The Day The Falls Stood Still

I requested The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan on Library Thing because I was once again attracted by the book’s cover. The synopsis also sounded great, so I decided to request it, without ever thinking that I would actually win this book (I am new to Library Thing). Well, I was really surprised to find out that I’ve actually won it! I was very happy and I couldn’t wait to receive the book and read it.

I received the book two days ago and I just couldn’t put it down. It is such a great book and I find it hard to believe that it’s the author’s first novel, simply because the book is so wonderful and well written! Cathy Marie Buchanan has done an excellent job narrating a powerful love story and at the same time providing us with an intriguing historical chronicle!

The Day the Falls Stood Still is a romantic and historical novel set between 1915 and 1923, around the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls. It is the year 1915 and Bess, a 17-year-old girl, has led a life of comfort as a privileged student at a private boarding school. However, when her father, the director of the Niagara Power Company, loses his job and begins drinking, and her beloved sister dies tragically, Bess knows that her life will never be the same again. With her life taking this tragic and unexpected turn, she suddenly has to deal with pain, gossip and poverty. There to help her is Tom, a handsome river man, who shows Bess that she can count on him and who shows her what true love means. Tom is the grandson of a local hero, and just like his grandfather, he has the mystical ability to predict the tempers of the river and the falls. It is this ability however, that puts Bess and Tom’s future at risk.

I don’t want to tell you more about this book, because I think that you should also read it and thus experience this absorbing story yourself! I truly recommend this novel to everyone out there, since this is a captivating love story that will take you on an unforgettable journey! This novel does not only tell the romantic and tragic story of Bess and Tom, but it also allows us to glimpse into the past and thus witness many historical events through the eyes of the protagonists. The Day the Falls Stood Still is a wonderful book about real people struggling with faith, finances and friendships; it’s a novel about people experiencing the meaning of true love, but who, at the same time, have to learn how to cope with loss and pain!

Please check out Jemima’s review of The Day the Falls Stood Still at  The Reading Journey!