"SWIFT RIVER" by Essie Chambers is a coming of age story filled with beautiful prose and astute observations. Diamond may be only 16 as the story opens, but her ability to see the inequities within her short but impacted life are spot on. Loved (and kept more than a little socially isolated by two extremely flawed parents) adds layer upon layer of conflict and self-doubt to a beautiful young child who truly only wants to be both seen AND loved.

Adding to those layers of angst is the fact that Diamond is the ONLY black girl in the titular town of Swift River. Having a white Mama, and a now going on seven years missing black Pop, makes her solitary black presence within her community stand out even more to the insensitive people she encounters on a daily basis. While our smart, articulate, thoughtful Diamond absolutely should not care about their opinions nor seek their approval, in her quest for identity, validation, and acceptance, she does.

The book was released on June 4, 2024. It is also "Read with Jenna's" June book selection. My thanks for the opportunity to read a galley proof copy and the chance to share my thoughts on this debut novel by Essie Chambers.

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This beautiful debut is the story of Diamond, whose father disappears, and with them, her legacy that she must rediscover as the only Black person in her northeastern town. Diamond and her mother scrape by, working towards the painful truth of proving that her father is dead, which will allow them to finally receive insurance funds. In the interim, Diamond works and navigates Swift River as an outcast, dealing with the unpredictable moods and decisions of her mother. Chambers captures the essence of a poverty I understand and have experienced, highlighting the daily struggles that compound into frustration and desperation to get out—to get away—even from people and places you may love.

Diamond reconnects with her Aunt Lena via letters, slowly discovering her family history and its tie to this town. This history reveals the legacy of racism, but also the agency, rootedness, and power of her ancestors. Through the movement between these letters and watching the way they affect Diamond’s sense of self, the novel follows her coming of age. Diamond reaches towards this rich inheritance, which also includes a way fully into her self

Part coming of age story, part family history and the challenges of growing up Black in the town of Swift River. Diamond Newberry's father, Rob went missing seven years ago. She and her mother Anna are struggling to make ends meet. It is now 1987 and they can finally have Rob declared legally dead and claim the insurance money. Meanwhile, Claire's cousin Lena gets in touch with Diamond and sends her letters that Clare, Rob's aunt who raised him, had sent to Lena's mother, detailing life in Swift River for colored people 1915 onwards. This is a story about growing up colored, family relationships, the consequences of history and family secrets. It is told from the perspective of three Black women over different time periods. The story started out pretty strong but then somewhere towards the end I thought there were a lot of unanswered questions. Maybe there will be a sequel. Overall a quick, entertaining read.

Thank you Netgalley, Essie Chambers and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

Delightful, poignant, heartwarming coming of age story of a teenage bi-racial girl in a small Massachusetts town in 1980s.

This book was incredibly sad, in a surprising way. I knew the themes of grief, loss, racism, and general dysfunction would lead to a heavy read; however, Diamond so clearly needed a reliable adult and some community in her life, and I spent the whole book wishing that for her. Diamond endured so many traumas throughout her childhood, and just like real life, the ending did not bring a clean or satisfying resolution. Swift River tells an important (and often overlooked) history of sundown towns through the narrative of a family which experienced every iteration of American racism. I found the style of writing to be a little disorganized and I struggled to stay engaged at times, but this is entirely because of my own preferences.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for the ARC!

Swift River takes us back to the 1980's and a New England mill town that has seen better days. It seems that the town is just filled with hateful and mean people "....where everything that ever happens to you is a stain that fades but won't ever come out."
Diamond Newberry is a biracial 16 year old in a town with no other black residents, except for her father. But, one day, he's gone and she's left with her mother, who's white, has problems holding down a job, and seems to have a substance abuse issue. Diamond's also severely overweight and very insecure. We do see a happier Diamond through flashbacks from when she was younger and her family was together, before her father began to experience his own challenges that presumably led to his disappearance.
The storyline is structured around Diamond's secret journey to learn how to drive, and through this, we gradually learn more about her father's family and their history. The story is primarily told by three Newberry women from three different generations: Diamond, her Aunt Lena, and through letters from her Great Aunt Clara. Ms. Chambers effectively tackles themes of racism and prejudice, mental illness, love and loss.
There were a few challenges with Swift River. The story does jump around and can be confusing at times. The storylines for Shelley (Diamond's driving school friend) and Diamond's father sort of drift away. Swift River is an impressive debut novel and I look forward to read more from Ms. Chambers.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read Swift River in exchange for an honest review.

*3.5 stars rounded up.

Diamond Newberry is the only black kid growing up in the New England town of Swift River. But that's not her only problem: she's also quite obese and her father, Robert Vaughn Newberry, disappeared when she was seven. So her life has been quite tough; she has no friends and her mother Annabelle hasn't been stable enough to provide decently for them. Now, seven years have passed, and Annabelle's hope is to have Robbie declared dead so she can finally get her hands on his insurance money. THEN all their problems will be solved. But Diamond has other plans. She's been learning to drive and her father's aunt Lena from Georgia has been in secret contact, finally filling in the details about their family, so Diamond is getting a sense of who she really is.

Diamond is an interesting character whose experiences shed light on dealing with racial issues, the problem of weight shaming and a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship. The story ends leaving us hoping for the best for Diamond.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this debut novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

so beyond words good. I bought this on a whim and was not disappointed. I learned a lot about sundown towns, particularly the history of them in the story and authors note. I really loved Diamond and watching her come of age in a place and time unkind to her.

Diamond is the only black person in her small town in Massachusetts in the late 1980s, which makes everything about being an outcast at school even worse. Her father disappeared years ago, but was never legally declared dead. She lives with her white mother and they're barely able to make ends meet after her mother's poor life choices. When Diamond receives letters from a family member she never knew she had, she begins to learn more about her father and herself, and how she can fit into the world. This was a raw coming of age novel, but there were parts that dragged and I had a hard time sticking with it.

I love a good coming of age story and this one did not disappoint.
This book takes place in 1987,S Diamond lives in a sundowner town with her white mother and Black father. she and her dad were the only blacks. he father disappears and our story opens as Diamond's mother is trying to get her father declared dead so that they can collect his life insurance money.
The book packed a lot in: racism, family history, secrets, mother-daughter relationships, abandonment, and more.

I wanted more? Which sounds weird. Especially from the ending.
But i enjoyed this book a lot!

The debut novel SWIFT RIVER by Essie Chambers involves a narrator with whom it is hard to empathize. 16-year-old Diamond Newberry is obviously struggling with being biracial in a rural all white area and with some eating habits that have resulted in her being massively overweight. Reviews that say this story will break your heart are correct ... Diamond is not happy with herself and doesn't have a clear understanding of the causes or ways to escape her situation. After her father abandoned the family seven years earlier, Diamond has had little, if any, other immediate adult support and few clear goals, but plenty of acts of self-sabotage like purposefully leaving her bike to be stolen. I would be inclined to choose a different story, but SWIFT RIVER is a LibraryReads selection for June and a Read with Jenna selection. If members are inclined towards slow paced coming of age stories, there is much for book clubs to contemplate.

I liked this book. I like seeing how Diamond came into herself and learning more about her family history. I wish there were times where she stood up for herself more with her mom and told her look we have to do better. I think my favorite part of the book was the letters from her Aunt Clara and Lena. It was refreshing to see their take on Diamond’s dad paat and how the family became to live in Swift River. I wish though that there was some conclusion to what truly happened with Diamond’s dad. That plot line was left so open unless I missed it. The writing was very vivid and I felt like I was right there in Swift River experiencing everything with Diamond.

"Swift River" is a coming-of-age tale by Essie Chambers that takes us into the life of Diamond, a biracial teenager grappling with questions of identity, belonging, and heritage. Once her father suddenly disappears, Diamond must figure out how to make it through life without his presence (both the good and the bad), especially in the face of tending to her mother. As she is now the only Black resident of her town, she has to deal with growing up as an outsider as well as contending with rampant, salacious gossip involving her father.

Then, a relative from her father's side reaches out to her, and Diamond must continue to put the pieces of her family together, mostly behind her mother's back. The book alternates between several narrative windows: 1980 (right when Diamond's father disappears), 1987 (present-day, right before her father will be legally declared dead), and letters written from both present-day family members and her ancestors.

First off, I absolutely cherished Diamond's voice. I really got to know her character and felt the writing was strongest when she was in charge of her own story, telling me about her feelings and what she sees happening all around her. Chambers captured her moods, the uncertainty of that liminal space not only as a teenager but in the midst of familial and demographic upheaval, quite well. Without giving too many details away, there is a flashback scene involving an amusement park that was profound and poignant, a glimpse into the uncertainty of a young child amid tense family dynamics. That will stay with me for a long while.

I did, however, feel the story meandered in parts, especially in the second half. I would have loved to have more centralized focus being about Diamond and her coming to terms with what happened with her father: Did he leave? Did he disappear? Did something happen to him? That was the most propulsive part of the narrative, and I felt the resolution for that could have been stronger. I also didn't feel two side characters, Shelly and Mr. Jimmy, added much to the story and really felt they kind of got the strongest part of the story (Diamond's visceral voice) off the beaten path.

With that being said, I am glad I read this and will absolutely read more by this author. This story felt raw and compelling, and Chambers did do a great job getting us to explore Diamond's identity, especially on the cusp of the uncertainties of adulthood.

Swift River centers on teenage Diamond Newberry in the Summer of 1987 as she navigates the next steps in her life. She is the only black person in her New England town and is working through her relationship with her mom in the context of her father's disappearance 7 years prior. This is a deeply tender story that follows the women in Diamond's family through both letters and flashbacks, but always centering on Diamond. The writing is so personal to Diamond deftly illustrating all of her emotions and is all around an incredible debut novel from Essie Chambers. Swift River also illustrates the not so hidden histories of racism in New England and the challenges that Black folks faced despite being in the North.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy of this gorgeous novel.

Swift River is an exceptionally potent and remarkable first novel. Diamond, a biracial adolescent, embarks on a journey to navigate her path in society and, in the process, unravels profound insights about existence, destitution, discrimination, and the significance of kinship. Imbued with the revelations conveyed through ancestral correspondences, she delves deep into her family's historical and cultural heritage. This poignant narrative encapsulates the essence of a transformative rite of passage, deserving of four shining stars.
Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Publishing for ARC to read and review.

Coming of age tale about Diamond, a 16 year old biracial girl, the only person of color in the small town of Swift River. Unmoored from society, with no support system, Diamonds life is at a standstill. Her father disappeared and her mother an addict she finds herself friendless and subject of local gossip.
With all responsibilities on her shoulders she decides to get a drivers license and in the process makes a surprising friend. Additionally letters start arriving from a long lost relative giving her a lifeline to culture and family. There are secrets and sometimes life is unsavory and yet with courage she can find someplace to belong.
Although this could be a difficult read, thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster.

I did enjoy this novel even though it was slow for me to get through. This was a beautiful coming of age novel while also heartbreaking at times.

I felt so bad for Diamond because she was feeling so lonely. She is overweight and also the only black person in the town of Swift River after her father disappeared years ago.

I really enjoyed the letters from her aunts because I felt like it really added to the story and allowed Diamond to know her dad through those letters.

I thought this book was a great literary fiction novel and I look forward to more from this author.

This book is a contender for my favorite novel of the year!! Chambers has created a character, Diamond, who is unforgettable!! Diamond’s voice, heart, hurdles, grief, and growth were poignantly written moving me through a range of emotions from heartbreak, rage, and joy.

Told mainly through Diamond’s POV between the present and 10 years ago when her father went missing, readers get to know Diamond’s struggles growing up as a biracial fat girl living in a small, rural mill town in Maine. Her father disappeared 10 years ago, and Diamond and her mothers are finally hoping to move past this by having his declared legally dead (insurance required the 10 year waiting period). Their search leads Diamond’s distant family member to reach out via letters. She offers to send Diamond a few of her father’s remaining childhood items and the two strike up a correspondence that teaches Diamond about her family’s past in the early 1900’s and what forced them to leave the mill town and move down south to Georgia. The story unfolds over the summer of Diamond’s 16th birthday year while she is taking drivers’ education classes in the hopes to one day escape the town and her poverty. The book centers on themes of identify, belonging, family roots, friendship, and is a coming-of-age story I will remember for a long time!

Coming of age in a place where secrets have too much power

In the summer of 1987, in the small Massachusetts former mill town of Swift River, Diamond Newberry is secretly working on getting her driver’s license. In a life where she has little control over things, it feels like a powerful way to earn some independence. Since her father disappeared one day seven years earlier, a small pile of his belongings left behind on the river bank, she has lived alone with her mother in a dilapidated house and little in the way of financial security. Further complicating her life, her father was black and her mother white, and Swift River has never been a shining example of racial harmony. In fact, years earlier on a night known as The Leaving, the entire black population packed up and left the town forever. Diamond is the only person in town who is not white, and that fact is made clear to her on a regular basis in ways large and small. When she was younger she would scream when her emotions became too hard to handle….lately she just stuffs them deep inside and eats to make herself feel better. She’s the smartest kid in her grade, but she is ridiculed regularly both because of her obesity and her color. Being poor and having an unstable mother doesn’t help either. When she receives a package out of the blue from a woman who says she is her Aunt Lena, her father’s cousin down in Georgia, she begins to learn about her family background and the checkered history of Swift RIver. When you’ve always felt “different”, it can be amazing to know that others have felt the same before you.
What a story, and what a voice. Diamond is in many ways a typical teenager, desperate to fit in yet feeling hopelessly set apart. In her case, though, its not all in her head….she IS different, and others do look down at her. When she forms a connection to a classmate through their driving classes, it is transformative. Shelly is an outcast for different reasons, but they both share a desire to put Swift River and the disparaging judgement which it has passed on them far behind. Racism, subtle and overt, permeates the town now as it has in the past, and the faltering economy of the town has further rendered it an unhappy place. Diamond has had to parent herself, with an absent father and a mother who can no longer cope with reality. Hearing from Aunt Lena and reading letters from the one member of the Newberry family who remained in Swift RIver after The Leaving introduces to Diamond a sense of family, and helps her to better understand why Swift RIver is the way it is. Sunset laws, a white population who simultaneously dislikes but relies upon different ethnic groups (first the black families, later the French Canadians who too over their roles), and people leaving and being left all have led to Diamond being who she is and where she is. It is rewarding to watch her begin to overcome the mistakes of the past and set a course of her own making. With complex characters, a strong sense of place, and a story of quiet desperation, Swift River is a fascinating novel in which readers of Zadie Smith, Taylor Jenkins Reid and James McBride should invest some time. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me the privilege of early access to this beautiful book.

As Diamond comes of age, she is torn between her past and her uncertain future. Her father disappeared seven years ago, and this has obviously left quite the impression on Diamond. She has never really found her place in this world, and grappling with her mixed-race identity, her weight, and the mysteries of her heritage only compound to leave Diamond a confused and lonely girl.

When her dad's long lost cousin sends her a letter, it feels to Diamond like she's finally getting some answers to the questions she's had for so long. She learns about her towns complicated and racist ways. She learns about her dad, and she learns about herself through these stories.

In addition to it being a debut and a Read With Jenna pick, I was set to find a new book to gush over. It started off very strong. I liked Diamond, and I liked her voice. But when the letters started getting introduced, I quickly lost any enthusiasm for the book. They defintely gave Diamond context about herself and furthered the story in that respect, but I found them very long and drug out and boring.

Also, the ending was...weird?! Diamond and her friend, Shelly, end up in a very weird, unnecessary situation that I didn't feel added to the story. It felt odd to me. Maybe by this time I was so checked out of the story that I didn't really care to understand its inclusion, but I basically ended up hating the entire last 15% of the book.