Swift River: A Read with Jenna Pick BY Essie Chambers

Swift River is a poignant family saga set in the summer of 1987 in a declining New England mill town. The story follows Diamond Newberry, a Black teenager who is grappling with the disappearance of her father, Pop, seven years earlier. Since his disappearance, Diamond and her mother, Ma, have been hitchhiking everywhere, and Diamond faces relentless teasing about her weight and her status as the only Black person in Swift River.

As Ma plans to declare Pop legally dead to claim his life insurance and save their house, Diamond receives a letter from a previously unknown relative. This letter unveils key details about Pop's life and introduces Diamond to two generations of African American Newberry women. These women’s lives, stretching across the 20th century, reveal a history marked by prejudice, abandonment, love, and devotion. Through these revelations, Diamond begins to understand her place in the world and within her family.

As she uncovers the hidden truths of her family’s past, Diamond must confront how this new knowledge will shape her future. Swift River is a powerful debut novel that explores the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, the enduring impact of family history, and the courage required to move forward. The novel has garnered significant acclaim, being longlisted for The Center for Fiction 2024 First Novel Prize and selected as a Jenna Today Show Book Club pick, marking the arrival of a compelling new voice in literature.