 River-Horse
by William
Least Heat Moon
Since hitting the American roads in Blue Highways nearly
20 years ago, William Least Heat-Moon has been following another
calling--to traverse America by its rivers. "I wanted to
see those secret parts hidden from road travelers," he
writes. And from the waterways of his 5,000-mile voyage, Least
Heat-Moon shares a sharp and stirring vision of America. Filling
a small bottle with brine from the Atlantic Ocean, Least
Heat-Moon and his wise companion, whom he calls "Pilotis,"
start up the Hudson River in a 22-foot C-Dory that Least
Heat-Moon has named Nikawa--from the Osage words ni
for river and kawa for horse. The voyage--from New York
harbor to the Pacific Ocean--packs surprises, wisdom, regrets,
mishaps, candor, and conversations that readers who savored Blue
Highways and PrairyErth will delight in.
The impetus for River Horse is one of intrigue--less
urgent than the departure in Blue Highways--and the
narrative possesses a captivating pull as it courses westward
through the strongest currents and pauses in the back eddies of
contemporary American life. Least Heat-Moon is in his element.
Written in short thematic chapters, River Horse plies
canals, greets the Missouri's many moods, and challenges chaotic
waves. Indeed, the turbulent and placid waters of America flow
throughout this well-told story. When Nikawa finally
reaches the Pacific Ocean, Least Heat-Moon has discovered a new
America in the country he knows so well. He ponders the command
that rivers hold on him and celebrates the national treasures
that they are. Exceeding 500 pages, River Horse may be a
long journey, but when traveling by rivers, America is a larger
country. A triumphant book all the way to the salty Pacific. --Byron
Ricks (amazon reviewer)
|
Great 
Journey Books
- Passage
to Juneau : A Sea and Its Meanings; Jonathan Raban
-- British-born Jonathan Raban sets out on a passage from
Seattle to Juneau in a small boat that is more a waterborne
writing den, and as usual with the brilliant Raban, this
journey becomes a vehicle for history and heart-stopping
descriptions
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