all told is verse and that worked very well as it makes the story very spare, including only what the characters are thinking or doing, not too much extra information.
Thorougly enjoyed it and now I'm going to look for a non-fiction book about the flood.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars - sometimes a girl needs a half!!

I love historical fiction about events that I didn't know anything about and this book absolutely fits the bill. Lake Conemaugh was a man-made reservoir, stocked with fish for the pleasure of rich tourists. Though the dam showed signs of wear, the owners neglected to make the necessary repairs, even though tons of water threatened thousands of people living in the valleys below the resort. In 1889, the dam broke, flooding the valley and killing thousands.

I have mixed feelings about novels in verse and this book was no exception. In my opinion, very few novels in verse are actually poetic enough to merit being told in that format. But maybe I feel that way because I don't know very much about poetry... this is very possible. Anyway, the format was fine, but I wonder if the story would have been richer had it been told in straight prose rather than prose poems.

Ms. Richards does include a nice author's note and a list of sources for those interested in learning more about the Johnstown Flood.

http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2010/...

[Khornberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical novel written in verse is a perfect selection for any student but what a great find it would be for someone required to read historical fiction! Jame Richard's knowledge and research is impressive; she weaves her wealth of knowledge (gathered on this one specific event in history since she was a child) into verse which is simple yet draws readers immediately into the various characters lives and situations. The class differences are interesting and they illustrate how money does not necessarily equate to happiness or kindness. The story ties up nicely for each character and the characters have a way of staying in your thoughts for days after completing the book, especially because the author concludes with comments on how a few are modeled after actual people who endured the Johnstown Flood. It was an appropriate time of year to read this novel since we just had Hurricane Irene swing through our area bringing fear of floods. Luckily I was able to read the entire story in a nice dry, warm home :)

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was obviously historical, but I really enjoyed it because it was a story of something I had never heard of before, and the story was so heart-breaking that I did not feel that I was learning. The story was fiction but the events were all real.

Celestia was a very like-able character, she fell in love with someone below her class, and decided to follow that love, regardless of what her parents thought. While this was reckless, it shows the strictness of that society, and how very few could get married for love.


The Johnstown flood was massive and no one really saw it coming, because of this book I was introduced to the great flood, and astounded that it is never talked about. This book really brought it to life and showed that a historical story can be very interesting as well as informative.


Overall a great book with great characters, and a great historical setting.

[Briony · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting perspective on a historical event. The author's purpose was to create an account that did not solely focus on the actual event but rather integrated it into her story line. While I immensely enjoyed the book, it was not what I originally expected.

Richards created a book that was beautifully written and smoothly transitioned from one person to the next. I also found it to be a very quick read and I had a hard time putting it down, but the book only received four stars for one major reason. When I heard that an author had decided to write about the Johnstown Flood I could barely contain my excitement. However, once I started to read Three Rivers Rising, I was a bit disappointed that Richards had decided to take the star-crossed lovers approach. As someone mentioned in their own review, the Peter and Celeste romance did have a Dirty Dancing feel, but Richards redeemed herself through her writing.

[Amy White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical fiction and was very excited to read this novel by a fellow Tenner. Jame does an amazing job of evoking the time period, the conflicts between social classes, and the different voices telling the story. What I especially loved was how she conveys the complexity of emotions swirling before, during, and after the flood.

Looking forward to more novels by Jame!

[Guadalupe McCall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. I loved Celestia and Estrella...they were so full of life. I especially liked how a fellow Tenner and poet wove a beautiful story against the historical facts of the flood in Johnstown. The metaphors were beautifully executed. It was so good, I devoured it in less than 24 hours. Great job Jame! FIVE STARS

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book riveting. And, I'm wavering between giving it 4 or 5 stars. The ending just didn't sit right with me. It seemed way too tidy for a book about such destruction. But, the use of free verse to tell the story is perfect because it conveys the sense of urgency, shock and fear that people must have felt during the flood. Great book!

[Lindsay Eland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book last week and it's absolutely amazing! Jame's does an incredible job with every single element in this book...it's really a masterpiece and is just as haunting and enchanting as Out of the Dust. Highly, highly recommend!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite
the girls' behavior
which would have been unforgivably wild
by Victorian standards

Nobody went swimming with the opposite sex
after dark
in the 1880s

And despite
the much-too-tidy happy ending
complete with Lord Edgar

I survived
the Johnstown flood
and a novel in verse

[Irene Latham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction and written in verse. Wonderful voices and story soared above the historical drama. LOVED! Also written by a fellow Tenner. :)

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel in verse...can't wait to discuss this with the Challenge Book Club students. I love learning history from fiction!

[Sophia Doherty · Rating 2 out of 5]

It wasn’t horrible, but it was boring, predictable, and honestly unrealistic. It seemed like the author just decided to use the Johnstown Flood to write a romance novel, but since they already had a major part of the plot written, they didn’t put forth the effort to create a strong narrative.

The different-class romance was boring and reminded me too much of Titanic, and the whole thing seemed pretty unbelievable, simply because none of the characters died. The whole flood needed to be more drawn out, written with more detail, and written more horrifically. It almost glossed over the flood and made it out to be far less terrible than it actually was, as if it didn’t kill 100s of people and destroy multiple towns.

It was also unrealistic that out of 5 main characters caught in the flood, not a single one died or was significantly injured. It was honestly annoying to me that none of them died; first Peter survived the flood then Celestia survived typhoid. It was just hard to believe they could have had such good luck, and weirdly enough there needed to be more tragedy in the story.

The lack of detail and death left no surprises for the reader and made the flood, the climax of the story, very anticlimactic and predictable. For example, by the end of the book you could easily tell that Estrella was going to come back with her child.

And then Maura’s story line ended so abruptly and she interacted with so few characters that I really didn’t understand her significance to the plot.

Honestly, it wasn’t my least favorite book to read, it was at least entertaining, but it was just boring and seemed like the author didn’t put forth enough effort to make a strong plot with deep characters.

[Renatta Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books starts off with romance between a wealthy girl named Celestia and low classed Peter. The only problem between the two is Celestia's parents do not approve the feelings because of how low classed Peter is. They are so disappointed in her, and the only thought that goes in their head is how bad of a daughter she is. But just as soon as they find out that news, they also hear that the oldest daughter Estrella who is engaged is already pregnant. They are extremely outraged and they force her to leave. Celestia adds on to how bad that was for her sister by saying, "My sister is... ruined." (74) The two parents are still worried about Celestia so they decided to send her to Europe to get her life together. When coming back, a terrible flood has occurred in the area... and the only person Celestia seeks for is Peter. This book was quite old fashioned, but the story plot was amazing and put in an interesting way!
"She withers and looks down at her hands as if they held some answer. 'Go now. My train will not wait' I cannot stop shaking my head. 'No! No! No!'-more sob than speech. Mother and Mimsy pull me away. I am an angry child- hot helpless tears, stamping and struggling." This passage is so powerful because it lets the readers understand that children had no freedom in say. They just had to listen and do whatever was told. No matter what was happening, all what can be done is watch and cry. They got punished for doing something that was "wrong" in their opinion. Celestia and her sister will only think they've done something wrong, rather than having people there to support them.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very enjoyable read. The characters were easy to connect with and their stories were all so unique. There are five narrators in total throughout this novel: Celestia, Peter, Kate, Whitcomb, and Maura. At first, I was afraid having multiple narrators would become confusing. However, the author breaks the novel into sections underneath each characters name to ensure the reader is not lost. By the end of the book, I ended up loving the multiple narrators and I think five was the perfect amount. The book's layout allowed the reader to jump from storylines and eventually see the different perspectives of the same event that all of the characters experience collectively. In the classroom, I think this would be an excellent book to have available. This novel has accurate historic elements in it, as well as the pleasures that come with reading any fiction book. The author has brilliantly written in verse, so this could be a fantastic way to introduce readers and writers to verse novels as well. Another positive of this book is that it introduces a new style of writing to potential readers. It is more common to have one narrator than four. This book exhibits how to write skillfully when adopting a different style than what is typical for a novel. I must add, this book does contain mature content which is definitely something to consider. I wouldn't suggest any child under the age of 13 or 14 to read this book. As a teacher, I would use discretion when choosing this book for my students to read.

[Monica Caldicott]

Read p. 6: Peter's father says, "It's unnatural - lakes weren't meant to be ...everyone in Johnstown kids each other about the dam breaking."
 
Peter takes a summer job at the lake's clubhouse and so gets a clear view of those rich people who come for fishing and hunting and showing off their wealth. The view he does enjoy, is the beautiful, young, white-dressed form reading her book by the lake.
 
Peter and Celestia's summer romance goes against all social customs of the 1880s, and so they must keep it a secret.
 
Tragic affairs of the heart grow even more tragic on a single day - May 31, 1889 - when the Johnstown jokes about the dam breaking come true in one massive wave of water. The author explains some facts about the Johnstown flood at the back of the book, and she describes the amount of water in this way: "It would have been like turning on Niagara Falls for 36 minutes."
 
Told in poems from multiple points of view.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know what’s going on with my reading choices this year (must be the radar is acting up), but this is my second book in a few months that is a) a young adult book; b) written in verse; c) about a disaster. And d) I liked them both! The first was about Titanic (The Watch That Ends the Night), this is about the Johnstown Flood. After I read McCullough’s excellent history last year, I figured it was time to pull this one off my beleaguered TBR finally. It is way shorter than the page count and an interesting way to tell this story, especially if you already know the history. I’d recommend reading a brief history account first if you don’t, as this only touches on the classism at work in America during that time period. What do we not learn over and over from history? Warnings are only good if they are heeded.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 1800's class systems were clear. The wealthy had it good at their clubhouses, parties, and more. Celestia comes from a family where it is clear that she is meant to marry within her class. Peter is the hotel's hired boy, barely seen or considered by the hotel clientele. But Celestia's desire for peace and quiet as she reads and Peter's desire to fish causes these paths to mix and mingle. So it is that this love affair takes place with the backdrop of the single, tragic day in May 1889 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. After days of rain, the dam, which provides a lake for the club members to fish, breaks, sending torrents of water downstream, where three rivers meet, washing out the town of Johnstown completely. Over 2000 people are never heard from again.
But I am getting ahead of myself. The story of love and perseverance is strong. The story is told in verse, beautiful and concise.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm interested in history. A podcast appeared last week on my feed about the Johnston Flood so I thought it was remarkably coincidental when the librarian asked me to check this book out.

It's narrative poetry told from several points of view. I'm not really fond of narrative poetry but my students enjoy it because it's nonintimidating with lots of whitespace on the page.

I'm not sure how much they understand at this age about class and dating outside one's class, especially in Victorian America. However, the only way they'll ever learn about it is by reading or experiencing it. At this age, it's better if they read about it.

It's a quick read but I don't know who I'd recommend it to. Perhaps another history buff.