MAY 24, 2018 // 23
BOOKMONGER
Notbohm’s debut novel confronts
star-crossed love, mental illness
Portland writer Ellen
will crush her.
and hard work. She and
Notbohm is well-known
Eventually her husband
her husband combine their
for her bestselling guides to
files for divorce and sole
talents to foster a successful
understanding the needs and
custody of their daughter, and agricultural enterprise.
potential of people on the
Annie flees to Montana to
But when Annie becomes
autism spectrum, and also
try to start a new life on her
pregnant again — and then
for her writings on
brother’s homestead. again — she seems to be
family history and
Once released
cursed with bad luck, and the
genealogy.
from the strains of
bitter emotional and physical
But with her new
motherhood, she
tolls of these experiences cor-
book she has turned
regains her emotional rode this marriage, too.
Notbohm writes a richly
to full-length fiction
stability, but she still
detailed story, exploring
for the first time.
feels plenty of guilt.
“The River by
themes that hew closely to
She has no intention
Starlight” started out
Ellen
the issues she uncovered in
of marrying ever
Notbohm
as another historical
her research, and challeng-
again.
ing us to empathize with
research project. Not-
But intentions
bohm was mesmerized by a
someone whose emotional
prove to be no match for
true story she came across
equilibrium is repeatedly
chemistry — and sparks fly
about an ill-fated Montana
when she meets Adam Field- assailed by heartbreaking
ing, her brother’s business
romance.
loss and physical pain. The
But after spending more
associate.
tale also exposes the limited
than a decade tracking
Within months, these
capacity that society in the
down leads in more than 40
two — “ladyfriend” and “big early 1900s had for dealing
archives and libraries across
fella” to each other — tie the with mental illness, and the
a dozen states and provinces, knot and, with her broth-
stigmas that prevailed.
Notbohm realized that, while er’s blessing, take over the
But Annie is a fiercely de-
termined woman who fights
she had the tantalizing bones homestead.
through her own maladies
This second marriage for
of a story, there were still too
and shortcomings, as well as
many unknown pieces for her Annie is driven by passion
to write the book as a work
of nonfiction.
Crossword Answers
So she plumbed the
B U G B I T E
I G L O O
T I P S T E R
scholarship that she’d already
A F R I C A N
B R O O D
I M A L I V E
amassed and fleshed out de-
B
O
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Z
E
S
C
H
M
O
O
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E
A
P P A R E L
tails where needed to create
A
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U
U
K
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C
R
E
A M E R Y
this early 20th century story
B
O
S
O
M
T
O
O
A
A
A
of Analiese Rushton. Annie is
T A G U P
A O L
N U T S S C H M U T Z
a bright young woman whose
I
G
O
R
S
C
R
E
W
T E T
H E I N I E
first marriage shatters when
D
E
E
R
S
C
H
M
E
A
R
A
R
T
E F A C T S
she gives birth to a healthy
Y
E
S
S
I
R
E
E
V
E
E
A
I
D
M O L T
baby girl, but finds herself
R O D
D E S P I T E
H I R E S
afflicted with a severe case of
M A C E D
N O S C H M O
M U S K S
postpartum depression.
B O G U S
T E C H I E S
W I M
Her husband, bewildered
A R A B
D E W
I N S
S I X P A C K S
and embarrassed, cannot
R E S I D E N C E
D U C K S C H M U C K
understand his wife’s lack of
B A S S O S
O L E
S P I E D
E B A Y
maternal instinct. Not only
is she unable to tend to her
Q U I T S C H M I D T
A B C
S N A R E
baby, Annie succumbs to
H O E
A H I
A R M E D
increasingly wild flights of
B A S E P A I R
M E N
G A Y E
B U C
rage and resentment. And in
O U T R U N S
H A L T S S C H M A L T Z
Iowa in 1910, there are no
S N I G L E T
A M O R E
K A T R I N A
resources to help her cope
S T R O L L S
D E T O X
S T O P P E R
with the oppression she feels
“The River by Starlight”
By Ellen Notbohm
She Writes Press
344 pp
$16.95
the insufficiencies of the era.
“The River by Starlight” is a
wrenching tale, but it is not
without glimmers of equa-
nimity.
The Bookmonger is
Barbara Lloyd McMichael,
who writes this weekly column
focusing on the books, authors
and publishers of the Pacific
Northwest. Contact her at
bkmonger@nwlink.com.
PHOTOS COURTESY ELLEN NOTBOHM
The cover of ‘The River by Starlight’ by Ellen Notbohm
Appearing at the Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival
June 15-17 at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds
Kleiveland & Toppe from Norway
Pajunen/Brynnel Duo
Swedish/Finnish American
Canada’s Tribute to ABBA & Fleetwood Mac
One performance only, June 16 at 7:30 PM
Advance tickets available at the Liberty Theater Box Office
or online at www.libertyastoria.showare.com
More information at astoriascanfest.org
HERITAGE • TRADITION • FAMILY • FUN • FOOD