They say as a novelist you must not fall in love with your subject matter, but, as much as I admire the intellect and appreciate the realm of ideas, I do not believe you can write a novel solely from the rational mind. The heart must also be in it, and, once the heart is in it, who knows where it will take you. This novel is where my heart led me. This novel is my love song to rivers—those still living and those that are long gone.
