ELLIS RIVER

A young woman leaves home in search of her family during the Civil War in Ehrlich’s debut historical novel.

In 1865, 15-year-old Ellis Cady lives alone in her Western Tennessee home. Her father and Walter, one of her brothers, left two years prior to sell some horses but haven’t returned. Her twin brother, Earl, left shortly afterward to look for them, and then Ellis’ mother died. One day, Ellis makes the decision to leave home with a few belongings and her beloved horse, Billie. She first stops at her friend’s house, only to find it abandoned, before making her way down a trail where she discovers her brother Earl, who has sad news but doesn’t know where their father is. The two get caught up in a Civil War battle, during which Ellis is grazed by a bullet. She awakens in the care of Libby, a Cherokee woman who’s riding with a diverse group of men. Later, after stopping in Jamestown, Missouri, she finds her uncle’s ranch, where she learns more about her family and becomes more determined to locate her father, certain that he’s still alive. Ehrlich’s prose is accessible and spare and particularly skillful at describing the harsh reality of war and its battlegrounds: “Fragments of bone and skull escaped earth’s hollow grasp….A large ribcage, still covered by thin hide. Another and another.” The story simultaneously highlights the loneliness and camaraderie that can be found during wartime. Additionally, Ellis’ coming-of-age adds a personal layer to the battle-laden background, as when she spies Libby making love with her husband and encounters previously unknown feelings. Although the story is earnest and often compelling, there are a lot of scenes of Ellis simply wandering and riding from place to place, which may not interest readers who prefer more action. Still, Ehrlich’s story of a girl surrounded by loss and death as she searches for her family is engaging and makes for a quick, heartfelt read.

An earnest and poignant bildungsroman.