Go As A River Book Club Questions Novels & Stories

A group of travelers has gathered nearby—merchants, families, a woman with too many books for someone who insists she is not a scholar. They argue about whether to cross here or move upstream. I listen, quietly amused, as Arthur keeps himself deliberately uninvolved. His hands twitch once, then still. He catches my look and smiles faintly, sheepish. They make a decision I would not have advised. They cross anyway. They lose a crate. They gain a story. Later, as we sit on the bank with our feet in the water, Arthur asks, “Do you miss it?” He doesn’t have to clarify.

The path was treacherous, a labyrinth of hidden crevices and sudden drops, but Garrick's hand in mine was a constant anchor, guiding me through the uncertainty with a steadiness that belied the turmoil within. Our journey led us to the banks of a swift-moving river, its waters shimmering with an otherworldly glow, as if the very essence of the moon had been captured within its depths. It was there that we encountered the River Clan, a group whose mastery over water was as fluid and elusive as the element itself. They emerged from the mist that clung to the river's edge, their movements a graceful dance that spoke of a deep connection to the natural world.

The river stretched wide and endless, its waters black as obsidian, reflecting no light, swallowing everything into its depths. It was silent... too silent. No birds, no wind, only the slow, steady pulse of water moving against stone. Jackson shivered. "This doesn't feel right." Elowen's voice was a whisper. "It feels… waiting." Donato stepped forward, his boots sinking into the wet earth at the river's edge. His father's words echoed in his mind: "When the black book escapes unworthy hands, it seeks refuge here". His hand trembled as he knelt, dipping his fingers into the icy water.

"She is already dead. How can a dead ghost compare to Adrian's living life? Gideon Frost, today I will teach you which matters more: the living or the dead." Mother took me from the guard with a cold face. Her hand closed around my throat without hesitation. Her eyes threatened Father openly. "Either you burn those ashes yourself today, or you will never see Eli again." I clawed at Mother's hand and struggled with all I had. "Father, don't..." As my face slowly turned purple, Father held Mother's gaze and smiled in grief. At last he nodded. His voice was hoarse beyond recognition. "Fine. I will burn them. Let Eli go."

“Sammy is getting torn apart by his father by now. Victor is surrounded by enemies who smile to his face. I cannot just sit here and read while everything burns.” “And you cannot keep acting like you are invincible,” she snapped. River rubbed his face with his hands. “Jayden,” he said carefully, “did you even finish reading that Gem of Life book.” I froze. “…No,” I admitted. Jane made a sound like she was about to scream into a pillow. “I actually read the whole thing,” River continued, and I turned to him in shock. “I wanted to understand how a human like you can do all this. And also if I could do it too.”

The second was one he had selected from the shelf with the focused deliberateness of someone who had made a specific decision rather than a casual one, a book about rivers, about how rivers were formed and where they went and what they carried with them from the mountains to the sea. I had not seen this book before. I did not know he had it. I read it carefully. When both stories were done and Leo was settled and Gerald was in his correct position on the shelf with the slight tilt that had become his permanent posture after a disagreement with one of Sofia's mother's cats, I turned off the lamp and I sat on the edge of Leo's bed in the dark and I listened to him breathe.

Seeing her mood lighten calmed my wolf for some unknown reason so I decided to let it go. Once she was gone, River packed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. I could see curiosity in his eyes as he approached me. "Hey, can I ask you a question?" "Yeah," I replied, trying to readjust my mood as I moved towards the couch. "What is it?" "Is something going on between you and Aqua?" River asked, his gaze fixed on me intently.

It was a book about my pack, The River Pack Members. Why did Madison have a book about us?

RIVER I tried to look for every excuse in the book to get out of this, but my father seemed to have a response to every claim I had. "It's a Sunday morning; what else could you be doing?” he asked. I looked to Taylor, hoping he would say something to stop my father from putting us in this very awkward position. Instead, he just faced him squarely and nodded once. “If you want to, Mr Wilson, then I think we can," he then trailed to me gently as if the final decision rested in my hands. “I mean, if River is up for it."

I could still feel the ghost of River’s fingers there, the heat of his closeness, the weight of his words. Too late for you to turn back? What did he mean by that? What did he think I’d already done? I thought about not going. About locking my door at ten and pretending I’d never heard him. But something in me, a reckless, curious part I didn’t like admitting existed was already leaning toward yes. Because if there was a truth to be told, I needed it. And if River thought I’d been looking for it… maybe I had. I gathered my books slowly, trying to silence the whirl of thoughts in my head.