Black River
A tense Western and an assured debut, Black River tells the story of a man marked by a prison riot as he returns to the town, and the convict, who shaped him.
A former prison guard and talented fiddler returns to his Montana hometown to bury his wife and confront the inmate who, twenty years ago, held him hostage during a prison riot.
When Wes Carver returns to Black River, he carries two things in the cab of his truck: his wife's ashes and a letter from the prison parole board. The convict who held him hostage during a riot, twenty years ago, is being considered for release.
Wes has been away from Black River ever since the riot. He grew up in this small Montana town, encircled by mountains, and, like his father before him and most of the men there, he made his living as a Corrections Officer. A talented, natural fiddler, he found solace and joy in his music. But during that riot Bobby Williams changed everything for Wes — undermining his faith and taking away his ability to play.
How can a man who once embodied evil ever come to good? How can he pay for such crimes with anything but his life? As Wes considers his own choices and grieves for all he's lost, he must decide what he believes and whether he can let Williams walk away.
This novel of sorrow and suspense, set in rural Montana, is “a complex and powerful story—put Black River on the must-read list” (The Seattle Times).
"Comparing the author to Annie Proulx, Wallace Stegner, or Kent Haruf is no exaggeration. Her debut is bound to turn readers’ hearts inside out." — Library Journal, starred review
MY REVIEW: "Black River", with its immediate sense of place, compelling storyline, and memorable characters, is a remarkable debut work from author S.M. Hulse. Like the men before him in his family, Wes Carver was a correctional officer for the Montana State Prison, which was located not far from his small home town of Black River. During a prison riot, Wes was tortured and maimed, losing his ability to play his beloved fiddle. Wes and his wife Claire eventually moved from Black River, leaving behind not only the prison, but also Claire's troubled teenaged son, Dennis. Years later, just before Claire's death from leukemia, she requests to go home to Black River. Wes complies, but Claire passes away before they can make it, and Wes travels home with the silent companionship of Claire's ashes. A tense reunion with Dennis is compounded by the upcoming parole hearing for Bobby Williams, the man who had forever changed life for Wes and his family. Can Wes live with whatever the verdict may be, even if the outcome is the unthinkable? Will he find a way to begin healing himself and finding some sense of peace, or will the cycle of violence remain unbroken? "Black River" is a quick, involving read that will leave a lasting impression.
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http://www.smhulse.com
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