Debut novel by the American author Shelley Read, translated into more than thirty languages and possibly soon to be adapted for the big screen. The author holds a degree in Writing and Literary Studies from the University of Denver and in Creative Writing from Temple University. For nearly three decades, she has been a tenured professor at Western Colorado University and contributes to various publications.
The story is set in the American West, in Iola, Colorado, 1948: Victoria Nash, a 17-year-old girl who lost her mother, helps her father and brother cultivate and harvest their famous peaches on the banks of the Gunnison River. Her life changes completely when, by chance, she meets Wilson Moon, a wanderer of Indigenous heritage, and they fall in a passionately romantic love. But tragedy strikes, and Victoria must hide in the mountains, guarding a precious secret. The adolescent becomes a courageous young woman who earns the respect and friendship of other strong and brave women, though very different from herself.
Inspired by real events (the disappearance of the town of Iola in 1960), the novel contrasts the detailed description of landscapes and places with the psychological simplicity of its characters—not so much in the teenage romance as in the later depictions of the many emotions, feelings, and thoughts of its diverse cast. The portrayal of the young couple’s relationship is overly detailed—unnecessarily so, in my opinion—since, at that age, their mutual affection could have been conveyed through emotional explanations that do not hinder the reader’s sensitivity.
It is undeniable that this is a story of female resilience and overcoming adversity in the face of early life challenges in a rural setting of the American West. It is also a beautiful ode to friendship and the creation of a home, despite not having a personal history favorable to it. That, in my opinion, is what has sparked this wave of readers and favorable reviews, since the narrative style itself is long, at times slow, and tends to hasten the reading rather than encourage enjoyment.