Book Review: Not the Same River

By IndieBookView on August 16, 2024

Not the Same River

by W.A. Polf

Genre: Literary & General Fiction / Short Story Collection

ISBN: 9798891323056

Print Length: 316 pages

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Reviewed by Elizabeth Zender

W. A. Polf's Not The Same River explores the timelessness of the ordinary experiences that make life extraordinary. Loss, connection, and tough decisions permeate the stories within the collection. A woman deals with the loss of her mother before she passes away; a man battles internally with a toxic friend; a friendship strains during instances of police violence against San Francisco's LGBTQ+ community. Polf's stories traverse the terrain of turmoil and triumph, even when triumph looks a little more commonplace than you might expect.

I can't start talking about this book without first talking about "The Sawmill Pond," an undeniable favorite. Here, a man lives his life in a house near a pond. When he grows old, he witnesses two boys and their troublemaking around that pond. I won't spoil any more of the story because I highly recommend it, but let's just say Polf's writing reminds me of Shirley Jackson and Flannery O'Connor: an intriguing message told through something dark and unexpected.