Yesterday's River

By Sean McDevitt

In the High Desert of 1979, childhood isn't just about surviving the heat. It's about surviving the adults.

For young foster kid Thomas Rockecharlie, the dusty town of Victorville is just another temporary stop, but under the watchful eye of his fiercely protective "Great-Ma" he finally starts to understand what a real home feels like. With his loyal, fearless best friend Billy Harmony by his side, Thomas's days are filled with dirt-lot adventures, secret crushes, and the endless pursuit of the perfect weekend cereal.

However, the golden haze of 1979 is hiding a dark secret.

The girl Thomas secretly loves, April Crabtree, is coming home with mysterious bruises. When the boys discover she is trapped in a terrifying cycle of abuse at the hands of a neighborhood babysitter, they realize the adults aren't coming to save her. Armed with nothing but a rusty pocketknife and desperate courage, Thomas and Billy must cross a dangerous freeway in the dead of night to mount a rescue themselves.

Just as Thomas becomes a hero to the girl of his dreams, a devastating, unexpected tragedy strikes, threatening to tear his fragile new life apart. As the normally bone-dry Mojave River suddenly floods its banks and washes away the desert they know, Thomas must navigate the turbulent waters of grief, brotherhood, and a coming-of-age that will change him forever.

Framed by the poignant reflections of a writer looking back on the ghosts of his past, Yesterday's River is a breathtaking, deeply emotional journey. It is a testament to the unbreakable bonds of childhood, the loss of innocence, and the family we choose for ourselves.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 149379924X
• ISBN13: 9781493799244
• Release Date: March 2014
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 438 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"