Follow the River

Rating:
Summary: Still With Me
Review: I loved this book! It had me from the beginning. While it is not for the weak of heart, it is very telling of the time. I can't imagine what Mary Ingalls went through even after reading the book. What a strong woman she must have been. Thom did a wonderful job with his illustrations of the characters and of the landscape. I often felt that I was making the trip back to the homestead myself. The true test of this book is the fact that it is still with me. I often travel along the Ohio River (further west than where this took place), and after reading this book, I have taken more notice of the landscape than ever before. I stand in awe of Mary and Ghetal and their making the trip along the Ohio River in the harsh elements of the fall and winter. I rarely read books more than once, but I will read this one again!

Rating:
Summary: Not for the weak at heart....
Review: As a West Virginia resident and one that lives near the Ohio river, I find myself thinking about Mary and her journey home. I find myself wondering what the river looked like to her. This is a fantastic book. I have passed this book on to several people and they all tell me that they can not put it down.
If you read this book you will find yourself asking, "what is going to happen next".
What is so remarkable is that this is a true story. I found myself crying when Mary left her newborn baby behind. The perils she and Gretel endure are unbelievable. I would hope that I would be able to persevere as she did in such trying times. I don't think a man could have done any better.
West Virginia history classes need to teach about this wonderful women and not focus so much on learning the counties. I could not believe that this story takes place in our beautiful state and had never even heard of this woman.
The Hallmark channel showed a TV movie based on the book but played lightly on the hardships and was not a true adaptation of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: A great docu/drama. Thom did an incredible job "filling in" the details if you will, of Ingles incredible story. Something that few, if none of us can relate to these days. This one had actually slipped under the radar until my wife pointed it out to me, as it was not required reading where I went to school. But I feel that I appreciate it even more now than I would have then.

A warning though, much of it is quite gruesome, and it does not portray Indians in a soft, "lets make white people feel ashamed for what they did " modern manner. It sheds light into certain savagery committed by Indians that is not heard much in the days of political correctness and bending over backwards to appease. Parts of this book are very disturbing and very,very brutal.

But I think this "punch in the face" style of not holding anything back is the beauty of the book. It presents the story as it happened, stripped bare for all to see. You will appreciate the hardship.

Rating:
Summary: a very good read
Review: Our book club chose this selection and it was very well received. It is a good story told in a very captivating way. The story and characters fostered much discussion. A true hidden gem. I plan to read all of his other books. A good read indeed.

Rating:
Summary: FOLLOW THE RIVER (ALEXANDER THOM)
Review: I read the book many years ago. I am now watching the movie (12/29/01) by the same name which is similar to the book, however, I enjoyed the book more since it was more detailed.
I am curious as to where the movie was filmed. I live in WV and many of the scenes truly look like WV and Virginia. Can someone share this information with me if they know the details of the filming location? Thank you so very much.

Rating:
Summary: one of the best
Review: I read Follow the River many years ago and it is still one that I whould tell young, old, male or female to read, it was very grafic, and the story kept me turning page after page, it is truly the only book I have seen my husband read every night, I have given this book to many people as gifts and they pass it to others, I once gave it to a friend in a small town and after a few months, people were telling me I should read this book called Follow the River.

Rating:
Summary: I've read it twice and will probably read it again!
Review: I'm a fan of James Alexander Thom and have read most of his wonderful historical novels. This is my favorite. Can you imagine the pain and anguish Mary Ingalls and her family suffered? Can you feel the numbing cold and even more numbing hunger as she walks and crawls her way back home...following the river? The courage, strength and bone-basic will to survive described here are hard to imagine. Few would have survived this true-life ordeal and very few could bring this story to life as well as J.A. Thom does here.

Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING!
Review: I couldn't put it down either, but toward the end of the book, I forced by self to read only a few pages a day, because I didn't want the story to be over.

Rating:
Summary: Memorable and Very Enjoyable
Review: Wonderful descriptions, good language and style. Easy to read and good main character description. There seemed to be a few holes in the story, but overall every chapter was much-anticipated, and I came away from the book (after staying up all night to finish it) wanting to know more about Mary Ingles and the history of that area. You can tell that the author researched his story very well and probably spent a lot of time following her path through the woods, an enviable task to me.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down till I knew Mary's fate!
Review: What an incredible story. Just goes to show you the true strength of a woman with a purpose. I read this at a time when I needed to know women can overcome adversity and it strengthened me to get over the hurdles I was facing. Exquisitely written.