“This book ticked all the boxes for me.” –Nonstop Reader“A well done and fast-paced mystery.” –Cozy Cat ReviewGuilt is a powerful force. No matter how much time has passed, it’s always there, ready to punch you in the chest when you least expect it. All it takes is something ordinary—a glance, a particular food, or a melody on the radio—and regret strikes hard and fast. For Odessa Feldman, the … the radio—and regret strikes hard and fast. For Odessa Feldman, the trigger is a Pacific Northwest storm.
When the muddy bones of a murder victim buried over fifty years ago are discovered in the storm’s aftermath, Odessa overcomes her long struggle with guilt to finally reveal the truth. But her overdue confession comes with a difficult price—reliving her role in the fateful summer of 1956 and worse, betraying the best friend she’d ever had.
Dessa and Ellie Matthews were both fourteen-years-old when they met that summer. Ellie’s father was a foreman at the dam under construction on the Columbia River. At least that’s what he said. But, like murder and the motives behind it, some things in life are rarely as they seem.
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So many relevant issues to think about in one very tightly well written plot. It was an original, informative and realistic story centering on the damming of a portion of the Columbia river in the Pacific Northwest that would destroy native American ancient burial grounds, livelihood salmon fishing, and an entire village. In real life, over 400 dams were constructed by the government on the Columbia and it’s tributaries. Additional story lines to be thought about are love between whites and native Americans and the prejudice native Americans face every day. Throw in a few murders for fun and other things you need to discover yourself so as not to reveal too much… This is a very good book.
Highly recommend! The characters are delicious and there are plenty of plot twists you don’t see coming. Well written. Falls down a bit, in my opinion, in the final wrap up but still well worth the read!!
This was a fast read – hard to put down; the characters were interesting and somewhat colorful. I highly recommend this one.
Celeste Robertson
Great historical novel about our recent past. Learned a lot and really enjoyed the read!
Slow to get going but interesting picked about half way through
It dragged on.
This book was not as enjoyable as I had hoped.
Living so close to the original Celilo Falls probably gave me a different slant on this very well-written book. I liked it immensely.
A good book for teens and young adults. Dealt with real problems in that area that were really bad when the dam was being built . A very good novel
It’s not my kind of book, actually.
Good light reading, regional location.
The events in this area actually occurred and the author wove a story around the building of the Dales dam.
Confusing
Great read from someone who experienced the demise of Celilo Falls. Always stopped on way to Grand Ma’s house and watched the Indians Speer fish. Wicked rapids tumbling thru the rocks down the Columbia River. So sad when the entire area was covered in the water from the Bonneville Dam.
SO SO…….not bad but not too good either
I enjoyed a book about this area of Oregon.
Really liked it
tough book to get through
Powerful and very thoughtful. Showed powerfully the bigotry of the whites and the unfair treatment of the native Americans during the 50s. The story was eventful and well told. The only weak area was the last few pages which wrapped everything up too quickly and mechanically. Up to then, character development and description were excellent. Then everything is summed up without detail.
Plot twists and turns but easy read. Identifiable characters.