Published by Toad Road Press of Lotus, California, A River Called Home—a river fable is the tale of four lifelong friends—a world-class river guide, a homemaker, a harried urban planner, and a high-powered financial analyst—who reunite to raft the South Fork of the American River. Like its century-old forebear, The Wind in the Willows, the book’s four characters are animals: Frog, Bear, Rabbit, and Eagle. However, unlike the Kenneth Grahame classic in which the animals assume male personas, this cast is entirely female.

Alternately a quest, a reminiscence, a kvetching, and a rite of passage, A River Called Home chronicles the foursome’s two-day downstream journey which becomes a kind of “river reckoning.” As the characters’ frailties and strengths come to the fore, they are compelled to look deeper into themselves. By the trip’s end, each animal arrives—in big and small ways—at a new understanding of her place in the world.

Released in late January 2024, this genre-defying novella by Coloma artist Robin Center and Placerville poet Moira Magneson will soon be available on Amazon.

In the meantime, if you wish to purchase a copy, please contact either Robin or Moira at toadroadpress@gmail.com.