Review: The Banks of Certain Rivers
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 31, 2013
This is the story of Neil Kazenzakis, who has a lot on his plate. He is the single father of a teenage boy, whose wife is in long term care after an accident that has left her comatose. His mother-in-law lives across the street and has home care. One of her nurses, Laura Downey, and he are having a secret relationship. On top of that, a video goes online that shows him beating up a student, when he recalls that he was trying to break up a fight. As the world starts to crumble around him, he fears for his job, his wife's ongoing care, his son's reaction to his relationship with Laura and just trying to cope.This debut novel is character driven and Harrison has created some strong characters; people that this reader cared about and want to help or even strangle. Seriously, this is an emotional story about relationships, family and love. I thoroughly enjoyed it and having the chapters end with e-mails written to his wife as Neil struggles had a heart-warming effect on me. Not a tear jerker, but certainly a book to read!