Where the Rivers Merge

By Mary Alice Monroe

A Poignant and Thoughtful Book

   ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

Eliza Rivers is 88, and the time for her retirement from the Board of the Family Trust is fast approaching. However, she must ensure that all her affairs are in order before she can do that.  Who can possibly carry on her legacy of protecting the house and property in the South Carolina Low Country that her parents nurtured? Eliza’s brothers are both gone, and much to her dismay, her only son has plans to take control of the board, sell everything, and develop the property.  Thankfully, not everyone in the family feels the same way, especially Eliza.

REVIEW

Where the Rivers Merge is a delightful and descriptive story. It’s a soulful tale of a woman filled with courage and determination and the South Carolina low-country property she strives to protect. The narrative includes Eliza’s complex youth at Mayfield starting in 1908, alongside her best friend, cousin, and two brothers. The characters are well-drawn and varied.  One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Eliza participates in a horse race as a boy.

The vivid writing encapsulates Eliza’s life in a moving chronicle. In the book, the history of Mayfield is presented through a mural on the Dining Room wall. Eliza uses that mural as the backdrop to narrate the story of Mayfield to a new generation, one that Eliza hopes will protect its legacy as she has done.

Author Mary Alice Monroe illuminates the perils of South Carolina's Low Country in this poignant and thoughtful book. I look forward to the second installment in the series, which continues Eliza’s quest to protect her family’s legacy.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Publisher    William Morrow

Published   May 13, 2025

Review       www.bluestockingreviews.com