The River Queen: A Memoir

I really enjoyed this. I loved her combining memories of her father with the journey down the Mississippi. What a bunch of characters. Makes you empathize with her when showers are few and far between. I cringed at the treatment she received at the public library. Loved the endless cans of Mountain Dew and the big tough guy's love for the little, opinionated dog.

With the death of her Father and her only child going off to college, Mary Morris is floundering. She needs to ground herself, to return to the river of her youth as well as the river that gave birth to many of her Father's stories. "The River Queen" is about Mary's meandering trip down the Mississippi River, accompanied by Tom and Jerry, the engineer and the captain of the Friend Ship, the houseboat they travel aboard. The trip allows Mary a chance deal with her loss. Along the way she learns to pilot the boat and [almost] tie knots. She faces a tornado, survives a hoard of Mayflies, camps out on a beach, and visits the places of her father's life. By the end of the trip, Mary comes to terms with her grief and is able to look ahead. show more The end of the book has Mary piloting the Friend Ship just as she will be able to take control of her life. show less

actually kind of a boring trip but mm's reminiscences and writing style move everything along.

Very good book, written as a memoir by a woman travelling alone, the Mississpi river