Review: Heart of the River

Title: Heart of the River

Author: Cheryl Adnams

Publisher: 3rd January 2024 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 336 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction | Romance | Women's Fiction

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

As floodwaters rise, can their love bring a fractured community together?

Mildura, Northern Victoria - 1956

Isabel Hayward has ambitions of being a great chef. But cooking for the locals at the country pub she and her mother run doesn't really allow for experimenting with haute cuisine.

When she meets local Italian farmer Matteo Sorrenti, their connection is instant and intense - much to the displeasure of Ross Burrows, one of the region's wealthiest sons, who has been keen on Isabel since they were kids.

Isabel and Matteo's blossoming relationship has challenges to overcome: their cultural differences, prejudice, Ross's jealousy, and the worst flood in Australia's history.

As the Murray River rises to its peak, threatening the Sorrentis' farm and the Haywards' pub, secrets are revealed that show Matteo, Isabel and Ross are inextricably linked by their fathers' wartime experiences. Will the secrets their fathers kept threaten Isabel and Matteo's relationship? Or can their love break down the remnants of prejudice left behind by the war?

My Thoughts

I went into this book purely for the setting. I love the Murray River and was excited to have a tale centred around the famous flood of 1956. What I was most certainly pleasantly surprised by was the breadth and depth of this tale and how much I came to love it. I highly recommend Heart of the River. 

‘Abandoned livelihoods that stood as a reminder to the crowd of mourners just what the mighty Murray, usually a giver of life, could take away at the whim of Mother Nature.’

Cheryl has undertaken some incredible research into this period of Australian history from cuisine, to immigration, to the various idiosyncrasies of the day, to the huge task of preparing for an all time high flood of a mighty river. It’s powerful, it’s poignant and it is historical fiction writing at its best. Everything from the setting, to the plot, to the cast of characters is to be commended in this book. 

‘I don’t like people judging me, or anyone else, based on stupid things like culture or what someone does for a living. You’ve suffered with jabs about your culture, I’ve suffered with jabs about being a barman’s daughter.’

There are so many highly engaging themes in this story: life on the land and farming; running the local pub; the mighty Murray and living so close when floods threaten; internment camps in Australia during WWII; the life of immigrants in Australia inclusive of post war resentments and prejudices; cooking and following your passion; a romance between two wonderful characters; and to top it all off, a really solid mystery. 

‘While there is life, there is hope,’ Gia translated. ‘We have been through a lot. But you must always face what comes at you head on. Challenge gives life its flavour, and flavour is everything to Italians.’

You could not have a more appropriate title that truly sums up this book. Heart of the River truly encapsulates - literally and figuratively - how everyday life and indeed life during a natural disaster, brings community together demonstrating real heart. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.