River Girl is a novel written for the people of Happy Camp, California, especially for the young people of this town.
The Klamath River
If you live in Happy Camp, you’ll know exactly where the river girl lived – south of the river on China Grade Road, in a cabin.
If you’re not from Happy Camp you’ll learn about a primitive lifestyle that is still lived by many in this area today – off the grid, isolated, and surrounded by trees.
The first chapter of River Girl starts in the town of Antioch. Antioch is in the San Francisco East Bay Area, right next to the Sacramento River. At that point the Sacramento is huge, and a few miles further downstream, empties into the San Pablo Bay. The San Pablo Bay is at the far-northern end of the San Francisco Bay, and ships travel through there and up the river to Antioch.
In the novel, Clarie and Toby are happy with their life in Antioch, but their father receives a letter that tells him he’s inherited a cabin near Happy Camp in the Klamath River Valley. He decides to sell his Antioch home and move his family to Happy Camp. Claire is traumatized at having to leave Antioch and her best friend, so she’s not a willing passenger when the family boards a ship on their journey to Eureka.
Their stay in Eureka is difficult, and by the time they leave there, Claire is ready to move on to Happy Camp. Her life in Happy Camp turns out to be full of loneliness and hardship. It is the people she meets there who will help her adjust.
Though this book was written for children and teenagers, it has been read and loved by adults as well, during the writing and revision process.
River Girl was published on June 2, 2012. The book is available at the Happy Camp Chamber of Commerce office, at the Marble Mountain Gift Co., and online at Amazon.
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Congratulations, Linda. I’m so happy for you. I love this story and look forward to reading the book when it’s published.
All the best getting this novel published. Having seen what a magical place the Klamath River valley is, I’m really looking forward to reading the book.
Hi Linda. You’ve been nominated for The Versatile Blogger Award. Please stop by my blog: http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com and pick up your award. Have a super weekend.
lukin frwd 2 read it.
Hi Linda. I read your book while sleeping amongst the trees in Montana. I couldn’t put it down until I reached the back cover, then I spent countless moments lost in thought as I gazed out into the forest … and beyond!
What a wonderful summary of your story! Perhaps, one day I will experiment in the literary world outside of Squidoo and share a story or two of mine.
You are on by Buddy List at Nanowrimo and I am inspired by your success! I am back participating in Nanowrimo this year, as I see you are, so I decided to check out this URL. I would really like to read your book, since it speaks to me in so many ways, mainly because it is my lifelong dream to live in a cabin in the woods in some beautiful natural spot, which it seems Happy Camp is, and also I have a daughter named Claire
That’s so cool, Alison! Especially that your daughter is also Claire. I’m working on another novel during NaNoWriMo now… called Perfection. Happy writing!
Linda,
I didn’t know you finished your book, I need to read it! Congratulations, and hope it is successful
Hi Linda,
I read about this website on squidoo.com, that’s why I am here. It is a wonderful idea to create the website like this one. It looks simple and very informative. Thanks to you I hope to create the same website for my ebook very soon. I wish you success on amazon and thanks for your sharing on squidoo.
I enjoyed your book. I grew up in the Hoopa Valley from 1952 to 1962, graduating from Hoopa High School. I have a very good friend that I grew up with that is a Karuk Indian and lives at the Forks of the Salmon River. Talk about a beautiful, wild place! I love reading about life in this area because I can relate to the countryside and rivers and wildlife and wandered the hills behind our house all the time! Great book!