Go As a River

A young woman’s courage is tested in Read’s affecting if undercooked debut, set in 1940s Colorado. Victoria Nash, 17 cares for her brother and father after her mother’s death, while helping keep up the family’s peach farm. She’s stifled by the controlling men in her life, so she takes comfort in fellow teen Wilson Moon, an openhearted newcomer who returns Victoria’s feelings. Because Wilson isn’t accepted by Victoria’s family or the community due to his Native American heritage, the couple hide their relationship. After Victoria learns she is pregnant, she flees alone to the forest for several months and has the child there. She leaves the baby with a couple she finds picnicking, in hopes the child will have a better life, and returns to her family. In the final act, set in 1970, Victoria learns of her son’s life through a series of letters, and Wilson’s fate becomes clear. The fleeting nature of Victoria’s two important relationships leaves them a bit underdeveloped, but Read beautifully evokes Victoria’s aching love for Wilson: “I wanted more of him, like a craving for sunshine hidden too long behind the clouds.” Though the family story is a bit too drawn out, there are plenty of shining moments. Agent: Sandra Bond, Bond Literary. (Feb.)