First published 2011
Ethan Thornburgh arrives at the muddy settlement of Port Bonita with big plans. The failed accountant wants to win back the woman he loves and build something lasting. He sees the powerful Elwha River rushing past this ragtag outpost and envisions a dam that will bring prosperity to the town. Ethan convinces the diverse collection of dreamers and fortune seekers to join his ambitious project. More than a century later, his great-great grandson works as a middle manager at a struggling fish packing plant. The descendant faces a bitter irony: the Thornburgh dam that was meant to secure the town's future now blocks the salmon runs that could save it. As the dam faces demolition, two generations of the same family represent opposite sides of progress and environmental restoration. The novel weaves together their stories across time, showing how one man's vision of prosperity becomes another's burden to undo.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, environmental-science
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-saga, generational-conflict, man-vs-nature
Setting: Elwha River, Port Bonita
Period: 19th-century, 21st-century
486 pages · Hardcover · Algonquin Books