I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. – Henry David Thoreau
Just as she recovered from a breast cancer rehabilitation, Mia receives another unpleasant surprise; the husband she expected to be supported by in that difficult moment cheated on her with his secretary. Devastated and ashamed, Mia escapes to the one place she feels safe at; a cabin in the North Carolina Mountains. She makes a deal with the cabin owner and a friend, Bella, to fix and clean it and stay there for the summer.
Gradually, by bringing the old cabin together, Mia noticing how she recovers. The cabin once belonged to Kate Watkins, whose life was full of secrets, mystery, and rumors. Kate was accused of murdering her lover and her daughter ran away and never came back. After discovering Kate’s old journals and books, Mia understands what a remarkable woman Kate was and that all the speculations around her are false. Kate was a brilliant fisher and very talented painter. She wasn’t like other women of her era, she was independent, free-spirited and outspoken. Mia was inspired by Kate’s strong will and decides to leave her illness behind, divorce her husband and open a new chapter in her life.
She was determined to clear Kate’s name, the woman she never met but who brought so much impact in her life and reveal the long lost secrets.
Coming from Charleston, Mia wasn’t used to the friendliness of small-town citizens, and slowly lowered her guards and opened her heart to the new people she met in Watkins Glenn. The fly-fishing she was learning by Kate’s journals, assisted her to retrieve her own voice and see clearly how wrong she was living her life and how unhealthy her relationship with her husband Charles was. Slowly but steady, Mia gets the understanding about her life and what can make her truly happy. Along with the new friends, just as she lost the confidence in her attractiveness a new man comes in Mia’s life. A fly-fishing guide Stuart, whose friendship became precious to her.
After reading my first novel by Mary Alive Monroe earlier this fall, I was sure I’m going to read more. Her novels are so full of kindness and comfort, and that makes me want to go back to the pages I’ve just read. Like The Second Star to The Right, Time Is a River is a story of self-discovering and learning to live the life you always wanted but never dared. Let me just say, her novels make you want to travel and learn some new skills, otherwise how can you explain my urge to go fly-fishing and learn to draw watercolors? If you need a little bit of self-encouragement on a difficult day, read this book and I promise you, you’ll find an inspiration.
Rating: 5/5
Time Is a River on Amazon
