This book provides an interesting perspective on the lives of females during the late 1800's. People living in poverty, consumed by never-ending hardships. I finished it, but didn't love it. I found it long and drawn out and rather depressing.

Bridget came from Ireland with her grandmother looking for her parents but when her grandmother got severely sick she told Bridget to sell her ticket back home to Ireland and go west define her parents. The young girl would not hear of this because she couldn’t admit she was losing her grandmother because she knew of a kind police officer that mention trains that brought kids out west she ran out to the street to find him and then stolen Apple. They labeled her a thief however and she didn’t have the kindest time but one day a self-proclaimed Reverend Jack Paul stopped in to inquire about getting a free child and she was the only one left. Despite the lady running the adoptions telling him she was a thief and he didn’t want her he insisted he did and this is how she came to be with the pastor Ann his child bride Effie.. he married her at the ripe old age of eight years old and had this point they had been married for years and she couldn’t stand him he was abusive which you would think would be a given with a 62-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl. He promised to bring her to Wyoming and build her a big house and he convinced her to marry him by telling her he would buy her a new dress. Despite all his promises her and Bridget would live in a rundown shack in Nebraska and Bridget was so young everyone she ran across she would ask if they knew her mole or poor but as the story goes on and the girls grow up the hard life in Nebraska will just be a minor problem because the bigger ones come in these young girls will have to learn to adapt or die and despite at times dying isn’t a bad option they persist and survive. I loved this book I love how it ended for Bridget and I can’t wait to read the second book in this series. If you love historical fiction with a little bit of romance that’s a slow burn you absolutely big Google for the river people. I waited a while to read it and now I regret doing so this book was so good. It has heart the characters have that and I totally loved it and highly recommend it. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

River People is the first book I have read from this author and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it is written. It is descriptive, easy to follow, and has well-crafted characters.

Synopsis: Nebraska in the late 1890s, seventeen-year-old Effie and eleven-year-old Bridget must struggle to endure at a time when women and children have few rights and society looks upon domestic abuse as a private, family matter.

The story is told through the eyes of the girls as they learn to survive under gruelling circumstances. River People is a novel of inspiration, love, loss, and renewal.

The River People by Margaret Lukas is the story of two girls, one beaten down by life and the other trying to beat life during the late eighteen hundreds, when women were property and husbands could do as they wished.
The story follows Effie, a young girl who lives with her family when the preacher, Reverend Jackdaw comes to visit. He takes Effie for his wife, then shortly after, adopts Bridget, a young Irish orphan girl. The three move to Bleaksville, outside Omaha, where Jackdaw plans to build a church. He puts Effie and Bridget in a hovel to survive the winter alone while he preaches on the streets. The two of them have an uneasy relationship. They don't trust each other and they both believe they don't deserve more in life. As life pushes them one way and then another, some good neighbors try to ease their burdens. But, will pride and fear cause them to lose even that?
I enjoyed the story. It showed a time in our history that we don't often talk about. Effie and Bridget were, sadly, not unusual for their time. And, as with other parts of our history, if we don't learn from it, we run the risk of repeating it. I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book and offered my own thoughts. All opinions are my own.

This is a remarkable novel. I wasn’t certain how engaged I would be in a story about two young women trying to survive in a shack on the Missouri River in post-civil war Nebraska, but it didn’t take long for me to be caught up in their epic struggle to survive in a man’s world.

The author’s mastery of details on every aspect of 19th century life from farming to education to transportation to race and gender relationships was impressive. There are many scenes (like the horrific description of a wild stallion being broken) that would be unbelievable if they weren’t rendered with such authority.

The two young women, Effie who is eighteen and forced to marry a disturbed itinerant preacher and twelve-year old Bridget a “half-orphan” who the preacher “adopts” are left on their own to survive in a shack that is nothing more than a hunting shed. Effie haunted by her own demons and innocent Bridget who still holds on to her belief that she will find her parents “out west” have a realistically contentious relationship. This is truly a survival story with many poignant moments. The scenes between Bridget and her beloved friend, Jake the ox, are heartbreaking. Yes, an ox.

Highly recommended.

I recieved an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and will recommend it often to lovers of mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels!

I did not finish this book. I felt the writing was uneven, and I could not connect with the story or the characters.

Was very easy to read. It was well written and flowed well. Nice characters and a good storyline. Interesting place it’s based. All round good read

River People is a wonderfully descriptive historical fiction that is well written. The author clearly knew about that period in time. This is a moving story that pulls you in and will leave a mark on you. I can't wait to read more from this author. Fabulous.

It is hard to accurately describe my feelings about The River People by Margaret Lukas.
Although it was an interesting book, I can not say it was an enjoyable read. The pages were filled with one terrible hardship after the other. The main characters, Effie & Bridget could not "catch a break", even the smallest. I found myself waiting & hoping for that break to come, so much so that it distracted me from th story.
I found the main charachter, Effie to be completely unlikeable. I tried to be a sympathetic ear but unlike Bridget, who was also a "victim of circumstance" Effie was cold, and uncaring. Bridget's hopeful spirit was a nice contrast of light in between these depressing pages .

Effie & Bridget both young girls from opposite ends of the world, find themselves coupled together in the most grievous of situations - for better or worse. Reverend Jackdaw , a criminal with a soul as black as night , cons his way into the lives of Effie & Bridget. He marries Effie with grand promises of building a church in Omaha, taking her to her new home a - instead her new life is a never ending torment; filled with daily abuse , cruel punishments, a starving winter & months of neglect.

However depressing I found the book it was also full of beautifully dark imagery, vivid descriptions & deep rooted characters.

An interesting glimpse into life in Nebraska in the late 1800's. Teenage Effie is sold by her father to a traveling preacher. Pre-teen Bridget is added to the "family" when sold as an orphan on the street. It is eye-opening to learn of the use and abuse of young girls during this time period. To quote a famous marketing line "we've come a long way, baby!"

The main narration of the book centers around the struggles and hardships these two young women faced in trying to survive on their own. They went for months at a time with very little food or ways to keep warm.

The characters are well-drawn, but perhaps a bit over-simplified. For example, Effie is withdrawn and cowardly. Bridget is socially open and brave. Skeet and the preacher are bad. The chief and Cora are good.

I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, but I give this author high marks for the quality of her writing. She is very good at painting a picture so that the reader feels part of the scene.

The author did a brilliant job of writing about the hardships of women during the pioneer era. They were treated as first their father's property and then their husband's. A lot of historical fiction glosses over this, but this author captured it head on. The storyline and relationships were beautifully written and I am going to read more by this author in the future.

Historical fiction is one of my all time favourite genres, so had no hesitation in wanting to read 'River People'. Absolutely enjoyed reading this book! I seldom write what a story is about, as i prefer one to read the book for themselves, but i do highly recommend. Hope to read more books by this author.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

From the evocative cover to the poignant writing, this novel is impressive. Effie and Bridget are two young women caught up in their lives, and their domination by the men in the life. Effectively powerless, these girls are left to fend for themselves through a difficult, cold winter in 1800s America. One married to a repulsive pseudo-preacher, the other an indentured slave to him. They come to rely on each other in a hard world...recommended reading.

"This ain't your home no more." The young Effie was sent away in marriage with Rev Jackdaw by her father, in a time when girls could get married at the age of ten, just by lifting a Bible. After a grueling trip, she was left alone with Bridget, or Rooster as the reverend calls her. Guilt feelings about Bay Sally's death kept her from loving Bridget.

It is a story of suppression, abuse, misogyny, patriarchy, prejudice, perceptions, hopes, dreams and broken promises - Rev Jackdaw se vision of his own Missionary in Omaha, Mae who was traded at eight for a gallon of whiskey with the promise of a new dress, Bridget who lived for the day Mum and Pappy came for her and Effie who dreams of a house and a family.

At first Chief is the only good person around, fighting off his own demons at night. Yet Effie avoids him at all cost with her own prejudice. Effie never really learns to accept kindness, and her heart never really softened up to Bridget, who mostly acted as the adult. Being the main character, the reader keeps on hoping for a bit of character development.

In places Effie's voice become muddled with the narrator's, as if she is just too wise for a girl her age, given her upbringing and social isolation. However, she also was confused enough to be totally incompetent and without any social skills most of the time.

Bridget's brother Rowan told her that her Mum is a Selkie, and that all water, rivers and streams are connected. Clinging to her grandma Teegan's braid and the mythical Nera kept her going, always hoping to be reunited with her mum and her pappy.

Bridget is a clever one, who despite her circumstances, wants to become a doctor. Interesting analogy because she acts as a literary archetype of the child savior, through whom others found their truth and worth, helping them heal their own wounds.

Words and phrases put you right in the era where the story belongs. Neatly done and very convincing.

This is a gripping novel in the historical fiction genre, with truly unforgettable characters.

This is one of those books, where you have to really think about if your review can give the story it’s full due. My best suggestion is, if you want to read a late 1800’s story that includes loss, love, life, fear, abuse, hope, caring, resilience and a little bit of Grandma Teegan’s Irish visions, pick this up and enjoy the ride! This book caught me completely off guard, it is a gem!
I love historical fiction so when I saw the cover on this one, I picked it right up, and was so pleasantly surprised. This is an AWESOME read!! The description gives a very good overview of what the book is about, but what the description doesn’t tell you is how you will come to feel and care about Effie, Bridget and the beauty of the writing. I loved the way the story started with Bridget and Effie’s chapters, such a great way to ease us into their dire circumstances and unlikely meeting, then we follow them through a couple years of their harrowing lives in the wilds of Nebraska.
Some books just grab you and don’t let go, this was one of them. The author’s ability to describe the scenes is so fantastic, the clothing, the lodge on stilts, you can imagine the cold and the wind coming thru the walls, picture the blizzards and feel so much for the plight of Effie and Bridget. I loved them both, then I also came to care about Cora, Mae and Chief, and absolutely despised the reverend and Deet.
There are so many subtle nuances and lasting impressions from this story that will come to haunt me. I was given an advanced copy from Boutique of Quality Books Publishing through Net Galley for my honest review, this one is a high 5****’s. Excellent read, highly recommend.

I did not finish this book. I feel really bad but it just didn’t draw me in within 100 pages, nothing kept me wanting to read about these characters or what was going to happen next.

Great story about female homesteaders trying to survive life in the west. This story centers around Effie, who is married off to a preacher three times her age due to some familial drama that I won't spoil for you, and Bridget, an Irish immigrant girl, who is "adopted" by the same preacher. The preacher makes Effie many promises, but the two end up in a riverside shanty alone while the preacher goes off on his own. The first portion of the story was rather dull in my opinion, but once the two are on their own, the story picked up and became intriguing. I found Effie to be a bit of a whiny pushover who never really comes into her own as a character, but Bridget was a great, strong, female character, and I really enjoyed her backstory and her old world beliefs. I also really enjoyed how the author juxtaposes the treatment of women with the treatment of native Americans. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this prior to publication.

What first drew my attention to RIVER PEOPLE by Margaret Lukas was the wonderful cover. Seeing the shack near the water, it evokes a feeling of isolation and even somehow emits a sense of desperation – all that just from the front cover.

Once I started reading this book, I was introduced to Bridget (who is an eleven year-old half-orphan), and to Effie, who is the unwanted seventeen year-old daughter of a settler family.

The lives of girls and women in the 1890s were not their own. Females began life as property of their father, which only changed when she was married. At that point she became the property of her husband. Women could not vote since they were considered “non-persons.” Of course, in modern North American society, this seems ridiculous, but it was reality and very few people questioned it. In fact, if a man were to beat up his wife, the law would ignore it as being “none of their business.” Ridiculous I know, but that was reality and few people questioned it.

I do not think I would have done well living in such a society. In fact, I would probably end up like so many other women of that time who were labelled as “incorrigible” or as having “hysteria.” If a woman was so designated, her husband or family would have her admitted to an insane asylum to live out her days being considered crazy. Although this does not happen in this book, both Effie and Bridget must have known that it was a possibility, and that their fate rested in the hands of a man – one that neither of them liked very much.

Sixty four year-old Reverend Jackdaw has his heart set on building a church in Omaha, Nebraska and in having numerous sons to ensure his vision comes to fruition. To do this, he needs a wife, one young enough to bear multiple children. He sees his chance to begin fulfilling what he thinks of as his destiny when he stops at the farm belonging to Effie’s family. He convinces her father to allow them to wed by telling him that the Reverend and his new bride would be leaving for Omaha shortly after the ceremony and the consummation of the marriage.

When procuring supplies for their trek to Nebraska, Reverend Jackdaw comes across a sign offering “Free Orphans.” This is how Bridget becomes his adopted daughter. He sees her not as a person, but as a way to keep watch on his youthful bride. She tries to introduce herself, but he doesn’t care what her name is and tells her that from that day forward, her name would be “Rooster” due to her red hair.

The story then follows the unlikely trip as they trek through the wilderness and arrive at the “house” on the river that Reverend Jackdaw is being loaned the use of for free.

Author Margaret Lukas does a phenomenal job at world building and I felt as if I had been transported back in time. I loved the way she built up each character and they became real to me and I was invested in their survival. I just couldn’t put this book down and read the entire 375 in a single weekend.

Anyone who is curious as to how “real” people lived in the pioneer era should read this book. Unfortunately, many historical fiction authors take the easy route and choose to make their characters wealthy, but this just does not reflect the lives of average or poor people. To make a modern day analogy, it would be like writing about the Kardashians rather than a regular, every day person of middle class.

I enjoyed this book tremendously and as such, I am rating it as 5 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
***Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book.***

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