The River Within - by Karen Powell (Hardcover)

About the Book

"It is the summer of 1955. Alexander, Tom and his sister Lennie, discover the body of their childhood friend Danny Masters in the river that runs through Starome, a village on the Richmond estate in North Yorkshire. His death is a mystery. Did he jump, or was it just an accident? Lady Venetia Richmond has no time to dwell on the death. Newly widowed, she is busy trying to keep the estate together, while struggling with death duties and crippling taxation. Alexander, her son and sole heir to Richmond Hall, is of little help. Just when she most needs him, he grows elusive, his behaviour becoming increasingly erratic. Lennie Fairweather, 'child of nature' and daughter of the late Sir Angus's private secretary, has other things on her mind too. In love with Alexander, she longs to escape life with her over-protective father and domineering brother. Alexander is unpredictable though, hard to pin down. Can she be sure of his true feelings towards her? In the weeks that follow the tragic drowning, the river begins to give up its secrets. As the truth about Danny's death emerges, other stories come to the surface that threaten to destroy everyone's plans for the future and, ultimately, their very way of life"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A novel about infatuation, class, and obligation, The River Within will take its place as a classic in a tradition of English fiction that takes in Thomas Hardy, Graham Swift, and Helen Dunmore.

It is the summer of 1955. The body of Danny Masters is found by three of his friends in the river that runs through Starome, a village on the Richmond estate in North Yorkshire.

Alexander, one of the three friends that found Danny and the sole heir to Richmond Hall, has always been unpredictable but lately he has grown elusive, his behaviour becoming increasingly erratic. His mother, Lady Venetia Richmond, is newly widowed and too busy trying to keep the sprawling family estate together to worry about Alexander, though she could use his help.

A second friend, Lennie Fairweather, "child of nature" and daughter of the late Sir Angus Richmond's private secretary, has other things on her mind too. In love with Alexander, she longs to escape life with her over-protective father and domineering brother, Tom, who was also there when Danny's body was discovered.

In the weeks that follow the tragic drowning, the river begins to give up its secrets. As the circumstances surrounding Danny's death emerge, other stories surface that threaten to disrupt everybody's plans and to destroy an entire way of life.

Review Quotes

★ "[Karen Powell's] novel about love, class, and secrecy in 1950s England reads as if it were written in the era the characters inhabit, her style and tone reminiscent of an earlier generation of reticent yet emotionally brutal writers like Shirley Hazzard and Graham Greene. A mesmerizing escape."--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"Powell has not written a pale imitation of "The Crown" or "Downton Abbey." The River Within contains multitudes; it's a fresh look at the pressures our caste systems place upon all of us, no matter where we come from."--Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times

"Hamlet comes to fifties Yorkshire in this compelling riff on love, grief and family strife. Powell is a talent to watch."--Lisa Appignanesi, author of Everyday Madness

"Consistently elegant and absorbing, The River Within is a supremely accomplished first work [ . . . ] Throughout the book, Powell explores friendship, desire, mental health and class divides. She excels with her descriptions of untamed nature, in particular the river, which turns out to be both a vital life force and a watery grave. This is a novel whose shimmering surface conceals hidden depths."--Malcolm Forbes, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Evocative and engrossing."--Heat Magazine

"A gripping mystery, revealing dark truths around class and love in the aftermath of war, with beautiful prose depicting Yorkshire and life on a country estate."--The Yorkshire Post

"This is a fine mystery as well as a fine story. People fond of well-written fiction will love this tale of class lines, young angst and our obligation to ourselves and to others."--Linda Bond, Auntie's Bookstore (Spokane, WA)

"This precisely plotted dramatic mystery, with an extraordinarily personal gaze, is perfect for fans of Kate Atkinson and Susanna Clarke."--Cindy Pauline, The River's End Bookstore (Oswego NY)

About the Author

Karen Powell was born in Rochester, Kent. She left school at 16 but returned to education as a mature student to study English Literature at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. She lives in York with her husband and daughter.