The River is Everywhere

The River is Everywhere  

The River is Everywhere is the latest novel to be checked off my constantly growing to be read list. This is the first I’ve read from author Emilie-Noelle Provost, so I was certainly excited to see what her writing was about. 

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Have you read The River is Everywhere yet? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

About The River is Everywhere 

Sixteen-year-old honors student Ernest Benoit has always followed the rules. But when his best friend drowns on Cape Cod, he begins to question his family’s devout Catholicism, and he disrupts an Advent prayer service at his Catholic high school. Now his life will never be the same.

A blizzard leaves Ernest stranded in a depressed western Massachusetts mill town after he boards a bus to Manhattan to avoid being sent to a Jesuit boarding school. It’s the beginning of a months-long journey that leads him to rescue a young girl from an icy river, into the bed of a lonely middle-aged widow, and to the woodland cabin of Roland Laliberté, a recluse who can shoot with the accuracy of a sniper.

When the widow falsely accuses Ernest of rape, Roland smuggles him over the Canadian border where they settle into life on the New Brunswick farm where Roland grew up. Ernest takes a job in the Lalibertés’ sawmill, and falls in love with the girl next door. But it’s not long before the local police start asking questions and his return home seems impossible. 

Thoughts on The River is Everywhere 

The first thing that comes to mind when I started reading this book is that it is relatable. My father died unexpectedly when I was just fourteen years old. Now I was raised in a southern baptist church, and you don’t get much more bible thumping than that. But after that, I was never the same. I searched for many years trying to find the right church, the right anything to give me my faith back. Until I came to the realization that it was gone, and I identified as an atheist. Maybe agnostic. But definitely somewhere in the middle of that. 

So when I started reading about Ernest losing his best friend right along with his faith, it made so much sense to me. I could completely understand how he was feeling. I’m sure we’ve all had experiences that completely changed who we are, and there is absolutely no going back to how things were prior to that. 

I found myself rooting for Ernest to be successful, to make a great life for himself away from home and on the run. To stay under the radar and never be found. Although I knew that wouldn’t happen, I still really wanted to see that. 

I had never read anything from Emilie-Noelle Provost prior to this, but I must say that I am impressed with her writing style, how relatable this story was. It was also funny, a bit horrifying at times, and also really sweet and kind. 

I am very glad I had a chance to read The River is Everywhere. It certainly made me think about my own life and my choices, and reflect on my past. 

Final Thoughts on The River is Everywhere 

In many ways this story reminded me a lot of Little Toy Car, and maybe that is why I enjoyed it so much. I would highly recommend you read The River is Everywhere, because you won’t be disappointed! 

As I said earlier, this is the first I’ve read from author Emilie-Noelle Provost, but if her other novel is this good, I’ll become a fan of hers and continue reading her writing as she publishes it. 

Discussion 

Have you read The River is Everywhere or any other writing from author Emilie-Noelle Provost? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

About the Author 

Emilie-Noelle Provost is an American author and writer. She lives in an old house in Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and three crazy rescue cats. A former magazine editor, she is the author of The Blue Bottle (North Country Press, 2018), a middle grade adventure set on the New England coast. 

Her second novel, The River Is Everywhere, the coming-of-age story of a Franco-American teenager, will be released in March 2023 by Vine Leaves Press. Her short stories and articles have appeared in several literary journals and magazines as well as in the anthology, Atlantic Currents: Connecting Cork and Lowell (Loom Press, 2020).

She is an avid hiker and a member of the AMC’s 4000-Footer Club who can often be found on a trail in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. When she’s not writing or hiking, she enjoys cross stitch embroidery, visiting new places, and binge-watching European crime dramas.

Purchasing The River is Everywhere 

If you are interested in buying the paperback version of The River is Everywhere, click here.

Click here for the Kindle version.

Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

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