Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards

Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a great way to learn about the Johnstown Flood of 1889 than soaking up a novel in verse! Richards novel is powerfully told through protagonists Celestia, a young teen whose family are members of the prestigious South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club; Peter, who works summers at the club rather than joining his father in the mines in Johnstown. We learn about the rigid class system that exists in this society that would never agree to a relationship between Celestia and Peter. Maura is the wife of a conductor who ferries people on the train and she keeps a meager house going with many babies, year after year. Kate is a changed woman who loses her love to drowning and becomes a nurse. A compelling time in our history, Richards also includes an Author's Note, South Fork Dam Chronology, and Further Reading to bring this disaster to today's young adults. Highly recommended.



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