In 1987, the only Black person in all Swift River after her Pop disappeared seven years ago, Diamond Newberry, receiving a letter from a relative she's never met, is introduced to two generations of African American Newberry women, gaining a sense of her place in the world and in her family.
Absorbing ... This merging of sitcoms, sadness and generational trauma is emblematic of how Chambers weaves irony and gut-punch emotion throughout this gorgeous debut. With the smart and curious Diamond at its vibrant center, Swift River has a real sense of humor. Absurdity and loss sit side by side in her mental gymnastics ... The book brims with gemlike sentences, striking imagery, metaphors and juxtapositions ... Shimmers and shines with acute observations and carefully crafted lines like these. It’s easy to get lost in the artistry and sheer volume of those mental images and similes; like poetry, they take time to process.
