Where the Forest Meets the River

 

Where the Forest Meets the River by Shannon Bowring

Dalton, Maine #2

Fiction

Finished on 3/6/2026

Rating: 4.5/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb: SPOILERS (scroll down to my review in blue)

1995: Five years ago, the suicide of new mother Bridget Theroux shocked the small town of Dalton, Maine. In the wake of the tragedy, Nate is raising their daughter Sophie alone and doesn't always know how to answer the difficult questions she asks. Luckily, he has a friend in single parenthood: Rose Douglas, left with her two boys after her abusive ex skipped town.

Greg Fortin, back from college for the summer, is wrestling not only with the expectation that he take over his father's business but also with telling his family the truth of who he is. Vera Curtis, who left home years ago, discovers more than she bargained for when she returns to care for her mother. And longtime lovers Trudy and Bev, so strong in their secret relationship (even as they remain with their husbands), find themselves rocked by an event that ignites lingering regret within their broken marriages.

Once again, Shannon Bowring proves she knows where the heart of the story lies. Where the Forest Meets the River is a poignant return to Dalton, whose inhabitants continue to startle and humble both themselves and us.

I couldn't put this one down! I loved returning to Dalton, Maine and all its residents. Each character is fully realized, the setting vivid, and the dialogue true and believable. I appreciate that Bowring provides substantial backstory, but not so much so that I was bored, having just read her previous book in this trilogy. The writing is beautiful. There is joy and grief, as well as humor, but each character's story is unpredictable, which kept me turning the pages. I'm glad I read this one with the third installment waiting on my nightstand. The author left us with quite a cliff-hanger!

Where the Forest Meets the River is a tender and touching (but not sappy) novel. I loved it!

Highly Recommend (but do read The Road to Dalton first).