To the River

Diana S. Adams’ To The River, is a delicious novella – the first of a trilogy – that is both resolutely gritty and often magical. It’s a wonderful, modern-day exploration of urban life, with characters who stick to the ribs and travel well past the final pages. Adams is a spare, clear-eyed and fearless writer who wades into the lives of her characters and reveals just enough to give them perfect breath. A mere glimpse of a character in an Adams’ novella is full meal – with wine, dessert and an espresso. She reveals the right flavours and readers come away with a full understanding, complete with unanswered questions. You know these characters – they are your neighbours, your acquaintances, the people you work with. Adams peels away the layers and we get a look at the eccentric, the unconventional, and the banal oddities beneath. Adams reveals them providing mysteries within mysteries. —Thomas Trofimuk, Author of Waiting for Columbus In her provocative new novel, To The River, Diana S. Adams presents us with a landscape that is fraught with the deathly currents, "paper birch," and "spring debris" that surround the protagonist are gradually revealed as both beautiful and violent, as luminous as they are destructive. As the book unfolds, each of Adams' expertly described characters see "their own warped reflection" in the world around them, suggesting a complete breakdown of boundaries between interior and exterior, self and world. To The River explores these complex philosophical questions about landscape, interiority, and projection with great elegance, offering tentative answers in the work's most subtle stylistic choices. Diana S. Adams is a writer to watch. —Kristina Marie Darling, Author of Failure Lyric The inventiveness of To The River by Diana Adams seems never-ending. It leads you into unexpected spaces, resonated by a unique strong vision. Through a juxtaposition of contrasts and a countless array of brilliant images and atmospheres, Adams reveals an energetic intelligence. At once dramatic and surreal, organic and synthetic, ornate and evocative, To The River is a poignant journey and a compelling delight of a narrative. — Geoffrey Gatza, Author of Apollo