Follow the River: A Novel

by James Alexander Thom

Book Overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - "It takes a rare individual not only to see that history can live, but also to make it live for others. James Thom has that gift."-- The Indianapolis News Mary Ingles was... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345338545
• Release Date: November 1986
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 1.0" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Follow the River—Great book

First off do not loan out. I have read this book 3 times and after loaning it out I never get it returned. It is a true story and very interesting, grabs your heart many times. Loved this book although graphic at times.

I could read this book over and over again!

I've read this book numerous times and it still captivates my each and every time! Well worth the read!

If you love stories of survival then you will really like this book.

This is a book that you look at the cover possibly pass on it, but for those who give it a chance, you can’t imagine that they almost passed it up!

Follow The River based on the true story of Mary Ingles

The amazing story of a woman with incredible spirit and strength. She was taken captive, driven far from her home. She suffered but never gave up on her dream of returning home to her husband and people. A harrowing journey and triumphant story, you will want to know what happened to Mary Draper Ingles. I couldn't put it down.

Follow The River

I read this book twice and would like to read it again, but I lent it out and didn't get it back. It kept my interest both times, I think the fact that it was based on a true story and this was true life to someone made it more interesting to read.

Not for the weak at heart....

As a West Virginia resident and one that lives near the Ohio river, I find myself thinking about Mary and her journey home. I find myself wondering what the river looked like to her. This is a fantastic book. I have passed this book on to several people and they all tell me that they can not put it down.If you read this book you will find yourself asking, "what is going to happen next". What is so remarkable is that this is a true story. I found myself crying when Mary left her newborn baby behind. The perils she and Gretel endure are unbelievable. I would hope that I would be able to persevere as she did in such trying times. I don't think a man could have done any better. West Virginia history classes need to teach about this wonderful women and not focus so much on learning the counties. I could not believe that this story takes place in our beautiful state and had never even heard of this woman. The Hallmark channel showed a TV movie based on the book but played lightly on the hardships and was not a true adaptation of the book.

Fascinating

A great docu/drama. Thom did an incredible job "filling in" the details if you will, of Ingles incredible story. Something that few, if none of us can relate to these days. This one had actually slipped under the radar until my wife pointed it out to me, as it was not required reading where I went to school. But I feel that I appreciate it even more now than I would have then. A warning though, much of it is quite gruesome, and it does not portray Indians in a soft, "lets make white people feel ashamed for what they did " modern manner. It sheds light into certain savagery committed by Indians that is not heard much in the days of political correctness and bending over backwards to appease. Parts of this book are very disturbing and very,very brutal.But I think this "punch in the face" style of not holding anything back is the beauty of the book. It presents the story as it happened, stripped bare for all to see. You will appreciate the hardship.

Gripping

Thom has fictionalized a true story with such powerful description that one forgets the fact that most of the details are imagined. They are, however, totally believable, and even though the reader knows the ending (she finally makes it home), the book is difficult to put down. Every footstep of the journey is vivid. The author also manages to portray the Indians as human beings in spite of the gory details of the massacre. Mary Ingles was a fourth great-grandmother of a friend of mine, and this makes the book more immediate for me. My own great-great grandfather was survivor of a Shawnee massacre in the same area 20 years later. I am astounded at the courage and endurance of these brave people who were our forebears. As a writer, I was amazed at how many different ways Thom describes weather, terrain, pain, and terror. Mary's decision to give up her baby to the Indian girl was a selfless, practical act, and her mental and emotional strength kept her from descending into a morass of romantic, sentimental, blubbering guilt. This book should be required in American history courses as adjunct reading material. It tells us what a history book cannot--the human side of the early development of this country.

I USUALLY DON'T LIKE HISTORY BOOKS, BUT....

I usually don't like history books, they bore me to death. My sister suggested this book to me, and at first I didn't think anything of it. She's a book worm, and I'm not, so I thought I wouldn't be interested. Once I read the first page, I couldn't put it down! Thom caught my attention and held it throughout the whole book! He has very vivid details that make me feel like I am with the character, suffering with them, fearing with them, and crying with them. After I read this book, I read all of Thom's books. And every time I would hear about one of the characters in History class, it amazed me at how much I thought I knew the character personally! Thom also caught my attention because he writes about Native Americans in a respectful way, and I LOVE Native Americans!!!! They are sooo interesting to me!! I want to learn how to speak one of the languages sometime. I loved how Thom made them sound like humans because I hate it when books talk about all the bad things that Native Americans did, and not all of the amazing things they did! He also uses a lot of their words, and made you learn the language along with the character. Thom is amazing to me. He can make you feel the pain that the characters are going through! Even though it would be discusting to read and imagine, Thom wants you to know how serious it was in real life, and how real this is! It's reality! --not just a fairy tale. Thom tells about REAL thoughts that people have. Usually books tell the characters thoughts, but they don't go into detail, they don't tell everything that people REALLY think. I would LOVE to talk to ANYONE about this book, whether or not you liked it. PLEASE E-MAIL ME and chat!!! (about ANY of Thom's books!!) :o)