“A mesmerizing account of inherited trauma in what was once a sundown town. Diamond is a gutsy girl with a keen intellect and an irrepressible, hopeful outlook, and her often-humorous narration is the novel’s cen­tral, propelling force. Chambers masterfully delivers the message of Swift River: ‘Our instincts, our deepest intuitions, are really our ances­tral memory; our people speaking through us.” — BookPage

“A heartbreaking, yet hopeful coming of age story about the high cost of family secrets.” — Time

“Powerful… Chambers’s sharply observed characters butt up against one another in funny and poignant ways. Diamond’s unexpected friendship with another girl propels the story in surprising directions, but it is Diamond’s fraught relationship with her mother that forms the heart of this ultimately hopeful coming-of-age story.” — The New Yorker

“Poetic and propulsive.” — NPR

“Rich and insightful… Chambers is particularly skilled at depicting the way frustration and affection intertwine…. A frank examination of family mystery and loss, set in a landscape of economic and racial turmoil.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Chambers’ funny debut is set in a 1980s New England mill town in decline. Seven years after her father’s disappearance, Diamond Newberry and her mother are struggling, but Diamond’s observations provide comic leavening. During the summer of 1987, her mom files to have Pop declared dead, which is when things get complicated. Diamond receives a letter from an unknown relative, which starts her on a path to learn her family — and the nation’s — history.” — The Los Angeles Times

“Insightful, moving, and wryly funny, Chambers’ debut is sure to be a book club favorite.” — Booklist, starred review

“This novel’s assured plotting and emotional resonance should render it a breakout book. Call your book club: This symphonic debut is your next read.” — Kirkus

“A powerful novel about how our family history shapes us; it is only when Diamond learns about the women that came before her—their strengths and losses mirroring her own—that she can finally imagine a better future for herself. Swift River broke my heart, and then offered me hope.” — Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful