A River Closely Watched - by Jon Boilard (Paperback)

About the Book

"Bobby DuBois comes from a long line of misfits. Basically a good kid, he can't shake an inherited propensity for violence and drug abuse. When his father gets arrested it appears likely that Bobby, too, is headed into the system. Then Uncle Thaddeus rescues him and they take to the backwoods, managing to stay one step ahead of the law until hurricane rains swell the Swift River, ravaging Franklin County and flushing Bobby and Thaddeus out of the hills. Still on the run, Thaddeus teaches Bobby how to drink, fight and fornicate how to be a right DuBois. Perhaps the most important lesson Bobby learns, however, is that he doesn't want to grow up to be like his father or his uncle. The bristling action culminates with a disturbing custody battle waged in the shadows of Stillwater Bridge. The DuBois clan is in trouble and has been for generations, and at its core this beautiful and violent first novel is about Bobby s struggle to save his own soul"--

Book Synopsis

Bobby DuBois comes from a long line of misfits. Basically a good kid, he can't shake an inherited propensity for violence and drug abuse. When his father gets arrested, Bobby, too, is headed into the system, until Uncle Thaddeus rescues him and they take to the backwoods, managing to stay one step ahead of the law. On the run, Thaddeus teaches Bobby how to drink, fight, and fornicate--how to be a DuBois.

When hurricane rains swell the Swift River, ravaging Franklin County and flushing Bobby and Thaddeus out of the hills, the DuBois family wages a disturbing custody battle in the shadows of Stillwater Bridge. Sown through with bristling language and violent love, at its core, this beautiful and violent first novel explores Bobby's struggle to save his own soul.

About the Author

Jon Boilard is the author of A River Closely Watched (MacAdam/Cage, 2012), a finalist for the Northern California Book Award; The Castaway Lounge (Dzanc Books, 2015); and Settright Road (Dzanc Books, 2017). Born and raised in Western Massachusetts, Boilard lives in San Francisco, CA.