-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
One brother home from war. The other desperate to save him. A gripping journey together to the river's end.
Shane has always worshiped his big brother, Jeremy. But three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken their toll, and the easy-go-lucky brother Shane knew has been replaced by a surly drunk who carries his loaded 9mm with him everywhere and lives in the basement because he can't face life with his wife and two small children. When Jeremy shows up after Shane's football game and offers to take him to the family cabin overnight, Shane goes along — both to get away from a humiliation on the field and to keep an eye on Jeremy, who's AWOL from his job at Quantico and seems to have a shorter fuse than ever. But as the camping trip turns into a days-long canoe trip down the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, Shane realizes he's in way over his head — and has no idea how to persuade Jeremy to return home and get the help he needs before it's too late.
In a novel at once gripping and heartbreaking, Steve Watkins offers a stark exploration of the unseen injuries left by war.
"Starred Review. A gripping, moving, disturbing tale of homecoming." - Kirkus
"Watkins (Juvie) delivers a powerful, emotionally raw tale, heartbreaking in its portrayal of damaged veterans, the price some pay to serve, and the toll it takes on their friends and family." - Publishers Weekly
"Watkins's portrayal of Shane as a real, flawed teenager who has few answers and little power to change the world beyond small acts of love and concern takes the book far beyond the clichés of the PTSD veteran genre. It also makes it that much more heartbreaking." - VOYA
"Watkins portrays family life with a returning veteran with PTSD in a way that will appeal to reluctant readers, especially those who like war or adventure stories." - Library Journal
"Watkins' treatment of the troubled Jeremy is unsparingly honest yet deeply compassionate, and his fastpaced, suspenseful story is a searing indictment of war and its impact on those who are trying to do a job in the face of unforgiving tragedy." - Booklist
This information about Great Falls was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Steve Watkins is the author of the novels Down Sand Mountain, What Comes After, and Juvie. A retired professor of journalism, creative writing, and Vietnam War literature, he now teaches Ashtanga yoga and works with the child-advocacy organization CASA. Steve Watkins lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
If you liked Great Falls, try these:
by Dwyer Murphy
Published 2026
When a group of old college friends reunites for a summer vacation at a beach house in coastal Massachusetts, a sudden disappearance and the arrival of a seductive stranger threaten to unearth the darkest secrets of their relationships.
by R.C. Sherriff
Published 2021
This charming, timeless classic about a family of five setting out on their annual seaside vacation is "the most uplifting, life-affirming novel I can think of...the beautiful dignity to be found in everyday living has rarely been captured more delicately" (Kazuo Ishiguro).
by Jane Harper
Published 2019
Two brothers meet in the remote Australian outback when the third brother is found dead, in this stunning new standalone novel from New York Times bestseller Jane Harper.
L.A. Women by Ella Berman
Two ambitious writers in 1960s LA face betrayal when one writes a novel based on the other's life.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
