Other editions of book The River: A novel

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER"A fiery tour de force… I could not put this book down. It truly was terrifying and unutterably beautiful." –Alison Borden, The Denver PostFrom the best-selling author of The Dog Stars, the story of two college students on a wilderness canoe trip--a gripping tale of a friendship tested by fire, white water, and violenceWynn and Jack have been best friends since freshman orientation, bonded by their shared love of mountains, books, and fishing. Wynn is a gentle giant, a Vermont kid never happier than when his feet are in the water. Jack is more rugged, raised on a ranch in Colorado where sleeping under the stars and cooking on a fire came as naturally to him as breathing. When they decide to canoe the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate long days of leisurely paddling and picking blueberries, and nights of stargazing and reading paperback Westerns. But a wildfire making its way across the forest adds unexpected urgency to the journey. When they hear a man and woman arguing on the fog-shrouded riverbank and decide to warn them about the fire, their search for the pair turns up nothing and no one. But: The next day a man appears on the river, paddling alone. Is this the man they heard? And, if he is, where is the woman? From this charged beginning, master storyteller Peter Heller unspools a headlong, heart-pounding story of desperate wilderness survival.

You can try to outrun nature...but will you survive one man's fury? Two friends Wynn and Jack have been best friends since their first day of college: a gentle giant from Vermont and a rugged kid raised on a ranch in Colorado, brought together by their shared love of literature and the great outdoors. The adventure of a lifetime When they decide to take time off university and canoe down the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate the ultimate wilderness experience: two young men navigating the rapids through the quiet, imposing landscapes of North America. No phones. No fellow travellers. No way of going back. A hellish ride But as a raging wildfire starts to make its way towards them - reducing the towering trees to charred carcasses - their idyllic expedition becomes a desperate race for survival. And when a man suddenly appears, seemingly in a state of shock and claiming his wife has vanished, the fight against nature's destructive power becomes entangled with a much deadlier game of cat and mouse. Because the only thing more dangerous than a burning forest is a man's thirst for revenge....

NATIONAL BESTSELLERONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR:THE OBSERVER (LONDON) • KIRKUS REVIEWSWynn and Jack have been best friends since college orientation, bonded by their shared love of mountains, books, and fishing. Wynn is a gentle giant, a Vermont kid never happier than when his feet are in the water. Jack is more rugged, raised on a ranch in Colorado where sleeping under the stars and cooking on a fire came as naturally to him as breathing. When they decide to canoe the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate long days of leisurely paddling and picking blueberries, and nights of stargazing and reading paperback Westerns. But a wildfire making its way across the forest adds unexpected urgency to the journey. One night, with the fire advancing, they hear a man and woman arguing on the fog-shrouded riverbank; the next day, a man appears on the river, paddling alone. Is this the same man they heard? And if he is, where is the woman? From this charged beginning, master storyteller Peter Heller unspools a headlong, heart-pounding story of desperate wilderness survival.

'LYRICAL AND ACTION-PACKED' Guardian'IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN, OR FORGET' Sunday Mirror'I COULDN'T TURN THE PAGES FAST ENOUGH' Clare Mackintosh'BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND UNBEARABLY TENSE' Observer'GLORIOUS DRAMA AND LYRICAL FLAIR Denise Mina, New York TimesTwo friends Wynn and Jack have been best friends since their first day of college, brought together by their shared love of books and the great outdoors.The adventure of a lifetime When they decide to take time off university and canoe down the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate the ultimate wilderness experience. No phones. No fellow travellers. No way of going back. A hellish ride But as a raging wildfire starts to make its way towards them, their expedition becomes a desperate race for survival. And when a man suddenly appears, claiming his wife has vanished, the fight against nature's destructive power becomes entangled with a much deadlier game of cat and mouse. THE TOP 10 INDIE BESTSELLER

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER"A fiery tour de force… I could not put this book down. It truly was terrifying and unutterably beautiful." –Alison Borden, The Denver PostFrom the best-selling author of The Dog Stars, the story of two college students on a wilderness canoe trip--a gripping tale of a friendship tested by fire, white water, and violenceWynn and Jack have been best friends since freshman orientation, bonded by their shared love of mountains, books, and fishing. Wynn is a gentle giant, a Vermont kid never happier than when his feet are in the water. Jack is more rugged, raised on a ranch in Colorado where sleeping under the stars and cooking on a fire came as naturally to him as breathing. When they decide to canoe the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate long days of leisurely paddling and picking blueberries, and nights of stargazing and reading paperback Westerns. But a wildfire making its way across the forest adds unexpected urgency to the journey. When they hear a man and woman arguing on the fog-shrouded riverbank and decide to warn them about the fire, their search for the pair turns up nothing and no one. But: The next day a man appears on the river, paddling alone. Is this the man they heard? And, if he is, where is the woman? From this charged beginning, master storyteller Peter Heller unspools a headlong, heart-pounding story of desperate wilderness survival.

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER"A fiery tour de force… I could not put this book down. It truly was terrifying and unutterably beautiful." –Alison Borden, The Denver PostFrom the best-selling author of The Dog Stars, the story of two college students on a wilderness canoe trip--a gripping tale of a friendship tested by fire, white water, and violenceWynn and Jack have been best friends since freshman orientation, bonded by their shared love of mountains, books, and fishing. Wynn is a gentle giant, a Vermont kid never happier than when his feet are in the water. Jack is more rugged, raised on a ranch in Colorado where sleeping under the stars and cooking on a fire came as naturally to him as breathing. When they decide to canoe the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate long days of leisurely paddling and picking blueberries, and nights of stargazing and reading paperback Westerns. But a wildfire making its way across the forest adds unexpected urgency to the journey. When they hear a man and woman arguing on the fog-shrouded riverbank and decide to warn them about the fire, their search for the pair turns up nothing and no one. But: The next day a man appears on the river, paddling alone. Is this the man they heard? And, if he is, where is the woman? From this charged beginning, master storyteller Peter Heller unspools a headlong, heart-pounding story of desperate wilderness survival.

'LYRICAL AND ACTION-PACKED' Guardian'IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN, OR FORGET' Sunday Mirror'I COULDN'T TURN THE PAGES FAST ENOUGH' Clare Mackintosh'BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND UNBEARABLY TENSE' Observer'GLORIOUS DRAMA AND LYRICAL FLAIR Denise Mina, New York TimesTwo friends Wynn and Jack have been best friends since their first day of college, brought together by their shared love of books and the great outdoors.The adventure of a lifetime When they decide to take time off university and canoe down the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate the ultimate wilderness experience. No phones. No fellow travellers. No way of going back. A hellish ride But as a raging wildfire starts to make its way towards them, their expedition becomes a desperate race for survival. And when a man suddenly appears, claiming his wife has vanished, the fight against nature's destructive power becomes entangled with a much deadlier game of cat and mouse. THE TOP 10 INDIE BESTSELLER 'Like Mark Twain and Toni Morrison, Heller is a rare talent' Elle 'A novel that sweeps you away' USA Today'A fiery tour-de-force' Denver Post'I dare you to put it down once you've picked it up' Criminal Element

'LYRICAL AND ACTION-PACKED' Guardian'IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN, OR FORGET' Sunday Mirror'I COULDN'T TURN THE PAGES FAST ENOUGH' Clare Mackintosh'BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND UNBEARABLY TENSE' Observer'GLORIOUS DRAMA AND LYRICAL FLAIR Denise Mina, New York TimesTwo friends Wynn and Jack have been best friends since their first day of college, brought together by their shared love of books and the great outdoors.The adventure of a lifetime When they decide to take time off university and canoe down the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate the ultimate wilderness experience. No phones. No fellow travellers. No way of going back. A hellish ride But as a raging wildfire starts to make its way towards them, their expedition becomes a desperate race for survival. And when a man suddenly appears, claiming his wife has vanished, the fight against nature's destructive power becomes entangled with a much deadlier game of cat and mouse. THE TOP 10 INDIE BESTSELLER

"An exhilarating tale delivered with the pace of a thriller." -Kirkus (Starred Review)A BookPage 2019 Most Anticipated BookA LitHub 2019 Most Anticipated Book From the best-selling author of The Dog Stars, the story of two college students on a wilderness canoe trip--a gripping tale of a friendship tested by fire, white water, and violenceWynn and Jack have been best friends since freshman orientation, bonded by their shared love of mountains, books, and fishing.