What a very interesting book how went back and forth in time and this was done through letters. Diamond newberry was the only Black person in swift river. Her mother was white and her father was black.. The father had a very interesting history related to this account.Camel named swift river. Her father disappeared seven years ago and her mother was Very undoubted. She got a letter from one of the and as you read this letter you'll find out what really happened with this father and the family. It was very interesting to go back to 1915.Because one of the A n u n t was a midwife who worked with the doctors in the Swift river. In the mills. They were all french canadians. The father as a boy was sent down.South to live with one of the Family member. This caused a lot of problems in the family. When he married her mother she was white and even cause more of a division in the Family. Diamond really was trying to be a person and she had a lot of struggles. She was overweight and nobody really understood her at all. It's interesting how families develop over time. The Author did amazing job how she tied nineteen fifteen nineteen fifties and the present. How should explain how the father was raised. Then we'll find out how everything gets tied together.

This is amazing and sad. I love Diamond. I love her journey through her family history. I even love her mom and that struggle. This is incredibly real and vulnerable.
I would love to attend a book club for this book.

Imagine being the only black girl in a New England mill town. Your mom is white and your father is black. But he left and left you at "population: 1". You stand out, especially when you are also overweight. It's almost like you cannot hide even if you want to. Witch trials happened in New England and I don't think they will stop for a moment if another trial needs to be held.

There were things Diamond didn't know about her family like where were his father's relatives, why her mom was constantly playing Pollyanna, and most importantly if her father was really dead. As a kid in high school, these were rather loaded questions. She was not the little kid her father left behind and Diamond started to think about what being left behind meant. She definitely did not want to wound her mother when she was digging into her black family, but she still had hard time understanding why her mother was the way she was.

Eventually, two women came to an understanding. How? It is for you to read and see. I appreciated that both parties put their best foot forward and extend that hand because mothers at the end would remember what it meant to be the daughter and daughters would understand their mothers.

Swift River is a powerful novel that sometimes reads like a long poem. Diamond is a teenager growing up in the 1980s in Swift River, a town with no other Black people besides herself, and her father who has disappeared. Her white mother is supportive, but clearly struggling physically and mentally, which becomes clear later in the book. Diamond has a messy life, but seems to draw people toward her. Throughout the book, we learn along with Diamond about her relatives and ancestors, and about The Leaving, when all the other Black families left Swift River.

What a great book! I couldn’t put it down and I’m better you won’t be able to put it down either. Thank you for writing such a great book!

The coming of age story of Diamond Newberry was fascinating and heartbreaking. The relationships between Diamond, her mother and her town were poignant, and while frustrating, also moving.

This book has letters and stories from three different time periods that work to explain Diamond’s history. I loved this idea and could see how it would be a beautiful addition to the story, but for me it detracted from the heart of the story. I felt lost with the jumping around and never got enough explanation from the other viewpoints to feel like it added to the story.

There were many strong moments in this book and it was often beautiful and moving.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

This novel is set mostly in 1987, when main character Diamond is 16, overweight, living in poverty with her mom, and literally the only black person in their small Massachusetts town Swift River since her mom is white and her black father disappeared 7 years before. Also interspersed are chapters sent in 1980 from 9 year old Diamond’s perspective in the months before her dad disappeared, plus 1987 letters Diamond receives from her Aunt Lena she has never met which talk about both Lena’s younger life with Diamond’s dad and Lena’s current life, and letters Lena sends to Diamond from her great aunt (I think Clara) in 1915, where Clara describes how she became the only black person left in Swift River at that time.

So, there was a lot going on in this book, maybe too much - the juxtaposition of the coming of age stories of the 1980s and the historical parts just never really came together, and there were SO many plot points left dangling and open ended when the book came to an abrupt and confusing end. Some of the writing was good and Diamond definitely came to life as a character though many around her remained ciphers. I’m pretty confused as to why Read With Jenna chose this one.

I enjoyed this debut novel! I found it to be engaging, and the characters well developed.

I appreciated the alternating timelines. The story drifted between Diamond in the current day (1987) and back to 1980 as her parents’ relationship was becoming more fraught before her father disappeared. Diamond carried a lot of weight on her shoulders. Therefore, it was hard not to feel her struggles and achievements strongly. Above all, I enjoyed this atmospheric story.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Swift River by Essie Chambers.

This is the story about Diamond, the only Black woman in her town, relentlessly teased about her weight. Her life is doubly hard though because her mother functions without much reason, hitchhiking everywhere and causing scenes. Diamond insists on getting her driving license even if her mom doesn't want her to. Diamond is desperate to know what happened to her dad who disappeared seven years ago, and now that's she's getting letters from members of his family, she might actually get some answers about who she is and where she comes from...

I enjoyed the beginning of this book, and I enjoyed the end. The rest felt like relentless rambling, I was over it. I understand what this book was, but it never really demonstrated what it's point was. I was left with no more answers than I started with. Maybe I'm alone in this opinion, but I just didn't understand the meaning of this book.

An engrossing story about family, race, growing up and friendship. I liked the way, through letters, that Diamond learned about her family history. At times sad, but always poignant. This is an awesome debut novel and I eagerly look forward to Essie Chambers’ next novel. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Swift River, 1987....Diamond Newberry is learning how to drive. Ever since her Pop disappeared, she & her mom hitchhike everywhere. She wants to stop that. Diamond is Black & heavy and gets bullied, a lot. When she gets a letter from an unknown family member, her life sets turned around and she doesn't know where to go. As she uncovers family secrets, can she & her mom put a life back together?

This book was a hard one to read, on an emotional level. I love a book that blends a mystery and a coming of age story.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC. I loved this book. It is such a powerful debut novel and I look forward to hearing more from Chambers. I learned so much from this book and I loved Diamond and her desire to persevere.

I had a hard time with this book. The first quarter of the book set things up nicely enough with characters and plot. After that, it felt very scattered and disjointed to me. It kind of felt like a whole new book started. I kept waiting for everything to tie together, but it just didn't get there for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me early access to the ARC ebook edition of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have seen so many great reviews for this book and I really wanted to love it. Unfortunately I just could not get into it. I tried to listen as an audiobook as well and that didn’t work for me either. I know many people loved this one, but it just wasn’t for me!

This book just isn’t for me, DNFing pretty early on. Not engaged with the story or characters at all. Thanks anyway for the ARC.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed this multigenerational family story. I love a story from a teenage girl’s point of view. Teenage grievances mixed with familial ones, with race and society, and more. I was glued to the page right up until the end.

I really enjoyed this book about a young teen named Diamond. The hardships and struggles she had growing up are so relatable. Her body image, growing up in poverty, and race played a huge part of in her lack of confidence. I can’t even imagine how she felt when her dad went missing and growing up in a town being a minority. I really felt for her and enjoyed reading this story.

In this debut novel, Diamond Newberry is a 16-year-old carrying the weight of generational trauma. Until now, her black family's past and the past of her mostly white New England mill town have been a secret to Diamond, who lives with her white mother in the house that generations of her mother's family have inhabited. Her Black father disappeared seven years ago, with nothing but his shoes, wallet, and house keys remaining on the riverbank. Now, in secret, Diamond takes driver's ed so that she can drive herself away from Swift River someday. Like Swift River’s once-thriving Black community, she will leave. "It's a story about leaving," she says. "It starts with my body. My body is a map of the world."
I liked the complicated bond between mother and daughter in this novel. I also really liked how the Newberry family's history is revealed through letters. Characters were well fleshed out, as was the history of the fictional town of Swift River, and I felt that author Essie Chambers absolutely nailed the ending.
I would recommend this book to those interested in a Black biracial teen's coming-of-age story, the legacy of "sundown towns" in the US, and generational history.
[Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

In “Swift River”, Essie Chambers weaves a swirling generational saga that revolves around an absent father and the women who bear the ripple effect of his disappearance. Set in 1987, the story follows Diamond Newberry, the only Black person in the town of Swift River. Diamond’s life takes unexpected turns when she receives a letter from a previously unknown relative, unraveling key elements of her father’s past. As she delves into her family’s history, she gains a sense of her place in the world and discovers how the past shapes her future.

Chambers’ debut novel captures the essence of first friendships, family secrets, and the courage to let go. The narrative is raw, atmospheric, and insightful, making it a compelling read for anyone who appreciates gripping storytelling and rich character development. With Diamond at its vibrant center, “Swift River” explores themes of prejudice, abandonment, love, and devotion across generations. Essie Chambers heralds her arrival as a major new literary talent with this captivating work.

If you’re drawn to stories that delve into complex family histories and evoke a strong sense of time and place, “Swift River” would be a great addition to your reading list! 📖✨