Your Preview Verdict: Go as a River by Shelley Read

Sometimes you must carve your own path.

On a cool autumn morning, Victoria Nash heads into her village pulling a rickety wagon filled with late-season peaches. As she nears an intersection, a stranger in town stops to ask her the way.

She makes the decision to walk with him. ‘Go as a river,’ he tells her as they part ways.

So begins a mesmerising story of split-second decisions and considered acts that make up one woman’s tumultuous life, as Victoria begins to absorb and follow his words.

Gathering all the pieces of her small and extraordinary existence, spinning through the eddies of desire, heartbreak and betrayal, she will arrive at a single rocky decision that will change her life forever.

Buy a copy of Go as a River here.

Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:

Oh, this book was so beautifully written, and I just loved it! What a fantastic debut novel by Shelley Read. Go as a River is the story of Victoria Nash, a young girl growing up on a peach farm in Colorado in the late 1940s. The reader gets to experience the trials and tribulations that face Victoria as she grows from a teenager to a young woman and beyond. At times devastatingly sad, Read has managed to maintain an air of hope throughout to keep the reader entertained and encouraged. The exploration of the different relationships that Victoria experiences throughout her life are complex and well-written. The varying emotions described are involved yet authentically portrayed by the characters. Go as a River is a story of a different kind of heroine. A strong, determined, brave and selfless woman who is deeply loyal to those she truly loves and capable of more than she can possibly believe. I would recommend this to all, especially lovers of historical fiction and women’s stories. Mary-Jo, VIC, 5 Stars

I really enjoyed reading this debut novel. A beautiful story about the lasting effects of a chance encounter and first and enduring love. I could envisage this adapted to a movie. Luciana, WA, 5 Stars

Go as a River is a beautifully written debut novel by Shelley Read. Victoria Nash is 17 when she meets the love of her life, Wilson Moon, in 1948. Set in the Colorado wilderness, this book tells the story of a resilient young woman who survives love and loss to build a new life for herself. I highly recommend this book. Anne, ACT, 5 Stars

As soon as I saw that this book was being compared to Where the Crawdads Sing I knew I had to read it. It’s a coming-of-age story set in Colorado in the 1940s. The writing is atmospheric, very descriptive, and beautifully written. This book is about hardship, love, heartbreak, perseverance, courage and so much more. Please make sure you check out the content warnings because this book does feature some tough subjects. I highly recommend this amazing debut novel. Kerissa, WA, 5 Stars

Such a beautifully written book. So descriptive it really takes you into the story. Tanya, VIC, 5 Stars

Wonderfully written, Go as a River, by debut author Shelley Read, was unputdownable. I loved it so much that I wanted Victoria’s story to continue. It took me on a whirlwind of emotions: sadness, disappointment, joy and most of all hopefulness. This is a coming-of-age novel that captures the life of a beautiful character in mid 1900s America, in the Colorado region. Victoria Nash’s life unfolds in the most unexpected direction one fateful day. A brilliant character, Victoria Nash – a lover of sun-kissed peaches, natural beauty, and a man named Will Moon, who is unwelcomed in the local town of Iola. I recently read a quote that likened this book to Where the Crawdads Sing. This is so true! It’s one of those books that will keep you recommending it to others for a long time and one that should be made into a movie. The description of the natural beauty of the landscape and the touching story of Victoria’s journey through life are just so captivating. I wish I could give it more than five stars. Julie, VIC, 5 Stars

This book is ✨exquisite ✨ and I very much wish I’d written it. Shelley Read’s vivid and generous writing style captured me from the prologue and continued to impress right through to the final page. Go As A River tells the story of Victoria Nash, a peach farmer who lives in the Colorado countryside. On her way to sell some late-season peaches, Victoria happens upon a friendly stranger and makes the decision to walk with him. As they part ways, he tells her, ‘Go as a river’. What follows is a beautiful, tragic, and mesmerising series of events that makes up the flow of Victoria’s steps forward, and her quest to find the meaning of these words. At the risk of gushing, I’ll say just once more how much I loved Read’s prose. The heart of this book is its setting, and this is described to the reader so very beautifully. Victoria’s passion for her environment was contagious – this is absolutely a book to be read outdoors. One of my best friends lives in Colorado, and this just added fuel to the fire of my desire to get back over there to visit her! This isn’t a particularly lengthy novel, and yet it spans such a broad period of our main character’s life without feeling rushed or thin. Without giving spoilers, the supporting characters are similarly developed in a very rich, yet measured and concise way. Victoria is an impressive main character, and the way she handles significant adversity is refreshing and inspiring – simply always trying to do ‘the next right thing’. I enjoy novels that contain a spark of fact and prompt further reading, and I found it fascinating reading up on the now-extinct town of Iola, Colorado. Fans of Where The Crawdads Sing, or Raft of Stars, will adore this book. Alexandra, NSW, 5 Stars

Go As A River is by far the most engrossing book I have read this year. Being so well written it is hard to believe that it is the author’s debut novel. The difficult subject matter is handled beautifully and it is easy to identify with and support the main character. Sure to become a Book Club favourite. Cathy, NSW, 5 Stars

This emotional book is set in Rural America from 1948. Young Victoria Nash has lost her mother and is running the house for her father, brother, and veteran uncle, as well as helping in the family’s successful peach orchard. A great read for those who loved Where the Crawdads Sing. Sue, WA, 5 Stars

Sometimes I can get so enmeshed in a novel that I just sit and read it in one go. There were plenty of chores that I should have been doing when I sat to read Shelley Read’s Go As A River. However, I could not put it down until I finished, only to want more. Lovely little Miss Victoria, also known as Torie, meets the man of her dreams and from there the story unfolds. A proud father and a bully of a brother are her family, who are much against the colour of Wil’s skin and any chance of a relationship. We feel the anguish that Torie feels, we smell the peach trees and we feel her heartache the whole way through the book. I remember coming across a character saying “go as a river” and I nodded and said, “now it makes sense!” Denise, NSW, 5 Stars

Set in Colorado from the late 1940s through to the early 1970s, Go as a River is a story about a young teenage girl living on a peach orchard. At seventeen, Victoria has a chance meeting with a drifter, Wilson Moon, who will change her life. Although slow-moving at times, I needed to keep turning the pages of this intriguing tale. This debut novel by Shelley Read beautifully describes the landscape and setting; I felt like was there, I could smell and taste the peaches and feel the river flowing. I give this book 5 stars, it stirred so many emotions within me. I enjoyed Shelley’s style of writing. Karen, VIC, 5 Stars

Go As A River is Victoria’s story told by Victoria, a motherless 17-year-old looking after the three men in her life on their Colorado peach farm in 1948. Shelley Read has written her story using beautiful lyrical prose with language suited to the era. It is easy to like this young woman, and as she faces great challenges, to journey with her, feeling her loneliness yet admiring her strength and purpose. As she grows older all that she has suffered is hidden away. In some ways the ending was obvious, but the joy of getting there made it worthwhile. A beautiful book. Catherine, QLD, 5 Stars

Based in Colorado, USA. I believe it could be a true story, certainly based on the flooding of a valley to form the Blue Mesa Reservoir. An actual place. A story of peach farmers in the 1940s, the hard times farming, the loss of part of the family to the Second World War, and the ongoing suffering of those who returned. Also involved is the race tensions with the American Indians who were forced from these lands in early settlement. I would certainly recommend this book. An easy read with a compelling story. Crystal, TAS, 5 Stars

An unforgettable and mesmerising tale, the writing style of this book is beautiful and like nothing I’ve read before. Victoria is a strong-minded character and I developed a lot of respect for her. The settings of the countryside and the wilderness are described perfectly and you can easily picture them. I loved this book because I could tell that the author has done a lot of research and the story within had me tantalized. If you liked Where the Crawdads Sing then you will love Go as a River. Leanne, QLD, 5 Stars

Wow, what a beautifully written story, I so loved this. The descriptions of the surroundings put me right in amongst it. I could almost feel the peach juice running down my arm as each bite was taken. Victoria was such a strong character, championing strong women rising above so much loss and adversity. From the age of 12 she was thrown into the difficult role of looking after a very old-school, strong-personality, male-dominated household. With no female role model to guide her, she embraced this with the strength and courage that should never be asked of one so young. Victoria navigated a difficult life, she got to experience true love, unbelievable sorrow, and loss, and she was able to find strengths I am sure continually surprised her. A truly beautiful story that I found hard to put down. My only issue is I wish the ending had maybe one more chapter. Linda, VIC, 5 Stars

A historical saga set in the 1940s; we follow Victoria (Torie) Nash’s life through the decades. She is the sole surviving female in a family of troubled men living on a peach farm in the ranch town of Iola, Colorado. When Torie meets Wilson Moon, a younger drifter, Torie experiences passion, desire, heartbreak, and betrayal. This is a story of what comes next after love and loss. Shelley Read has written a beautifully descriptive novel. It is a slow burn where you can picture the mountains, feel the heartbreaks, suffer the hardship of the land, and feel the desire in the attraction between Torie and Wilson. Read has excelled in her debut novel and has given her readers a story of female strength, resilience, and ability to overcome difficult and challenging times. I highly recommend this read, it will draw you in and take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Ally, TAS, 4 Stars

A heartbreaking story about the transition from girlhood to womanhood in the 1940s. Without the guidance, knowledge, and love of a mother, Victoria naively navigates life. She faces many challenges, as the beliefs and attitudes of those around her shape her fate with their narrow-mindedness. As her peach trees grow, so too do her relationships, life experiences, and own beliefs and understandings. Very grateful to have previewed this book. Kirralee, SA, 4 Stars

Buy a copy of Go as a River here.