This is a wonderful, delightful novel. The prose style isn't revolutionary or even particularly ornate (don't expect to have your socks blown off), but Lori Ann Bloomfield doesn't need revolutionary or ornate prose to grab hold of you. She just needs good, solid, old-fashioned storytelling, and she excels at this. The plotting is spot-on, the characters develop at almost exactly the right pace, the details are vivid, the stakes are genuine. It is a simple but a fantastic novel.

Set during World War I and rife not only with the bleak hardships of war back home in rural Canada but also with the hardships of small-town prejudice and antiquated superstitions, the novel as a whole nevertheless feels lighthearted and inviting, and I found myself getting sucked into the world of the novel easily. The first chapters set up a lengthy backstory, but they're necessary and they pay off well, a strong story in their own right and a wonderful sort of prologue to the events of the rest of the novel. Things slow down a bit after that, letting us settle into our characters in their present time and setting up the war years, but about halfway into the book, the stakes raise dramatically and you will quickly find yourself solving small, personal mysteries, booing villains and rooting for romance, feeling the pangs of loss when characters betray each other or die, both in the war and at home....

There is a lot about this novel that feels old-fashioned, in terms both of style and of plot, but that is precisely this novel's charm: it feels very much at home in the very setting it describes, which is how Bloomfield hooks you. When I turned the last page and closed the book, I literally touched my heart and smiled to myself; it's been quite some time since I enjoyed a novel this much. I've loved books, I've admired books, I've been in awe of books, but The Last River Child is something quieter and friendlier than that: it's a book you plainly and happily delight in. It's a book you keep on your shelf for later, when you need the comfort of an old friend. I will gladly keep this book on my shelf. ( )

The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield is going to be one of my favorites this year and will stay on my shelf as a reread sometime in the future. This debut novel of Lori's is terrific and one that I found I really didn't want to put down until I finished it. It's a shorter book at 280 pages making it one of those I actually wished had been longer as when I did turn that last page I was sad that the story was over.

Walvern, a small Ontario town has a legend that has existed for years...

'You see the Magurvey River down there? There's a spirit trapped in that river. The spirit of a child about your age. And the only way that spirit child can escape is if it lures another child to the river to take its place. Have you ever heard a strange singing, an eerie music that drifts up from the river sometimes? If you've never heard it, that's a blessing. Because, if you did, it would surely be the river child calling to you. Trying to lure you to the river's edge so it can peer up from beneath the water and gaze into your eyes. If you let it do that - look straight into your eyes - you will be trapped in its place. The very moment you meet that watery gaze, you'll be snared beneath the Magurvey. Then the river child will scramble up the riverbank, free.' (pg 1)

This story is about Peg Staynor who has been unlucky enough to be labeled a river child. This has made life pretty difficult and lonely for Peg. The town believes that a river child brings nothing but trouble to it and is pure evil. This child is responsible for droughts, bad crops; pretty much anything that goes wrong in the town of Walvern can be blamed on the river child. People refuse to acknowledge her and she has no friends - even her father leans towards believing town gossip and this superstitious legend.

Peg lives with her mother, father and sister Sarah. Sarah is quite head strong and rebellious - always looking to be the center of attention and people all really like her. When Peg's mother suddenly passes, her life is turned upside down. Her mother had always been the one who looked out for her and protected her from the gossip and told her that one day life would change for her. To top it off Peg's mother dies on the same day that WW1 is declared - yet another reason for the town to believe she is a river child. Not only that but Peg is drawn to the river. Despite all warnings for a severe lashing from her father for going to the river, Peg continues to visit it.

Even though Peg is shunned by the town she still loves Walvern. She loves the farm where she grew up and amazingly enough never wants to leave. At one point she meets a young man by the river who wants to be an aviator and they become friends. There is also her sister Sarah who has always stood by her no matter what. That seems to be enough for Peg. When a few of the young men from town go off to the war, Peg ends up writing to Sarah's husband whom she hurriedly married on impulse before he left for war but realizes it was a mistake afterwards. Peg and Arthur become good friends through this correspondence.

Surprisingly enough with this being a shorter book it packs a big punch. It is fast paced and never lacks for something going on. Peg has to hold things together when her sister Sarah gets into some trouble and when she suffers a tragedy at the farm. Peg is a great character - she's strong and courageous and she still manages to move on and be happy in the face of all she endures at the hands of the town. I liked many of the other characters as well but Peg was my favorite. I loved how the book ended and of course I can't tell you about that but it was a great end that left me a little teary eyed.

I think The Last River Child would be a great read any time whether it be for yourself or your book club. There's a lot to discuss with old town superstitions and the effects of war on a small town. Lori Ann Bloomfield is one Canadian author that is definitely on my watch list from this point forward. I look forward to her next novel. ( )

The Last River Child was next on my pile of books to be read. I thought I'd pick it up just before bed, read a chapter or two to get into it and then take it work to read at lunch. Well - 2 1/2 hours later, I looked up and saw what time it was! I had become completely lost in the story.

The Last River Child opens in 1914 in Walvern, a small rural village, set in Ontario, Canada. Seth Staynor, his wife and two daughters, Peg and Sarah, live on a farm on the outskirts, near the Walvern River.

The inhabitants of Walvern are a superstitious lot. Every child is told the story of the river child - a spirit trapped beneath the water. It will try to lure a child close enough to look in their eyes and escape to dry ground. Once there, it will cause trouble and bring bad luck - droughts, crops will fail and more.

Peg Staynor has been branded as a river child from birth. She is shunned by the town folk and even her own father. Her mother has always protected her, but when she dies just as war is declared, Peg's position is even more precarious.

It is Peg's journey and strength that made this such a captivating read. Despite her treatment, Peg has no urge to leave the farm. Not so with her sister Sarah - she yearns for the city. As war is declared and the world changes, those changes reach Walvern as well. Peg will be the last river child.

Bloomfield has captured the feel of small town Ontario perfectly. Her descriptions of the farming and town ring true. Her prose are smooth and effortless. I especially enjoyed the letters written between Peg and a young man from Walvern stationed in France.

This is Lori Ann Bloomfield's debut novel and it was a gem of a find. I look forward to reading more from this author. ( )