Well, I didn't know what to expect, but this novel blew my mind! I ended up reading it in one go.
Right from the beginning, we are thrown into young Charlotte's story at a time when her emotions are frayed. Having just lost one parent after another, she and her fifteen-year-old brother, Emmett, are forced to leave their home with only their clothes. Their father, a miner who'd been organising gatherings to demand better rights for workers, succumbed to a strange illness that had also claimed their mother.
They were fortunate in that a couple came forward to raise them together – in a town called North East, in Maryland, by the end of Chesapeake Bay. The threat of being separated had been averted. But when they arrive in town, the rude treatment by a town bully makes Charlie wonder where they ended up. Then they arrive at the Ryans' grimy, almost dilapidated house, and her heart sinks.
Still, they were together and had a roof over their heads. What could possibly be worse? When Finn Ryan reveals his true character, she knows. Reining in her temper is hard, but when her otherwise quiet brother loses his temper, she knows she can't sit still and bear it.
Charlie is also keen to seek revenge on Pritchard, the owner of the mine, local railways, and much of the land their home town is built on. She blames Pritchard for her parents' death, and for somehow creating an unhealthy air that hangs over the town. But she has no proof.
However, she soon discovers that her new place has similar issues. The locals live under the thumb of the mayor, Whitaker. And together with the chief of the local police, people are living in fear of being falsely accused. And why are so many fish washing up, dead? Are they sick? Or is it something far more sinister?
When she becomes friends with a group of local girls, she discovers that beneath North East's scared surface bubbles a silent resistance. Women are not allowed to gather, by decree of the mayor, Whitaker. But they do, and they're plotting!
She joins the girls' literary group, and – as she used to write her father's rousing speeches – an idea forms in her head. What if all those done wrong in this town had their stories published, anonymously, in writing?
Will Charlie succeed in rousing the people of North East to rally against their oppressor, just as her father had done back home? Or will the backlash destroy her life? Well, I would suggest you read the novel!
Downriver is a fast-paced drama that has you turning the pages quickly, just to find out what happens next. The narrative is close first-person, and we get a real sense of Charlie's conflicting emotions. She is still under age, one year away from finishing school, but she has suffered much through her parents' last months as they were dying before her eyes, and looking after her brother at the same time.
So it's not surprising that she is hot-headed, defensive, and, at times, bullish in response. She's feisty, intelligent, and determined to have her revenge. Her love for her brother is all-consuming, yet she comes to realise that he is also growing up fast, and he must be able make his own decisions, even where she strongly disagrees. It's a tough learning curve, as is loosening her ingrained sense of distrust.
Determined to make a life for herself, running a business, she struggles with the romantic attentions she receives from Weylan, a quiet boy who seemed to run with the crowd, but only on the periphery. And her feelings towards him display the fight inside of her really well: gaining her independence or risk becoming dependent on someone else, something she swore she'd never do.
I really liked Charlie, as she openly shows all the human emotions you find in situations like hers. She is kind to her brother and friends, matter-of-factly to adults who patronise her, and fierce when facing her enemies, almost to the point of self-destruction. And enemies she has!
The locations and setting are very well-researched, as is the background into mining communities in Pennsylvania at the time. The plot points at the lack of workers' and women's rights, and the environmental impact of mining portrayed in the novel creates an underlying (fictional) threat to people's very existence not only inside the mines, but also in their home environment, and beyond. It is ever-present, which adds a strong sense of urgency and danger to the already intelligent plot.
Much has changed since the early 1900s, of course, but we know that, in many places, these practices still exist, where the greed for profit covers up environmental disasters (the horrific events in Aberfan in Wales, UK in 1966 spring to mind, as do companies' discharge of environmentally dangerous liquids into rivers, or children working in lithium and diamond mines). The world still needs a Charlie to shake us all awake!
This is the first novel in an intriguing and exciting new series, and I can't wait to read the next instalment. Please hurry, Ms Lane!
Highly recommended.
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Blurb:
A sulfur sky poisoned her family and her heart. Now revenge tastes sweeter than justice.
It’s 1900. In a Pennsylvania coal town tainted by corruption and pollution, Charlotte's world collapses when her parents meet a tragic end. Sent to a foster family in a Maryland fishing village, she’s fueled by grief and embarks on a relentless quest for justice against the ruthless coal boss, Nels Pritchard.
But Charlotte is no ordinary girl. She shares the fiery spirit of her father, whose powerful speeches inspired worker riots. With a burning desire for vengeance, she sets out to uncover the truth behind Pritchard's crimes, unearthing a shocking connection between the town's toxic air and the lifeless fish washing up on the shore of her Chesapeake Bay foster town.
To expose the truth, Charlotte builds a network of unexpected allies. There are gutsy suffragists, a literary society of teenage girls willing to print the truth… and Weylan. The captivating young man lost his own family to Pritchard’s poison. He offers support, but Charlotte questions his true motives when he lures her to break the law. Could she be falling into a dangerous trap, leading her to a fate worse than poison?
With her unwavering spirit and determination, Charlotte must forge alliances and navigate a web of treachery before Pritchard seeks his own ruthless revenge.
The newest book by award-winning author Jennifer M. Lane is perfect for fans of Jeannette Walls’ Hang the Moon and the fiery protagonist in The Hunger Games. Join Charlotte in this small town, coming-of-age dystopian historical saga as she finds resilience, courage, and triumph in her search for identity, independence, and her true home.
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
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About the Author:
Jennifer M. Lane
A Maryland native and Pennsylvanian at heart, Jennifer M. Lane holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Barton College and a master’s in liberal arts with a focus on museum studies from the University of Delaware, where she wrote her thesis on the material culture of roadside memorials.
Jennifer is a member of the Authors Guild and the Historical Novel Society. Her first book, Of Metal and Earth, won the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel and was a Finalist in the 2018 IAN Book of the Year Awards in the category of Literary / General Fiction. She is also the author of Stick Figures from Rockport, and the six book series The Collected Stories of Ramsbolt.
It’s 1900. In a Pennsylvania coal town tainted by corruption and pollution, Charlotte's world collapses when her parents meet a tragic end. Sent to a foster family in a Maryland fishing village, she’s fueled by grief and embarks on a relentless quest for justice against the ruthless coal boss, Nels Pritchard.
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