Where the Rivers Merge, Mary Alice Monroe (Review by Lara Ferguson)
Rating: 4 /5 stars
Eliza has always felt most at home in The Lowcountry amongst the rivers and the wildlife. The best and worst times of her life have happened here, where three rivers, the Ashepoo, the Combahee, and the Edisto come together. This is her family home, the Mayfield plantation, and she is determined to preserve it.
The year is 1988, Eliza is 88. As the head of her family, she has spent her adult life building the family fortune and being a good steward of the family home. Rumors abound that her son, who does not see the old homeplace as anything other than an asset, is planning to attempt to force her to retire and step down from her position on the board. But true to form, Eliza has a plan.
As she puts her plan into action, she heads to the homeplace, with her niece and granddaughter in tow, and we, the reader, are invited on a glorious walk through the history of Mayfield as she experienced it. As she shares these memories, both the good and bad, she paints a picture of history, of love, of loss, and of the responsibility of the family to treasure and preserve the land and the home.
Filled with historical references, from Carolina Gold Rice and Marsh Tacky horses, this novel is a testament to The Lowcountry and the importance of conservation efforts everywhere. Weaving truth and fiction, Mary Alice Monroe has given us an intriguing and thought provoking family story that could really have happened.
