The Lower Canyons, by John Manuel

Robbie Ducharme is pursuing his dream, leading clients in canoes down the remote Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande on the Texas/Mexico border. Newly-divorced Janey Hart decides Robbie’s week-long canoe trip may be just the thing to help her bond with her distant teenaged daughter. Others find themselves fording these treacherous waters for even greater stakes.

Fifteen-year-old Sayda Pacheco is fleeing the gang violence of Honduras, hoping to start a new life in the U.S. Meanwhile, vigilante, Danny Gallagher, aims to stop any “illegals” from crossing the river.

In a drama reminiscent of Deliverance, all these characters collide on the Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande. The novel is full of insight into the way people struggle to remake their lives after a major setback. Within its magnificent walls, The Lower Canyons captures the personal and political trials of our times.