Ambitious and moving, with wonderfully crafted characters and vividly evoked time and place--a rich, dark read.

We agree to be unbiased in our book reviews, but what are you to do when given the opportunity to review one of your favorite authors? Karl Marlantes of “Matterhorn” and “What It Is Like to Go to War” fame has taken the about-face with the subject of his new novel, but his talent and lyrical writing talent maintains its strong presence in this epic tale spanning over 80 years about immigrants surviving in the logging trade in Northwest America, early 1900s. Finns and Swedes are thrown together, coming to a better world but realizing everything has a steep price. The story revolves around three of the Koski siblings, beginning in Finland and detailing why they’re not given much of choice: die in their homeland for what they believe or go to America to begin a new life.
Each step of the way is beautifully and historically detailed through the brothers’ Ilmari and Matti’s demanding and extremely dangerous jobs as loggers in Washington state to their sister Aino’s strength to rise above the mold she is expected to take to become a vocal and leading cause for workers rights.
This is a beautifully written epic, deeply detailing the struggles and trials that were faced by the siblings, their children, their friends, and neighbors. Detailed with labor strikes, rifts between various factions of immigrants fighting over the same piece of respect, struggles with alcohol, American ways, shamans of American Indian descendants and the cruel effects of nature’s harsh disregard for life, the portrait of their lives is beautifully painted.
After completing the book I was pleasantly surprised to read in the author’s comments that he based the characters on the Kalevala, a 19th-century work of poetry based on Finnish folklore. I researched more about the Kalevala and became even more enchanted with the characters. Their strengths and weaknesses took on a new dimension, including the strong connection between Ilmari and his Indian shaman Vasutati.
I can easily see this becoming a mini-series; a movie wouldn’t do it justice. You can’t fit all this emotion, sacrifice, and love and loss into a 2-hour plot. I strongly recommend you take this journey. It’s well worth it.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for making it available.)

Deep River is the story of the Koski family. One by one, members of the family flee Finland. They do this for political activism, avoiding army conscription, etc. They go to southern Washington state where there is a Finnish community. The Kolski family joins the logging business because it's the prevailing occupation at the time in this region. As the story unfolds, the terrible living conditions are described. Worse, however, are the dangers associated with logging. I learned so much from reading this. The workers could do very little to warrant safer conditions. It's well written and researched. They faced a terrible struggle toward demanding changes in their work environment. The Kolski family are embroiled in all of these situations. The characters are strong brave and resilient. Displaying these attributes and surviving the harsh conditions makes them admirable as well. The story is a great read about a part of history many know little about. I recommend for anyone with an interest in historical fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction at its best .A part of history I knew nothing about but through Deep River became completely engrossed in,#netgalley #deepriver #groveatlantic,

Deep River tells a compelling story, meticulously researched and introducing me to a part of history I knew next to nothing about! A promising work of historical fiction that taught me something new and kept me eagerly turning the pages in the process.

Part immigrant story, part labor history, all good, "Deep River" follows members of the Koski family as politicized members of the family flee Finland for southwest Washington State. There's a Finnish community there, lumbering and working small farms. Ilmari goes first, fleeing conscription into the Tsar's army and starting a small dairy farm. Matti follows, almost at the same time as his sister Aino, probably the most politically active of them all. Matti's still a child, but finds a place in the logging camp. Aino joins the cookhouse crew of women who turn out extraordinary amounts of food three times a day for ravenous loggers.

Karl Marlantes expresses the danger and excitement of late 19th century logging--the brutality of the work, the exhausting days, the foul living conditions blend with the joy of Saturday dances and the sense of building a new world.

The logging camp is prime fodder for Aino's labor organizing skills. She finds herself walking a tricky path between staying employed and encouraging workers to fight for better working conditions. She becomes a member of the International Workers of the World--the Wobblies--and a friend of labor organizer Joe Hill.

Amidst all the labor organizing, logging, dancing and eventually rum-running and salmon fishing, the Koskis live full personal lives. A no-nonsense, hardworking, no-frills people, the Washington State Finns manage to build new lives in their sodden new land.

This is a big, satisfying novel, engrossing, well researched, with lots of heart. I was astounded by the extreme danger of the logging business and how hard labor organizers had to fight for the smallest improvement in the loggers' working conditions. With a January 2019 pub date, "Deep River" kicks the new year of reading off to a great start.