WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE, a novel by Mary Alice Monroe opened in 1988. Eliza has just turned eighty-eight years old and remains the head of an empire. She knows she should probably retire and is all too aware her greedy son is planning to wrestle control from her. She will not give up her beloved property of Mayfield, an estate in the Low Country of South Carolina without a fight. After all, so much of importance happened there. WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE, a historical novel, is told in two timelines, the early 1900s and 1988. From an early age, it was obvious that Eliza was independent and a nonconformist. To her, Mayfield was a paradise where she made life-lasting memories. With flawless writing, the author takes readers through her formative years which included important friendships, the Great War, the ravages of nature and great personal losses. Now in 1988, all these years later and with most of her life behind her she must find a way to assure that Mayfield is protected even when she can no longer be its steward. Is there enough time to do this? There is so much that makes this story compelling. The setting is spectacular. Vividly brought to life, the characters are credible. They, as much as Mayfield itself, enhance the narrative. In this family saga, we see the impact of the happenings of the times and the making of history. This is truly a story about family and legacy. WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE is the first book of a two-book series. I am looking forward to the sequel. Highly recommended.
From New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes her highly anticipated Where the Rivers Merge, the first of two epic and triumphant novels celebrating one intrepid woman\'s life across multiple generations in the American South.
1908: The Lowcountry of South Carolina is at the cusp of change. Mayfield, the grand estate held for generations by the Rivers family, is the treasured home of young Eliza. A free spirit, she refuses to be confined by societal norms and spends her days exploring the vast property, observing wildlife, and riding horses. But the Great War, coastal storms, and family turmoil bring unexpected challenges to Eliza, putting her on a collision course with the patriarchal traditions of a bygone era.
1988: At 88, Eliza is the scion of the Rivers/DeLancey family. She’s fought a lifetime to save her beloved Mayfield and is too independent and committed to quietly retire and leave the fate of the estate to her greedy son. She must make decisions that will assure the future of the land and her family—or watch them both be split apart.
Set against the evocative landscape of the twentieth-century Lowcountry, Where the Rivers Merge is a dramatic and sweeping multigenerational family story of unyielding love, lessons learned, profound sacrifices, and the indomitable spirit of a woman determined to persevere in the face of change in order to protect her family legacy and the land she loves.
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