Where the River Ends

I ordered this book back in October but never received it. Because I really like this author, I'll order it again.

You have to have "heart and soul" to fully appreciate Charles Martin's books. This one is no exception. The way he melds the winding river with life and death is riveting. I really loved this book.

I was taken in by this story. When the the "C" word knocks on your door, it is an overwhelming shock which throws life into a tailspin. Most people consider the victim of the cancer. But cancer hits the whole family, especially the spouse. I learned the true meaning of "for better or for worse" as well as, "in sickness and in health." Charles Martin truly describes this reality. In "Where the River Ends" we follow Doss Michaels as he risks all for the love of his life, cheering him on all the way to the mouth of the St. Marys River. Unlike many authors who tell us a good story, Martin has the unusual knack of showing us. Just as his main character knows how to create something beautiful with canvas and paint, Charles Martin paints a beautiful picture of unconditional love with paper and pen. This is a must read!

Author Charles Martin has written a masterpiece of Southern fiction. In a culture that has lost some of its values, this tale of love within marriage reminds us of what everyone truly desires: to be loved unconditionally, to be fully committed to, and to be fully committed. I struggled to understand why this story so touched my heart, but soon realized that my desire for a truer, purer life overwhelmed the struggles I currently face. Some people would call this a fantastical escape, but I call it a restoration of hope. I am not sure if there would be a person on earth today who has not, in some fashion, been affected by the cancer pandemic. With singular stories of "winning the battle", Martin, through rich character development and the wonder of a river journey, masterfully and pungeantly carries a way to truly deal with the statistical realities, again, restoring hope in the truth that we can possess love for others that is greater than the love we have for ourselves. C.S. Lewis in his preface to MacDonald's Phantastes wrote, "I should have been shocked in my 'teens if anyone had told me that what I learned to love in Phantastes was goodness." This story of a man's devotion to his wife, and his unconditional (but often challenged) love for her, is filled with...well...'goodness'. Read this book, and keep the tissues handy.

Charles Martin has written another novel of love and commitment from a man to his wife. Along the lines of two of Martin's previous novels, The Dead Don't Dance (Awakening Series #1) and Maggie (Awakening Series #2), Where the River Ends explores just how far a man will go in order to show his undying love for his wife. Written with depth and heartfelt insight, this book will not disappoint those who are already fans of Charles Martin and will make newcomers to Martin's books hungry for more. The characters are real and believable, and the setting (historic Charleston) and the surrounding areas make this book even more interesting to read. Well done, Charles Martin. Keep on writing!!

WHERE THE RIVER ENDS, Charles Martin's sixth novel following his award-winning CHASING FIREFLIES, is a touching story of love and loss, set with rich detail against the backdrop of Charleston and the St. Mary's River. Doss Michaels is a fishing guide and starving artist trying to eke out a living in a small studio in Charleston. A chance encounter with beautiful model Abigail "Abbie" Grace Coleman leads to a 10-year blissful marriage, but when Abbie becomes terminally ill, their lives fall apart. Abbie's once-flawless model's physique is ravaged by cancer, and her strength drains until she's counting her time left in weeks, if not days. On her wish list of 10 things to do before she dies is a 130-mile trip down the St. Mary's River, and Doss promises her they will accomplish it. Despite her father's threats (he wants her to be in the hospital), Doss and Abbie embark on the excursion. Hurricane season looms, which lends urgency and tension as the story progresses. Martin tells his slow-paced tale well, and competently handles the difficult task of flashing back and forth in time in alternate chapters to tell the story of Doss and Abbie's courtship and their present-day trip down the St. Mary's. Doss and Abby meet with a fair share of hardship and challenges on their epic journey. Fans of the author will find the lavish descriptions of small towns, rivers and rural roads in WHERE THE RIVER ENDS in keeping with his eye for detail in his previous novels, including lots of precise descriptions about the St. Mary's River. As in his past efforts, Martin incorporates subtle faith themes that flow as naturally as the currents of the river. Difficult and sometimes frightening moments on the river are balanced with scenes incorporating unusual characters, from Robert "Bob" Porter, a former priest who shelters them, to a group of partying rednecks who offer food and song to a spitting, rodent-killing backwoodswoman. One of the most memorable scenes is between a young Doss and his down-on-her-luck mother telling him early on about his artistic gift, which she has nurtured, and the importance of the river: "Life ain't easy. Most the time, it's hard. It seldom makes sense and it ain't never wrapped up in a neat little bow. Seems like the older you get the more it trips you up, breaks you down and bloodies you...What you got inside you is...is a well that bubbles up from way down deep. It's sweet water, too. But sometimes wells run empty. If you ever get to hurting and all you feel is ache --- you reach down and find your well empty, nothing but dust --- then you come back here...dive in and drink deeply." Martin's narrative occasionally slows and meanders like the river itself (there's a long travelogue about a trip to Europe). The ending is redemptive, even if for this reader it does tie up Doss and his father-in-law's relationship a little too neatly. But Martin knows how to tug at the heartstrings, and it's a cold-hearted reader who can walk away from