The LAVA Center is thrilled to announce that Essie Chambers, author of the award-winning novel Swift River, will be a special guest at an in-person meeting of the LAVA Book Club. In conjunction with the paperback release of her novel, Chambers will read from Swift River, followed by conversation and Q&A with the members of the book club and the general audience. The event, open to the public, is free of charge. Seating is limited, on a first-come, first-served basis. Copies of the book will be on sale.
Chambers has deep roots in Greenfield. She moved to Greenfield with her family at the age of two and graduated from Greenfield High School. She credits her parents and her English teacher, the late Richard Russo, for encouraging her creative writing talents.
Prior to the publication of Swift River, she worked in journalism, television, and as a film producer. She visited Greenfield in 2023 to speak about the documentary Descendant at a special screening at The Garden Cinema. In 2024, she returned to Greenfield Public Library to introduce her novel Swift River. Both projects deal with the impact of hidden histories on the lives and relationships of people, the first through documentary film, the second through fiction.
Swift River, like Descendant, is informed by historical events and legacies. A coming-of-age novel, it follows her protagonist Diamond Newberry as she negotiates a childhood in central Massachusetts of feeling different and confronting abandonment to her discovery of belonging, framed by local historical events and legacies.
Since its publication, it has been accumulating awards and accolades, including being selected as a Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick, being longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and being selected as one of The Washington Post‘s Best Books of 2024, an NPR Best Book of 2024, an Elle Best Book of 2024, a Boston Globe Best Book of 2024 and an NAACP Image Award Nominee.
The Washington Post notes, “Deceptively naturalistic and lyrical rather than showy, Chambers has produced a rare and rewarding thing: a fast-moving novel that you want to slow down and savor.”
“A heartbreaking, yet hopeful coming of age story about the high cost of family secrets,” says Time Magazine.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune, calls it, “Rich and insightful…. Chambers is particularly skilled at depicting the way frustration and affection intertwine…. A frank examination of family mystery and loss, set in a landscape of economic and racial turmoil.”
The LAVA Center invites everyone to share in this opportunity to hear Chambers read from and speak about this compelling novel.
The LAVA Book Club, which meets in person for this event only, generally meets on Zoom, the third Monday of each month. For more information about the book club, contact Jan at LAVA here:
https://thelavacenter.org/contact-us/
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