Great Falls

One brother home from war. The other desperate to save him. A gripping journey together to the river's end.



Shane has always worshiped his big brother, Jeremy. But three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken their toll, and the easy-go-lucky brother Shane knew has been replaced by a surly drunk who carries his loaded 9mm with him everywhere and lives in the basement because he can't face life with his wife and two small children. When Jeremy shows up after Shane's football game and offers to take him to the family cabin overnight, Shane goes along — both to get away from a humiliation on the field and to keep an eye on Jeremy, who's AWOL from his job at Quantico and seems to have a shorter fuse than ever. But as the camping trip turns into a days-long canoe trip down the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, Shane realizes he's in way over his head — and has no idea how to persuade Jeremy to return home and get the help he needs before it's too late. In a novel at once gripping and heartbreaking, Steve Watkins offers a stark exploration of the unseen injuries left by war.

Steve Watkins is the author of the novels Down Sand Mountain, What Comes After, and Juvie. A retired professor of journalism, creative writing, and Vietnam War literature, he now teaches Ashtanga yoga and works with the child-advocacy organization CASA. Steve Watkins lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

About Steve Watkins