Such a powerful and poignant historical fiction novel from Cheryl Adnams! I was completely pulled into the Heart of the River setting, characters and plot. The title is spot on, too, for the river is the heartbeat of the community and affects all those around it. When mother nature goes wild and upsets the balance of things and floods everything in its path, cardiac arrest occurs as many lives lose their homes and livelihoods. And in this giant sweep of destruction everyone is changed. As demonstrated in Heart of the River, people often come together during disasters and forget their differences in the fight for survival.
Cheryl’s excellent writing skills and vivid imagination provide a clear picture of Australia in the fifties. It is obvious a lot of research went into this novel for the author makes us believe in the world she created through her words. I truly felt transported to the communities affected by the 1956 Murray River flooding and all else happening at the time.
But even more my heart was pricked by the prejudice that came with war and how it created such distrust between races of people. Fortunately, Heart of the River does not leave us there. It takes us on a journey of hope and healing for those who are willing to learn the truth so that misunderstandings can be cleared. The transforming power of love is at the core of this novel, too, and how like the rains that flooded the towns along the Murray, it came smashing through their front doors and quickened their hearts. In the natural, everything in the flood's path was damaged or purged, leaving the raw bare truth exposed. And that includes even a missing person. The events externalised the ugly face of prejudice and made people reconsider their viewpoint as they helped each other through the disaster. Those who were once considered enemies (the Italians in this case) became the strongest helpers. The message here is that people should not be judged by race, colour or religion. Isabel and her mother set a good example and others eventually followed.
Australia is a land of many immigrants. After the war there was a population explosion including in the Mildura area (noted in story). Ten pound poms arrived along with others. Many left the war torn cities and bombed farmlands of Europe and England to start a new life. But not everyone here was happy about the arrival of foreigners to ‘their little piece of rural Australia.’ And Italy’s position in the war, meant Italians were seen as the enemy. Which led to many being sent to places like Loveday Internment Camp. Prejudice is a strong message in this novel and how it can pass from one generation to the next, evident in Trevor and Ross.
There is also a wonderful love story played out between Isabel and Matteo—even though there are a few bumps along the way. They are from different cultures. Fortunately their own families are supportive but some friends are not. Some negative reactions are based on ignorance and others on jealousy. There are a few heated scenes with Ross and his father—especially once a well-hidden truth surfaces that affects Isabel and her mother.
This is also a story about dreams. And Isabel has an admirable one. She wants to be a chef and go to a special cooking school in Melbourne. But she feels her mother needs her to stay and help run the Riverside Hotel that has been in her family for forty years. She enjoys cooking basic meals for the customers but she desires to learn more. Matteo has an idea that might help her and although it is a good one, things turn out quite differently than expected.
Gia (Matteo’s mother) says something that echoes throughout this novel: a statement of truth and solid advice. ‘While there is life, there is hope…We have been through a lot. But you must always face what comes at you head on. Challenge gives life its flavour, and flavour is everything to Italians…’
This novel covers a lot of emotional territory and there are some shocking secrets that unveil, so be prepared for your heart to ache at times but also cheer when things go well. There are at least three very strong women in this story to admire who shine through adversity. And as for the men, a few overcome their obstacles and dismantle their dilemmas while others go from bad to worse. But that is life. And people. I highly recommend this wonderful, tender and well-crafted story that inspired, educated and uplifted me. Without question, it deserves 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to HarperCollinsAu (Harlequin) and Netgalley for my review copy.
