Swift River

Discover a sweeping story that will break your heart and mend it again, perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing and The Vanishing Half.

'I love a novel this much maybe just once or twice a year.' - Curtis Sittenfeld, author of RODHAM and ROMANTIC COMEDY

'A beautiful multi-generational story of belonging, identity and what it means to find yourself when you've lost your family. Sentence by sentence, the writing can take your breath away.' - Elizabeth Day, author of FRIENDAHOLIC

What if the price of moving forward is losing the only family you've ever known?

Summer, 1987. On the sweltering streets of the dying New England mill town of Swift River, sixteen-year-old Diamond Newbury is desperately lonely. It's been seven years since her father disappeared, and while her mother is determined to move on, Diamond can't distance herself from his memory. When Diamond receives a letter from a relative she has never met, she unearths long-buried secrets of her family's past and discovers a legacy she never knew she was missing. The more she learns, however, the harder it becomes to reconcile her old life with the one she wants to lead.

So begins an epic story spanning the twentieth century that reveals a much larger picture of prejudice and love, of devotion and abandonment - and will change Diamond's life forever.

'Told with warmth and humor by a memorable, irrepressible heroine.' - Rumaan Alam, author of LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND

'Swift River broke my heart, and then offered me hope.' - Ann Napolitano, author of HELLO BEAUTIFUL

'Infused with that satisfying feeling one gets when you realize the missing piece to the puzzle is a sense of self . . . a sensational debut.' - Paul Beatty, author of THE SELLOUT

Genre: Literary Fiction

"Swift River is a tender coming-of-age novel, a story of grief both personal and historical, one told with warmth and humor by a memorable, irrepressible heroine. Essie Chambers writes powerfully about the bonds of family, the many ways people fail and save one another, and the human instinct for resilience." - Rumaan Alam

"In the tradition of all great mother-daughter stories, Swift River is complicated, frank, yet infused with that satisfying feeling one gets when you realize the missing piece to the puzzle is a sense of self. Page by beautifully vibrant page, Swift River comes at you in whirring Kodachrome snapshots of memory, classic rock, and hidden New England lore. A sensational debut." - Paul Beatty

"Swift River is the book we all need to revive our souls. It's told with such grace, humor, and above all, heart. I could follow Diamond and her captivating journey forever. It's heartbreaking. It's beautiful. This epic novel deserves all the attention in the world. A must read!" - Nicole Dennis-Benn

"Swift River is a fearless, cinematic exploration of loss and inheritance, written with fierce urgency and overflowing compassion. From the very first image of river-mud-caked shoes, Diamond's story - part coming of age, part epistolarian excavation of grief - instantly pulled me in and held me close through an addicting mix of hope and suspense." - Xochitl Gonzalez

"A powerful novel about how our family history shapes us; it is only when Diamond learns about the women that came before her - their strengths and losses mirroring her own - that she can finally imagine a better future for herself. Swift River broke my heart, and then offered me hope." - Ann Napolitano

"Truly amazing. Such an incredible blend of intimate and epic, so smart and funny and honest and generous-spirited. I like plenty of books but I love a novel this much maybe just once or twice a year." - Curtis Sittenfeld

"Essie Chambers masterfully weaves this story together, building characters and worlds so real I felt pangs of nostalgia while turning the pages. This is a voice I'd follow anywhere." - Dawnie Walton

"Darkly funny and fiery, heartbreaking and healing, with language so gorgeous I went back to read sentences again and again. What a beautiful debut." - Jacqueline Woodson