Plot, characters stretched too thin in debut novel “What the River Washed Away”

Eight-year-old Arletta, the main character in Muriel Macleod's debut novel, “What the River Washed Away,” has never had it easy. It's 1910 in rural Louisiana and after her beloved grandfather passes away, two white men begin abusing Arletta while her mother, known as Mambo (the term for a voodoo priestess), is away.

But one day Arletta finds the strength to fight back and the men leave her alone for good. Years later, when she learns the same men still are abusing other young girls, Arletta confides in Mambo and the two of them begin exacting revenge.

“What the River Washed Away” follows a harrowing plot and includes a discussion of many important topics, including rampant racism in the South, sex abuse and the confluence of Christianity and Voodoo.

However, the pacing of the novel is uneven, with long stretches in the middle dedicated to Arletta reading in her boardinghouse and Mambo giving detailed recitations of their extensive family history. In these sections, the novel loses its overarching plot and the characters begin to feel distant and thin, which is disappointing considering the emotional intensity of the beginning of the novel.

Macleod brings that connection back in the final third of the book, where we see a re-emergence of the plot and some welcome character development, especially between now adult Arletta and her mother. Seeing Arletta and her mother come together as two adults, and the friendship and love that emerges as a result, is moving to witness.

There is much to appreciate in this novel, but Macleod tries to cover too much and, as a result, a number of plot lines are rushed or dropped entirely. In her next work, hopefully Macleod will give depth to a couple of topics, instead of spreading herself too thin.

Laura Farmer is Writing Studio Director at Cornell College. Find an archive of her reviews at laurafarmerreviews.com.