Review # 167: One More River by Mary Glickman

Description: (from GoodReads)

     Bernard Levy was always a mystery to the community of Guilford, Mississippi. He was even more of a mystery to his son, Mickey Moe, who was just four years old when his father died in World War II. Now it’s 1962 and Mickey Moe is a grown man, who must prove his pedigree to the disapproving parents of his girlfriend, Laura Anne Needleman, to win her hand in marriage. With only a few decades-old leads to go on, Mickey Moe sets out to uncover his father’s murky past, from his travels up and down the length of the Mississippi River to his heartrending adventures during the Great Flood of 1927. Mickey Moe’s journey, taken at the dawn of the civil rights era, leads him deep into the backwoods of Mississippi and Tennessee, where he meets with danger and unexpected revelations at every turn. As the greatest challenge of his life unfolds, he will finally discover the gripping details of his father’s life—one filled with loyalty, tragedy, and heroism in the face of great cruelty from man and nature alike.

Review:


     Mary Glickman's newest novel One More River tackled a story-line that I had not heard before – Jewish men trying to make their own way in the deep south of Mississippi. The story jumped back and forth between the life of Mickey Moe in the1960's to that of Bernard – his father around the 1920's/1930's. Both men embarked on journeys of discovery that affected them, and their children, for the rest of their lives; each story brimming with beautiful dialect and descriptions. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Mickey Moe and Laura Anne, their parental defiance setting the tone for the entire book. I also liked reading about Aurora May, one of my favorite characters, (no spoilers). Both story-lines come together to solve one mystery, and the level of detail left me reading all night. Unfortunately, my biggest pet peeve was no quotation marks! I do not enjoy having to figure out who is conversing, particularly when a book goes between different sets of characters and/or times. I think that the whole story would flow better with a more practical quotation method (“”). Overall, I found One More River to be a realistic family saga filled with nostalgia for down-home southern comfort. Recommended for historical fiction lovers, or those wanting to experience the South of the 1920's through 1960's.

Rating: Bounty's Out (3.5/5)

*** I received this book from the author (Open Road Integrated Media) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.