Some of the details of running specific rapids got a bit long for me, since I'm not familiar with the terms and have a hard time visualizing it, but that's a very minor issue, and river runners will probably love it for that.
The structure of the book was also very good. We learned about Glen and Bessie's early life and courtships. We saw their journey through pieced-together accounts. We went with the author as he and his wife reenacted the journey in the same type of boat. We learned about the boat itself, and how time (and dams) have changed the Colorado. We met other characters, like the Kolb brothers, those who searched for Glen and Bessie, and other survivors or victims of the river. We were stumped by the mystery and led through all the possible theories, some far-fetched and dramatic. We suffered with Glen's dad and as he and others searched and searched. Then we got a measured analysis of what likely happened. And all this was woven together very logically and smoothly.
I wish Brad Dimock would write more books like this!
4.5 stars
