There are books set in Colorado, and then there are books that seem to have Colorado soil pressed between their pages.
Go as a River, the acclaimed debut novel from fifth-generation Coloradan Shelley Read, belongs firmly in the second category.
Set primarily in the small Western Slope town of Iola, the novel introduces us to seventeen-year-old Victoria Nash, who helps run her family’s peach farm along the Gunnison River. Her life follows familiar rhythms of work, seasons, family responsibility, and the land until a chance encounter with a young stranger named Wilson Moon changes its course. What begins as a deeply personal story of connection soon expands into one of prejudice, loss, survival, motherhood, and the sometimes painful necessity of beginning again.
Read’s Colorado connection makes the novel particularly compelling. She is a fifth-generation Coloradan who lives in the Elk Mountains on the Western Slope and spent nearly three decades teaching writing, literature, environmental studies, and honors at Western Colorado University. Her knowledge of the landscape is not decorative scenery. Mountains, rivers, orchards, weather, and wilderness become characters in their own right.
Perhaps most fascinating is that Victoria’s fictional story grows from real Colorado history.
The novel was inspired in part by the destruction of Iola as the Gunnison River was dammed in the 1960s. Homes, ranches, and farmland disappeared as the reservoir reshaped the landscape. Read uses that history to ask a question that feels remarkably relevant along today’s rapidly changing Front Range: What happens when progress transforms a place faster than memory can preserve it?
That question gives Go as a River special resonance for Centennial readers.
Our circumstances are very different from Victoria’s, of course, but we also live in a Colorado continually negotiating growth, water, development, open space, agriculture, and preservation. It is easy to think of landscape as the backdrop to our lives. Read reminds us that the places we inhabit help shape who we become.
And still, the heart of this novel is deeply human.
Victoria experiences circumstances that could have hardened her permanently. Instead, like the river of the title, she must discover how to move around obstacles, carry what matters, release what cannot be recovered, and continue toward a life she cannot yet see.
That metaphor may explain why the novel has traveled so far beyond Colorado. Go as a River has become an international bestseller, translated into more than 30 languages, while earning the High Plains Book Award and Reading the West Book Award.
For Centennial readers who love historical fiction, Colorado stories, complicated families, resilient women, or simply a novel that stays with you after the final page, this one deserves a place on the nightstand.
Sometimes moving forward does not mean leaving the past behind.
Sometimes it means learning how to carry it differently.
Purchase Go as a River by Colorado author Shelley Read on Amazon.
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To be honest, I usually stick to nonfiction but this one has me curious, especially since it’s local history. Adding it to my TBR.
Love that she’s a teacher too. Bet her writing brings in a lot of depth. Congrats on the awards!
Might pick this up for my mom, she loves stories with strong women and a sense of place.
The orchard details sound beautiful. I still miss the old peach stands along the Western Slope highways.
Sue Ann D.Me too, Sue Ann. Stopping for peaches on summer drives was the best. I love reading books that bring those memories back.
That kind of generational perspective is neat. Reading it from someone whose family has been here that long is rare.
I’ve never even heard of Iola until today. Makes me realize how much history is just gone under these lakes.
Does anyone know if any of the old Iola buildings survived? My aunt always said you could see foundations when the water’s low.
Dennis WarrenI've heard the same thing, Dennis. On really dry years people have spotted parts of old structures. There's even a ghost road visible sometimes. Would love to hear from someone who's actually seen it.
Can anyone compare this to Plainsong? I love Kent Haruf’s Colorado books and curious how this holds up.
Elena Q.It’s got a different feel than Plainsong, but the sense of place is just as strong. Go as a River is more focused on one character and a smaller community, but you might like that if you enjoy Haruf’s quiet detail.
I might be the odd one out but I wish there was a little less nostalgia for the past in these stories. Change isn’t always bad.
That's a great point, while nostalgia is present, the novel also explores how we adapt and grow when the world changes, sometimes for the better.
Seeing a local author make it internationally gives me hope as a Colorado writer. Congrats to Shelley Read!
I love novels where the place feels alive, not just a backdrop. Colorado definitely has that magic.
I had no idea Go as a River was based on true events. Makes it even more interesting to me.
The setting hooked me but it’s the story of resilience that I need right now. Appreciate the review!
I wish more people would write about the loss of small communities. Progress takes a toll we don’t talk about enough.
Shelley Read taught one of my friends at Western. She’s a fantastic writer and really cares about the land. Excited to read her novel!
Is this suitable for teens? My daughter loves historical fiction and we live pretty close to where Iola was.
Not sure this is my usual genre, but I do like a good Colorado setting. Maybe I’ll check out a sample.
I feel like books about water and change are even more important now with all the drought and development around here.
I read Go as a River last month and it really did stay with me. The details about the orchards and the river are so vivid.
We're so glad Victoria's world resonated with you, Shelley Read's firsthand knowledge of the region really does create unforgettable detail.
The whole theme of moving forward but still carrying your past is hitting home right now. Adding to my summer reading list.
Maria G.Same here, Maria. Sometimes a book just finds you when you need it most. Hope it speaks to you.
I remember learning about Iola in history class, but didn’t know anyone had written a novel about it. Sounds powerful!
That part about landscape being a character got me. I always feel that hiking here, so it's nice to see it in fiction.
Thank you for sharing that! Shelley Read truly brings Colorado's landscapes to life, making them as vivid and influential in the story as any character.
We need more Colorado stories! Seems like most books I pick up are set on the coasts. I’ll be getting this for our next book club.
Linda TorresI'm with you! It's always nice when a book really captures what it's like to live here. Hope your book club enjoys it.
It's cool when authors actually know the places they're writing about. Makes it feel more real. Might give this one a shot.
We agree, Read’s roots in the Western Slope make every setting and detail feel authentic, adding an extra layer of realism to the story.
I grew up around the Gunnison and I honestly teared up reading about Iola. My grandma used to talk about the dam changing everything. I can't wait to see how the book handles that.