Not Even the Sound of a River by Hélène Dorion, translated by Jonathan Kaplansky

Not Even the Sound of a River is a moving tale of love’s phantom pains as shared through the relationships between three generations of mothers and daughters.

Hanna drives down the St. Lawrence River to her late mother’s hometown, hoping to find out more about the distant woman who began to reveal herself only through notebooks discovered in her effects. As the river widens, so does Hanna’s understanding of the matriarchs in her family. She learns that her mother’s one true love, Antoine, died on the St. Lawrence when she was twenty, and that her grandmother also lost a young love to the same water. Both women remained shipwrecked after these tragedies, their tales mirroring other survivors’—such as the few who did not perish in the Empress of Ireland sinking when more than a thousand people lost their lives on the river in 1914.

Told through multiple perspectives, newspaper accounts, and historical documents, Dorion’s narrative exquisitely describes the depths of love, the reality of living when dreams have failed us, and the complex nuance of blood ties. Not Even the Sound of a River is a tender and profound story that defies time or place.

Praise for Not Even the Sound of a River

“Hélène Dorion’s beautifully poetic novel, Not Even the Sound of a River, braids women’s stories through various generations. These women are woven into a story that finds its origins in the St. Lawrence River, and that sense of swimming through water, time, and memory is one that is powerful and resonant. Dorion asks readers to consider the value of poetry, art, and a creative life as a way to avoid sinking or suffering when we are faced with the harsh reality of our daily lives. Through grief and loss, poetry and art have ‘perhaps begun to save us’ during our most challenging trials.” —Kim Fahner, author of The Donoghue Girl

“The Empress of Ireland’s tragic demise and the lives that have gone with her to the bottom, remain largely unknown. In this richly written book, Hélène Dorion lifts the fog that veiled some of the human stories which the St. Lawrence was only revealing to a few. The book conveys brilliantly the unique allure of this deep river, by exploring the depth of one’s personal history.” –David Saint-Pierre, historian and author of L’Empress of Ireland

Press Coverage

“A gentle tribute to the power of art, and a call to life.” —La Presse

“Not Even the Sound of a River celebrates the beauty of what has remained mysterious in others, and is revealed one day, as a result of time and chance.” —Le Devoir

Didion and Babitz! John Berger! Sylvia Plath! 24 new books out today —Lit Hub

“The revelations in Not Even the Sound of a River are precisely calibrated but always organic. As the sky brightens and birds fly overhead, Hanna returns to her car. There she opens the last of her mother’s boxes and takes out a sealed letter from Antoine. Simone was never able to bear opening it, but it is the last piece of the puzzle. Carefully, Hanna breaks the seal and begins to read.” —Katherine Ashenburg, Literary Review of Canada

“Not Even the Sound of a River is a truly heartbreaking story that shows how a great loss can impact the rest of your life and the lives of those around you, especially your children. Shattered dreams and the great disappointment that follows are hard to move past and sadly, often result in giving up on life and love.” —Laura Patterson, The Seaboard Review

“Dorion is adept at weaving poetry and history into fiction in a way that is lyrical but never heavy handed or jarring. Not Even the Sound of a River deftly channels the St. Lawrence River at its centre with prose that is strong and sure, carrying readers along to its conclusion.” —Thalia Stopa, Scout Magazine‘s Book Club