SOLVED. Science Fantasy; Girl (uncouth, rough and tumble, illiterate) operates a riverboat in a large city. Against her better judgement, she pulls a very handsome (probably blonde), very wealthy man from the very polluted river [s]

[Court]

I read this book about ten years ago when I was in middle school. For the life of me, all I can remember is the opening sequence. Girl (uncouth, rough and tumble, illiterate) operates a riverboat in a large city. Against her better judgement, she pulls a very handsome (probably blonde), very wealthy man from the very polluted river after a group of mysterious ne'er do wells toss him into the water. Later, she flys off the handle when he tries to wash pots and pans with water from the river.

I cannot remember the female characters name, but it was a variation of Liberty, or indedpendence, or reform or ameliorate...or something like that.

Please help!

thank you!

[Mir]

And you say in your subject line that that this was fantasy or science fiction, rather than historical fiction? Was the setting our regular world or someplace else?

[Court]

Yes. It was set in an alternate universe, more thank likey a mixture of science FIC and fantasy.

[Cheryl]

Sounds like it would fall into the Urban Fantasy genre, with authors like Charles de Lint and Ellen Datlow. I don't know much about the genre, but there are Listopias and groups that read it. I don't know if there's much written for young teens in it, either - it seems like what I've heard about it, it's aimed at age 16 and up.

Just some thoughts - don't know if you can glean any hints to the book or tips for searching from my guesses.

[caracal-eyes]

Huh...sounds like it could be Queen City Jazz, or one of the books in that series--Mississippi Blues in particular looks promising. But I'm not sure those books fit the criteria, though they do take place in an alternate America, apparently have boats and rivers involved, and the heroine's name is Verity, which seems at least something like what you had in mind, name-wise.

[Barbara]

Any chance you're thinking of Angel With the Sword by CJ Cherryh?

[caracal-eyes]

Barbara wrote: "Any chance you're thinking of Angel With the Sword by CJ Cherryh?"

--Haven't read that one (yet), but your guess looks better than mine. I bet that's it.

[Cheryl]

for the link: Angel with the Sword

[Court]

YES!!! Thank you so much! You are all fabulous!

[Ann aka Iftcan]

So does that mean that the book is Angel with the Sword is it Court? If so, congrats. :o)