She adores her three brothers, especially the eldest, Boyer, whom she idolizes with a childlike worship. Natalie cherishes her position as the only daughter of the beautiful Nettie Wardthe pride of the Catholic Ladies Auxiliaryand the town's milkman, Gus Wardthe darling of Atwood housewives. Friends and neighbors, young and old alike, show up regularly on their farmhouse porchall willing to share in the never-ending daily chores in exchange for a place at the Ward family table. A family so close and loving that they are the envy of the nearby town of Atwood. Growing up on a dairy farm in the mountains of British Columbia less than two miles from the American border, she knows little of the outside world.

At fifteen, Natalie Ward believes her life is perfect. 'About this title' may belong to another edition of this title.He will change their lives forever. Milner's novel will appeal to teens who have raided their parents' shelves for psychological, plot-driven fiction by writers such as Sue Miller or Anita Shreve.- Caitlin Fralick, Ottawa Public Library, ONĬopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Teens might enjoy the depiction of Natalie's early life in the 1960s, but they may be turned off by other narrative threads, especially that of the adult Natalie, now grown and alienated from some of her family, dealing with her dying mother's illness. The consequences of war, homosexuality, and early promiscuity are explored through Natalie's eyes, but the details seem almost trite. What begins as a vivid picture of the turbulence of the period devolves somewhat into a problem novel with a historical backdrop. The plot moves somewhat predictably through Natalie's relationship with him, as well as her changing relationships with her brothers and parents as she moves toward adulthood. His resistance to the war in Vietnam causes tension on the Ward homestead.

The political uncertainty of the era comes knocking on her family's door in the form of a draft resister, Richard 'River' Jordan. It is only a matter of time before reality interferes with the idyllic. The main narrative follows Natalie Ward, who leads a charmed life in Prince George, BC, during the 1960s. Adult/High School-This novel with multiple voices chronicles different points in a woman's life.

After River by Donna Milner