The descendants of three immigrant families must put aside a decade full of grievances to try to save the legacy of their ancestral home. "Filled with descriptions of the beauty and grace of some of the United States' greatest cities and areas, [this] is a true American story. As it delves into the realities of the various divides Americans coped with in the sixties, readers will be rooting for O'Connor's . . . characters' [whose] voices, personalities, and lifestyles are so unique, memorable, and engaging that it is ...
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The descendants of three immigrant families must put aside a decade full of grievances to try to save the legacy of their ancestral home. "Filled with descriptions of the beauty and grace of some of the United States' greatest cities and areas, [this] is a true American story. As it delves into the realities of the various divides Americans coped with in the sixties, readers will be rooting for O'Connor's . . . characters' [whose] voices, personalities, and lifestyles are so unique, memorable, and engaging that it is nearly impossible to forget them." -From a review of American River: Tributaries by The Book Review Directory Book three of the American River Trilogy begins with the three families-the McPhalans, the Morales, and the Ashidas-in turmoil. Following Owen McPhalan's death, his daughter Kate has inherited Mockingbird Valley Ranch only to discover that the once profitable family business is no longer sustainable. Desperate to find a way to save Mockingbird, she struggles to formulate a plan. But she hasn't counted on the wrath of Dan Papadakis, Owen's former campaign manager, who is working behind the scenes to undermine her efforts. American River: Confluence is the culmination of a compelling historical drama about the lives, loves, triumphs and sacrifices of the descendants of three immigrant families who settled along California's American River, and who are called upon to put aside a decade full of grievances and betrayals to try to save the history and legacy of their ancestral home.
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Add this copy of American River: Confluence: Book Three of the American to cart. $20.98, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2018 by Archway Publishing.
Add this copy of American River: Confluence: Book Three of the American to cart. $44.34, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2018 by Archway Publishing.
One type of story that captivates a large portion of readers is the story of humanity. The author, Mallory M. O'Connor, excels at capturing powerful moments of human interaction in her novel American River: Confluence. O'Connor's work involves a host of social issues-sexuality, politics, race relations-all disguised in what seems to be a book about artists pursuing their passions.
This book follows three families of different cultures that manage to connect. They are all tied to the same area, and while the young adults have mostly wandered off to different regions of the U.S., this story is about them all finding a reason to come home to celebrate life, art, and diversity which gives the story a greater sense of symmetry. O'Connor filled this book with real-life problems such as racism, mental health issues, sickness, and political confrontations. Therefore, this book can be a guide for helping people navigate their way through similar tragedies in their own life.
The overall story arc is intricate and well thought out. It is a little unclear where the book is going at first and what the focal point will be, but there are exciting turns everywhere that keep the readers' attention until the end. Several subplots play out to give the book a lot of depth. On the surface, it seems like the McPhalan family is working through their problems with the ultimate goal of setting up a musical festival on Mockingbird Valley Ranch, the family's ancestral property. Underneath, O'Connor raises awareness of many social issues. These social issues are picked apart one by one to allow the reader to think through different perspectives regarding them. While set in the 1970's, the problems the characters face are problems that are prevalent in our society today, potentially making this book a timeless classic.
If you did not read the previous books to get familiar with the intricacies of the story you would need to refer to the "Cast of Characters" page at the beginning. The book immerses readers from the start with drama and doesn't let up until the end, so lacking thorough character introductions early in the story, even though its the last of the series, can detract from the impact of certain events. I highly suggest you read books one and two before confluence.
American society, as well as many others around the globe, could drastically benefit from reading this book. While many authors hide a political agenda in their work, it's often obvious where they stand on controversial issues; O'Connor, on the other hand, hid her feelings on many of the topics, which requires distinct talent. Ultimately, she encourages discussion and introspection through the characters. If it weren't for some minor language concerns, this book would be well suited in a high school reading curriculum to expose students to the complexity of the world they live in and the core of human nature.
