When I finished reading The Art of Rivers, I had to take a moment to let what I read soak in. Because it was that good, y’all. This book is poignant, moving, and a must-read.
Rivers Sullivan lost her fiance in a brutal attack that left her wounded physically and emotionally. A year later, she goes to St. Simons Island to clear out and sell property she inherited from her late fiance. While there, she unexpectedly comes face-to-face with his family’s past, which forces her to confront her own.
Cooper Knight spends his days working at an addiction center and his evenings searching the waters for those caught by the tide. He never expects to help the woman engaged to his late cousin. Or the complications that come with her arrival.
Through the journeys of these characters, Ferguson dives into the depths of grief and forgiveness. From Rivers’s lingering issues with her alcoholic mother to Cooper’s guilt over his cousin’s drowning, the novel explores how we let the past affect our future. But it’s so much more than that.
Addiction is explored beyond how it affects families. This novel gives a glimpse into the mind of an addict and how it affects them. The temptation and withdrawal, the shame and guilt, and the help that only Jesus can provide. There’s a lot of talk about spiritual warfare, something I found to be an insightful point on Ferguson’s part. Without downplaying addiction, the author manages to point out that an addict’s sin is just that: sin, something we’re all guilty of. She explores the trauma and self-medication, not to excuse addiction but to explain a web that makes it difficult for people to escape.
While Rivers struggles with grief, while Cooper struggles with guilt, the two begin to realize that God is calling them to move forward in His grace. And what a beautiful message that is! Not only encouraging for us when we struggle but also a reminder that we’re to help others who struggling. (There’s a sermon in the story that’s very convicting, by the way. I’ll never look at Jonah the same way again.)
As far as the romance goes, I loved the way they learned from each other. And I also loved the way Cooper respected Jordan’s memory. I think that says so much about a person’s character. Their friendship is sweet and so is their relationship.
There’s so much to love about this story that I haven’t even covered. But if you love romances set in the South with real, authentic characters, then The Art of Rivers is a must-read.
Further information
To purchase a copy of The Art of Rivers and read it for yourself, click the book image above.
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For another book set on the beach (that also happens to explore grief and healing), check out my review for Still Waters by Lindsey P. Brackett.
For another book dealing with addiction, check out my review for Waiting for Jacob by Cole Smith.
