2023 HWA Debut Crown Award (longlist)
Inspired by extraordinary true events, River Sing Me Home is a soaring story of courage and sacrifice, and a testament to the remarkable tenacity of hope.
- Soon to be adapted as a feature film by AL Films and BBC Film.
- Prima magazine's Books of the Year 2023.
- A Good Morning America Book Club Pick.
'Every once in a while, a book comes along that is so assured and so powerful you can't believe it's a debut.... Eleanor Shearer brings this story of a mother's courage to the page with compassion and tenderness' Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author
'I was riveted by Rachel's story. Like the River of its title, this novel sings. Beautiful' Cherie Jones, author of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House, shortlisted for The Women's Prize for Fiction
'A searing debut full of love and loss... Heartbreaking, hopeful, and unforgettable... this is the kind of book that will stay with readers for years to come' Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author
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Rachel is searching for her children. For Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. These are the five who were sold to other plantations; the faces she cannot forget. It is 1834, and the law says her people are now free. But for Rachel freedom means finding her children.
With fear snapping at her heels, Rachel keeps moving. From sunrise to sunset, through the cane fields of Barbados to the forests of British Guiana, then on to Trinidad, up the dangerous river and to the open sea. Only once she knows their stories can she rest. Only then can she finally find home...
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'A top contender for my book of the year. I beg you to read it' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
'Powerful . . . certainly my best read of the year' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
'An astounding debut' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
'One of the most incredibly moving books I have ever read that will stay with me for a long time' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
'Incredibly moving'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
'I adored this novel' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
Genre: Historical
- Soon to be adapted as a feature film by AL Films and BBC Film.
- Prima magazine's Books of the Year 2023.
- A Good Morning America Book Club Pick.
'Every once in a while, a book comes along that is so assured and so powerful you can't believe it's a debut.... Eleanor Shearer brings this story of a mother's courage to the page with compassion and tenderness' Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author
'I was riveted by Rachel's story. Like the River of its title, this novel sings. Beautiful' Cherie Jones, author of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House, shortlisted for The Women's Prize for Fiction
'A searing debut full of love and loss... Heartbreaking, hopeful, and unforgettable... this is the kind of book that will stay with readers for years to come' Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author
-------------
Rachel is searching for her children. For Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. These are the five who were sold to other plantations; the faces she cannot forget. It is 1834, and the law says her people are now free. But for Rachel freedom means finding her children.
With fear snapping at her heels, Rachel keeps moving. From sunrise to sunset, through the cane fields of Barbados to the forests of British Guiana, then on to Trinidad, up the dangerous river and to the open sea. Only once she knows their stories can she rest. Only then can she finally find home...
-------------
'A top contender for my book of the year. I beg you to read it' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
'Powerful . . . certainly my best read of the year' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
'An astounding debut' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
'One of the most incredibly moving books I have ever read that will stay with me for a long time' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
'Incredibly moving'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
'I adored this novel' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"A powerful novel that explores how freedom and family are truly defined." - Marie Benedict
"Lyrical, heartbreaking, thought-provoking . . . A book about love, motherhood and survival that will stay with you long after you've finished it." - Costanza Casati
"An extraordinary and gripping debut. Rachel's love for her children resonates through each page as she fights for her freedom and theirs. A must-read!" - Chanel Cleeton
"RIVER SING ME HOME is a masterclass in how to speak of unspeakable things. A beautiful read." - Meg Clothier
"Epic and lyrical, a story about love and the power it brings us." - Frank Cottrell-Boyce
"RIVER SING ME HOME slices you open . . . and knits you back up again. A powerful account of love, loss, defiance and the lengths to which a mother will go in order to make herself and her family whole again. Breathtaking." - Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ
"A searing debut full of love, loss, and the shadows of the past . . . Heartbreaking, hopeful, and unforgettable. Both a powerful ode to the endless depths of a mother's love and an important meditation on what freedom really means, this is the kind of book that will stay with readers for years to come." - Kristin Harmel
"Every once in a while, a book comes along that is so assured and so powerful you can't believe it's a debut novel. RIVER SING ME HOME is just such a book . . . Eleanor Shearer is a remarkable writer and she brings this story of a mother's courage to the page with compassion, tenderness and pitch-perfect prose." - Natasha Lester
"A powerful story, beautifully told. Shearer skilfully depicts the cruelty of the British slave trade, contrasted with one mother's indomitable love for her children, and her burning will to live. An empathic, elegantly rendered and deeply humane novel." - Jessica Moor
"An extraordinary odyssey of pain, love, and homecoming . . . RIVER SING ME HOME is a haunting and powerful debut." - Kate Quinn
"I absolutely loved this book and Eleanor Shearer's lyrical prose kept me gripped as the story moved from Barbados to Demerara and Trinidad . . . a beautifully written debut." - Stacey Thomas
"A strong and beautiful novel that stares into the face of brutality and the heart of love." - Jeanette Winterson
"Lyrical, heartbreaking, thought-provoking . . . A book about love, motherhood and survival that will stay with you long after you've finished it." - Costanza Casati
"An extraordinary and gripping debut. Rachel's love for her children resonates through each page as she fights for her freedom and theirs. A must-read!" - Chanel Cleeton
"RIVER SING ME HOME is a masterclass in how to speak of unspeakable things. A beautiful read." - Meg Clothier
"Epic and lyrical, a story about love and the power it brings us." - Frank Cottrell-Boyce
"RIVER SING ME HOME slices you open . . . and knits you back up again. A powerful account of love, loss, defiance and the lengths to which a mother will go in order to make herself and her family whole again. Breathtaking." - Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ
"A searing debut full of love, loss, and the shadows of the past . . . Heartbreaking, hopeful, and unforgettable. Both a powerful ode to the endless depths of a mother's love and an important meditation on what freedom really means, this is the kind of book that will stay with readers for years to come." - Kristin Harmel
"Every once in a while, a book comes along that is so assured and so powerful you can't believe it's a debut novel. RIVER SING ME HOME is just such a book . . . Eleanor Shearer is a remarkable writer and she brings this story of a mother's courage to the page with compassion, tenderness and pitch-perfect prose." - Natasha Lester
"A powerful story, beautifully told. Shearer skilfully depicts the cruelty of the British slave trade, contrasted with one mother's indomitable love for her children, and her burning will to live. An empathic, elegantly rendered and deeply humane novel." - Jessica Moor
"An extraordinary odyssey of pain, love, and homecoming . . . RIVER SING ME HOME is a haunting and powerful debut." - Kate Quinn
"I absolutely loved this book and Eleanor Shearer's lyrical prose kept me gripped as the story moved from Barbados to Demerara and Trinidad . . . a beautifully written debut." - Stacey Thomas
"A strong and beautiful novel that stares into the face of brutality and the heart of love." - Jeanette Winterson
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