Rating: 
Summary: A good read. Captivating
Review: Gladys Smith has done her homework on her new novel, RIVER OF OUR RETURN. The great sense of presence puts you at the turn of the century in a pioneer life of survival along the one-way wild Salmon River. You are there homesteading against isolation, wildlife, ruthless interlopers, and the elements in the almost inaccessible wilderness of Idaho. A strong woman widowed by the River, a crusty gold prospector, and his rebellious young nephew whose lives have become interwoven unite to float the Salmon--the shortest path back to civilization. You are there with them in a cumbersome scow to master the River's hungry turbulence. You are there as their loyalties and loves are tested by pounding currents that seek the Snake in a relentless circuitous rush down boulder-choked canyon narrows. Character interaction and a strong plot combine with action in a picturesque setting to make an irresistible tale of the early West. RIVER OF OUR RETURN is a good read. Captivating.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book by a skilled writer.
Review: Gladys Smith paints vividly with words. The reader experiences the drama and surroundings in a way that makes the story live. My husband and I read THE RIVER OF OUR RETURN, then passed it on to others who have been as enthusiastic about it as we are. Well worth reading. We look for more from this author.
Rating:
Summary: A Well Crafted Journey of Many Returns
Review: Gladys Smith's lyrical and sensual prose seduces the reader into a journey of adventure and of reclaiming the Feminine through water and wilderness, through nurturing and courage, through love and connectedness. Hattie pulls herself away from the grave of her husband, from her own doubts and fears, and confronted by the needs of a child, opens her heart to new loves and her life to the often not so tender mercies of the river and the wilderness. The returns the river brings are of silence and action, of passion and compromise, each character pulled into the whirlpool of her or his own depth and into deep connection with each other and the world around them. On the surface this is a delightful adventure, below that a love story of heart and forgiveness, and below that the story of reconnection with the pulse of life that flows in all that is. The reclaimed Feminine within nature, woman, man, and boy offers healing and the return to life fully lived. Smith's prose- simple, clear and elegant-forms a sound craft by which the reader, spellbound, navigates the return, secure within a seamless "fictive dream" that rushes, like the river, too fast to story's end.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting turn-of-century-western novel; fine sense of place!
Review: Having been born and raised in just north of the Salmon River, I particularly enjoyed The River of Our Return. The descriptions of the river country are so vivid and well written, it's easy to imagine oneself floating along with the characters. This book is an excellent prelude to a trip to western Idaho. The book deals with the relationship of a boy, his uncle, and a widowed neighbor. It is written in first person in with a tender motherly theme, but still manages to keep you in suspense. It's a "can't put it down" novel. Great job Gladys.
Rating:
Summary: It's a "can't put it down" novel
Review: Having been born and raised in just north of the Salmon River, I particularly enjoyed The River of Our Return. The descriptions of the river country are so vivid and well written, it's easy to imagine oneself floating along with the characters. This book is an excellent prelude to a trip to western Idaho. The book deals with the relationship of a boy, his uncle, and a widowed neighbor. It is written in first person in with a tender motherly theme, but still manages to keep you in suspense. It's a "can't put it down" novel. Great job Gladys.
Rating: 
Summary: good book, but dissapointing
Review: I could not put this book down. It caught my sense of adventure and swept me through the pages before I knew what hit me. I think this would make a great movie. I hope someone has already bought this to make the film. I would love to read more of this author's work.
Rating:
Summary: Loved the wilderness aspect of this meaningful adventure!
Review: I could not put this book down. It caught my sense of adventure and swept me through the pages before I knew what hit me. I think this would make a great movie. I hope someone has already bought this to make the film. I would love to read more of this author's work.
Rating:
Summary: What a wonderful adventure!
Review: I spent much of my childhood in the wilderness learning the joy of nature from a woman much the same as Hattie. It was a treasured weekend spent reliving my own memories within this wonderfully descriptive tale. My "action/suspense" reading husband couldn't put it down. We eagerly await Gladys Smith's next adventure.
Rating:
Summary: What a wonderful adventure!
Review: I spent much of my childhood in the wilderness learning the joy of nature from a woman much the same as Hattie. It was a treasured weekend spent reliving my own memories within this wonderfully descriptive tale. My "action/suspense" reading husband couldn't put it down. We eagerly await Gladys Smith's next adventure.
Rating: 
Summary: Three lonely people take a journey of life and death.
Review: River of Our Return is a novel of connection: of three lonely people and the river that can break or mend their spirit. Her name is Hattie Clark. Before her husband drowned beneath the river ice, her homestead among the soaring crags of Idaho's Salmon River Canyon was a paradise. Now, at mid-life, she must survive the wilderness on her own. His name is Afton McCAbe. A loner, he ekes a living sluicing gold from a river that promises riches but often delivers heartbreak. The boy's name is Toby, McCabe's nephew. Fear drives the eight-year-old runaway into the canyon, where Hattie draws him and his grand-uncle into the warmth of a make-shift family. When Toby nearly dies from a devastating illness, Hattie and McCabe are convinced they must return the boy to his father. McCabe's plan is audacious--a scow trip down the treacherous Salmon River. For Afton McCabe, the journey holds the irresistible promise of relived adventure, for Hattie the need to protect those she loves, for Toby, a return to fear. Excerpt: "I was certain we'd crash. Spray showered us like a waterfall. the shock of it made me shiver and gasp for breath. Squinting through straggles of hair glued to my face, I saw we'd avoided the foaming cavern and were rounding the rock wall on an aisle of racing water. I had no idea how Afton had prevented certain calamity, but it wasn't without effort. His shirt had pulled free of his belt and flapped in the wind generated by the surge. His hair stood out in all directions like a wild man's. He turned slightly, his face gaunt, and said something I couldn't hear above the blare of the river. In that moment, his daring fell aside, and I saw the vulnerability he tried to keep hidden. Empathy swept my feelings, as well as a startling awareness that Afton McCabe, whether he wanted it or not, owned a piece of my heart." Set in 1901, River of Our Return takes the reader on a journey of life and death, from the dangers of the wilderness to the menace of civilization, and ultimately on a journey of the heart. END
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