Today, we have an excerpt from River of Dreams, the latest novel by Robin Blackburn McBride. The novel, which blends elements of metaphysical fiction, feminism, historical settings, and elements of the supernatural, is out now, published by Guernica Editions. The excerpt (chapter 3), follows after the synopsis.
A near-tragic accident. A life-changing phenomenon. A calling she couldn’t foresee.
Toronto, 1914. Avery Conlon’s world turns upside down in an instant. Overhearing a comment that casts doubt on her blood ties with the mother raising her, the despairing twelve-year-old runs away―but ends up falling through a river of ice. Dragged out and on the edge of death, she awakens with secret, heightened powers of perception… and a vision of a strange woman.
Learning to navigate her new abilities to sense what others cannot, and dreaming repeatedly of a mysterious silvery boy, Avery vows to track down the truth of her past. As a young adult in the 1920s, she becomes a nurse at a hospital for the insane where her gift for healing leads to possible answers about her mother, Avery’s second sight, and whether her uncertain future can include real love.
Will Avery step into her greatest destiny?
In this enthralling narrative of one woman’s journey, author Robin Blackburn McBride explores the power of intuition and giving voice to the silenced. And as the character grows from a vulnerable young girl to a strong person seeking to take charge of her fate, readers will delight in this suspenseful tale of self-discovery and romance.
