Home Heals in “The River Runs South” https://ift.tt/OYQpw5g
Within the first ten pages of Audrey Ingram’s debut novel, The River Runs South, I cried. It was not a single tear that I shed; it was the kind of cry that made me draw a blanket toward my face in hopes it might catch all the tears I couldn’t seem to control. I knew Camille Taylor’s husband, Ben, was going to die. But I was not prepared for the ways in which Ingram let Camille’s grief unfold on the page. And while those first ten pages wrecked me, The River Runs South is about more than Camille’s journey through grief. Ingram’s novel seamlessly blends together a story where a hot Alabama summer can soothe grief, where slow-moving rivers leave space for appreciation of the privileges of living, and where the need to protect the environment is acknowledged.
Before Ben’s death, Camille “didn’t appreciate the privilege of aging.” She would perfect her unruly, curly red hair and practice presentations to her clients at a top law firm in Washington, D.C. But “Ben’s death had ruined her, and she had no idea how to get back.” After a panic attack in front of her six-year-old daughter, Willa, Camille believes she needs to go home. Situated primarily in a small Southern town, Ingram highlights how the stifling Southern heat can heal wounds resulting from the busyness of city life — and from a broken heart.
Camille’s story takes shape in Fairhope, Alabama, where she battles the unwanted criticism of her mother Marion and discovers that a lawsuit looms against her father, Sam – a lawsuit that could spell financial ruin for her parents. Mack Phillips, a local fisherman, is the lead defendant in the lawsuit against a development company in which Sam was involved. Mack is suing the company for the damage it inflicted on the lush habitat of Fish River. With the aid of Sam’s lawyer, Griffin – a handsome, Marion-approved eligible bachelor – Camille dives back into the world of law in search of a way to save her father. Her task proves more difficult than Camille expected as she spends more time with Mack, a passionate man who doesn’t care who he pisses off if it means he can save the Alabama ecosystem. Balancing Sam’s lawsuit and the confusing terrain of attraction and dating after Ben’s death, and going on adventures with Willa, Camille learns to appreciate the new paths forming in her life.
While Camille’s story starts from a place of loss, it is Willa who breathes life into The River Runs South and back into Camille. Willa, an oyster-loving child, is ready for adventure, a fact she proves time and again during her time in Alabama. Camille finds her daughter covered completely in red Alabama clay from making “snow angels” in the town park, ready to be a marine biologist at Magnolia Springs in search of salamanders, and imagining herself a “‘world-renowned’ explorer” at the estuary. After realizing how little she knows her mom, Willa declares, “You never tell me anything, and I want to know everything.” So, the Three Musketeers, a name they both keep in memory of Ben, embark on a journey of revisiting and reenacting many of Camille’s childhood memories, and these adventures help Camille realize “the value in preserving something that was beloved.” Through the course of Camille’s and Willa’s summer, the young mother learns to appreciate the value of the Southern traditions she tried to escape, as well as the importance of preserving both the ecosystem surrounding her hometown and her memories of Ben.
While Ingram does a masterful job creating a vividly outspoken and stubborn Willa who helps Camille find herself again, the same cannot be said for Camille’s mother. Marion does indeed come to life in Ingram’s story. Unfortunately, she only comes to life as a one-dimensional character – that of an overly critical mother. Readers witness Marion’s criticism of Camille, who once told teenaged Camille that her prom dress was “an embarrassment” and that she would “look so foolish” at the dance. Marion’s criticism continues even in the wake of Ben’s death, which she uses as leverage to point out the ways in which she feels Camille is failing. “Think of all the time you could have spent with Ben when you were at the office,” she says. Mother-daughter relationships are nuanced and complex, but Marion’s character doesn’t reflect that, making her frustratingly unlikeable.
Camille’s journey in Ingram’s novel is a reflection of the pain and uncertainty that accompany life. The River Runs South is relevant and raw and reveals the magic of appreciating small moments.
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