The River Witch by Kimberly Brock

With her grannies Sacred Heart songs, Roslyn Byrnes heads to Manny’s Island, Georgia for a reprieve from the world around her. Having recently suffered from a career ending car accident and a miscarriage, she just needs some time to herself. Once getting to the house, that’s the last thing she gets.

The home she rents is owned by the Trezevants family. Who bring their family problem/issues to her doorstep where she welcomes them in. With them, they bring a little family drama, dark history, hoodoo, and a ten year old little girl named Damascus who is looking for magic and a way to connect with her mother by growing pumpkins in Roslyn’s backyard.

The River Witch, is magical on so many levels. Kimberly Brock’s writing is simply beautiful; it felt almost lyrical as I read. The story itself is filled with a number of layers all dealing with what each character has lost and finding a way to heal.

I fell in love with Damascus. I hurt for her, I cheered for her and I cried for her. For me she really tied everything together. It was easy to see a little girl needing some way to connect with her mother—that desire, but what she really needed was to be filled by those around her. We do that as adults, I think. We get lost in our own grief and sadness. We forget there is life and beauty around us, we need to carry on with the love of those we’ve lost. By moving on, living and loving, we honor them. Because when we allow grief to steal our light, everyone loses—everyone is touched by the darkness.

I highly recommend The River Witch. You won’t want to put it down until you get to the end—and the end will have you reeling!

Reviewed by: Laura Kay

Get to know Kimberly

Facebook

Twitter

I made a pinterest board for The River Witch

Praise for The River Witch: "Kimberly Brock has an amazing voice and a huge heart; The River Witch welcomes the reader to a haunted landscape, authentically Southern, where the tragedies of the past and the most fragile, gorgeous kind of love-soaked hope are equally alive. This is one debut that you absolutely should not miss." ~~ Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times Best-Selling author of Backseat Saints  "Kimberly Brock's The River Witch achieves what splendid writing ought to achieve - story and character that linger in the reader's consciousness. Such is the power of Roslyn Byrne, who retreats to Manny's Island, Georgia, in search of herself, only to discover her great need of others. Tender and intriguing, often dazzling in its prose, this is a mature work of fiction worthy of the celebration of praise." ~~ Terry Kay, Honored Georgia author of To Dance With the White Dog "There is magic and wonder in "The River Witch," but the real enchantment here is the strength of the characters Roslyn and Damascus. Their voices are the current that carries the reader along in this compelling tale of healing and discovery." ~~ Sharyn McCrumb, New York Times Best-Selling author of The Ballad of Tom Dooley "With lyrical prose, Kimberly Brock explores the hidden places of the heart. The River Witch is a magical and bewitching story that, like a river, winds its way through the soul. In the voices of her wounded characters, Brock takes us through both the breaking and the healing of a life." ~~ Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times Best-Selling author of Driftwood Summer