Into This River I Drown

No cover — Tj Klune, T. J. Klune: Into This River I Drown (2013, Dreamspinner Press)

400 pages

English language

Published April 18, 2013 by Dreamspinner Press.

ISBN:: 978-1-62380-408-4
OCLC Number:: 834977229

(2 reviews)

Five years ago, Benji Green lost his beloved father, Big Eddie, who drowned when his truck crashed into a river. All called it an accident, but Benji thought it more. However, even years later, he is buried deep in his grief, throwing himself into taking over Big Eddie's convenience store in the small town of Roseland, Oregon. Surrounded by his mother and three aunts, he lives day by day, struggling to keep his head above water.But Roseland is no ordinary place.With ever-increasing dreams of his father's death and waking visions of feathers on the surface of a river, Benji's definition of reality is starting to bend. He thinks himself haunted, but whether by ghosts or memories, he can no longer tell. It's not until the impossible happens and a man falls from the sky and leaves the burning imprint of wings on the ground that he begins to understand that …

Five years ago, Benji Green lost his beloved father, Big Eddie, who drowned when his truck crashed into a river. All called it an accident, but Benji thought it more. However, even years later, he is buried deep in his grief, throwing himself into taking over Big Eddie's convenience store in the small town of Roseland, Oregon. Surrounded by his mother and three aunts, he lives day by day, struggling to keep his head above water.But Roseland is no ordinary place.With ever-increasing dreams of his father's death and waking visions of feathers on the surface of a river, Benji's definition of reality is starting to bend. He thinks himself haunted, but whether by ghosts or memories, he can no longer tell. It's not until the impossible happens and a man falls from the sky and leaves the burning imprint of wings on the ground that he begins to understand that the world around him is more mysterious than he could have possibly imagined. It's also more dangerous, as forces beyond anyone's control are descending on Roseland, revealing long hidden truths about friends, family, and the man named Calliel who Benji is finding he can no longer live without.

3 editions

Cindaren reviewed Into This River I Drown by T. J. Klune

Review of 'Into This River I Drown' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I always experience a weird emotional dichotomy when starting a new TJ Klune book. Excitement and joy because, hello, it's going to be amazing and it'll make me laugh or weep or both. But also anger because once I'm done I won't have it to look forward to anymore. I put this one off until I'd read all the other 16 that I had, then I reread a few just to put it off even longer. Superb writing as always and the story, oh this was so good. As expected, my heart was touched so many times.

What I was not expecting was the recognition of how little I, as a daughter and mother, understand or appreciate a boy's relationship with his father, which led to the realization of how damaging the break was between my own sons and their father. I have always hoped that I am enough for …

I always experience a weird emotional dichotomy when starting a new TJ Klune book. Excitement and joy because, hello, it's going to be amazing and it'll make me laugh or weep or both. But also anger because once I'm done I won't have it to look forward to anymore. I put this one off until I'd read all the other 16 that I had, then I reread a few just to put it off even longer. Superb writing as always and the story, oh this was so good. As expected, my heart was touched so many times.

What I was not expecting was the recognition of how little I, as a daughter and mother, understand or appreciate a boy's relationship with his father, which led to the realization of how damaging the break was between my own sons and their father. I have always hoped that I am enough for them and I now realize how futile that is, and hopefully I can have more compassion and empathy for my sons regarding the loss of the father/son relationship, as opposed to just being glad that I have them all to myself. Maybe it could even get to the point of encouraging them to forgive him and maybe even reach out, I don't know.

I love this story and the characters but even more than that I'm thankful for a peek into the way a boy could view his dad.

LB Thomas

rated it

Nov. 12, 2018

Subjects

Fiction, romance, general
Gay men, fiction