River House

Handy with tools and rafts, a good neighbor, and a mighty fine horsewoman, Lawrence is also adept with language, writing with arresting lucidity and a driving need to understand her father, her legacy, the land, community, work, and herself. A true adventure story of rare dimension. -- Booklist, starred review With her keen eye and talent for writing about the natural world, Lawrence pays homage to the American West. . . Lawrence is one of those remarkable young women spawned by the American West who are adept at running wild rivers, operating heavy equipment, and building a log home, all evocatively told in this informative book. -- Publishers Weekly It's messy, this building of houses and relationships, but the experiences give this memoir an existential grace. -- Kirkus Reviews In her stirring memoir, River House, Sarahlee Lawrence describes a yearning to return to her rural Oregon home that's every bit as powerful as was her youthful need to escape it. . . Lawrence brings her connection to home alive in the classic Oregon-lit tradition of turning landscape and climate into a beautifully surly character. --Randy Gragg, Portland Monthly It's very simple: If you call Oregon your home--not just Portland, but this whole big awkward schizophrenic state--then you need to go to a bookstore and purchase a copy of Sarahlee Lawrence's River House. . . if there's any justice, it'll become an Oregon classic. --Alison Hallet, Portland Mercury Astonishing. . . [River House] resonated more deeply with me than anything I've read about Oregon in a long, long time. . . River House pulses with movement. -- The Oregonian Lawrence writes with remarkable candor about her loved ones; the joys and pitfalls of life in a small community; and the creeping development from upscale Bend 40 miles away. She is in her element writing about nature, and it's a treat to share her journey. -- Seattle Times A memoir narrative