Rated of 5
by Mark O. (Wenatchee, WA) Bone River (Megan Chance)
Bone River will be hard to contain, leaping fences from one genre to another. Is it historical fiction? paranormal romance? a novel of ideas? The setting is late frontier on the Pacific Northwest coast, Native American cultures giving way to small settlements. The main cast is small (three men and a woman) but the bays, tides, rivers, oyster beds and rain make place a fifth character. The plot broods, becoming atmospheric and closed in, distant kin to Wuthering Heights. Fortunately, while the plot is slow simmering, there are themes to noodle: right-brain/left-brain sensibilities, gender roles, the morality of objective science. We see the story through Leonie and Leonie sees deeply by drawing in her journal. It would be nice to have these drawings, in some future illustrated edition of this book. Water carries the several plot lines along nicely, first revealing, then threatening, and finally washing away.
Rated of 5
by Yvette T. (Boca Raton, FL) A Great Read
Although I guessed some of the trajectory of the plot, that did not diminish my enjoyment as it unfolded. Beautifully written, with exquisite detail, this book was engrossing from beginning to end. The background of ethnology in Indian territory was very informative. Enjoying a book and learning new things is the best of reading for me! The author did provide a few surprises at the end that made up for the ones I easily surmised. I also enjoyed the author's earlier book, An Inconvenient Wife. I smiled when she repeated almost verbatim one description from that novel in the current book. Research says, I guess, that a good wife in the 19th century was a harlot if she moved during sex! I highly recommend Bone River as an enjoyable read.
Rated of 5
by Esther L. (Newtown, PA) Good Historical Fiction
The main character of Bone River, Leonie, is well crafted and I was drawn into discovering her story and her future. When Leonie discovers an Indian mummy she starts having recurring dreams that invade her daily life. While I enjoyed these dreams, I believe that my book club ladies will not feel the same way.
Rated of 5
by Amy H. (Benbrook, TX) Interesting concept but predictable
I requested an Advanced copy of this book because I love Historical Fiction, and the synopsis sounded fresh and interesting. I was frustrated at the slow pace of the character development and tired very quickly of Lea's "my father/husband know what's best for me" defense. I realize this took place in the past when women were more submissive and less educated than men but Lea prides herself on being an ethnologist like her father and yet she can't put 2 and 2 together to figure out why she's not getting pregnant? The best part of the book lay in the description of the setting including landscape, weather, and time. I liked Bibi and felt like she was the most genuine character in the novel. I enjoyed learning about the superstitions and beliefs of the Native American people. Overall, an interesting concept but average effort.
Rated of 5
by Priscilla M. (Houston, TX) An Intriguing Read
Although the story got off to a slow start, it wasn't long before I was completely engrossed. As atmospheric and moody as its setting in the 19th century Pacific Northwest, the story of Leonie and her inexplicable connection to the mummy discovered in the riverbank after a storm will keep you turning turning the pages. Leonie and her husband Junius are ethnologists, forerunners to modern day cultural anthropologists. Junius wants to give the mummy, an Indian woman, to a museum, but Leonie begs for more time to study it. As the story unfolds, the characters' true natures are revealed, layer by layer, just as an archaeology site might yield its secrets. The relationship between Leonie and her husband is complicated by her stubborn desire to learn more about the Indian woman's life and, more specifically, by the appearance of her husband's son by a previous marriage. I thoroughly enjoyed Bone River and found myself rooting for Leonie to find not only the identity of the Indian woman, but her own in the process.
Rated of 5
by Helen M. (Petaluma, CA) Unfolding
Bone River is a very well constructed historical novel which I found fascinating. The author left me wanting to know more about life in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1800's. Life was very hard for Leonie Russell and her family. The unfolding of truth which is central to this book, even harder. What I feel is one of the strongest messages.......listen to your inner truth. Listen. The freedom will be worth it. To watch truth out over the length of the novel was a moving experience. I can also still feel the bite of the rain, the churning of the waves. It was a really good read.
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of 5
by Mark O. (Wenatchee, WA) 
of 5
by Yvette T. (Boca Raton, FL) 
of 5
by Amy H. (Benbrook, TX) 
