Swift River

What if the price of moving forward is losing the only family you've ever known?

Summer, 1987. On the sweltering streets of the dying New England mill town of Swift River, sixteen-year-old Diamond Newbury is desperately lonely. It's been seven years since her father disappeared, and while her mother is determined to move on, Diamond can't distance herself from his memory. When Diamond receives a letter from a relative she has never met, she unearths long-buried secrets of her family's past and discovers a legacy she never knew she was missing. The more she learns, however, the harder it becomes to reconcile her old life with the one she wants to lead.

So begins an epic story spanning the twentieth century that reveals a much larger picture of prejudice and love, of devotion and abandonment – and will change Diamond's life forever.

About the Author

Essie Chambers is an author and award-winning independent producer. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and has received fellowships from MacDowell, Vermont Studio Center, and Baldwin for the Arts. Previously, she worked as a television executive, and was a producer on the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Descendant, which was released by the Obamas' Higher Ground production company and Netflix in 2022. Swift River is her debut novel.

Reviews

"A tender coming-of-age novel, a story of grief both personal and historical, one told with warmth and humor by a memorable, irrepressible heroine. Chambers writes powerfully about the bonds of family, the many ways people fail and save one another, and the human instinct for resilience." —Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind

"Just the book we all need to revive our souls. It's told with such grace, humor, and above all, heart. I could follow Diamond and her captivating journey forever. It's heartbreaking. It's beautiful. This epic novel deserves all the attention in the world. A must read!" —Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of Patsy and Here Comes the Sun

"A powerful novel about how our family history shapes us. Swift River broke my heart, and then offered me hope." —Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful

"Diamond is a character to fall in love with – and an equal magic of Chambers' warm, deft and humane narration is the way that we come to see, through just one girl, her fractured family and her shards of community... the story of Swift River will go straight to your heart – it's a really special book." —Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days

"Swift River is a deeply intimate, corporeal story about the secrets that we keep and the secrets kept from us. Essie Chambers is a sublime writer – with Diamond, she has crafted a narrative voice that is both wise and naive, generous yet restrained. Aching with want and drive from the first page, this is a novel that delivers on all of its promise." —Alex Allison, author of The Art of the Body

Dimensions: 15.2 x 2.4 x 23.2 cm