The Banks of Certain Rivers by Jon Harrison

The Banks of Certain Rivers

"Affecting and often tender. Neil's vividly detailed life is sure to appeal to fans of emotionally involving fiction...Confident, clearsighted and poignant."— Kirkus Reviews

In the lakeside resort town of Port Manitou, Michigan, dedicated teacher and running coach Neil Kazenzakis shoulders responsibilities that would break a lesser man: a tragic accident has left his wife seriously debilitated, he cares for his mother-in-law who suffers from dementia, and he’s raising his teenage son, Chris, on his own. On top of all that, he’s also secretly been seeing Lauren, his mother-in-law’s caregiver.

When Neil breaks up a fight one day after school, he doesn’t give the altercation much thought. He’s got bigger issues on his mind, like the fact that Lauren is ready for a commitment and he has to figure out a way to tell Chris that he’s in a serious relationship with someone other than the boy’s mother. But when an anonymous person uploads a video of the fight to YouTube, the stunning footage suggests Neil assaulted a student. With his job, his family, and his reputation suddenly in jeopardy, Neil must prove his innocence and win back the trust of the entire community—including his son’s.

Jon Harrison’s The Banks of Certain Rivers is a powerful tale of family, loss, and the meaning of love.

Praise for The Banks of Certain Rivers:

"Jon Harrison's debut The Banks of Certain Rivers is a jewel-box of a novel. Tracing the limits of one man's love (and self-knowledge) with humor and drama, Harrison breathes life into Neil Kazenzakis and his struggles with such grace that the reader feels like she knows him. Elegant, poignant, and page-turning." — Katherine Howe, New York Times bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

"Urgent, real, and often very funny." — James Frey, New York Times bestselling author of Bright Shiny Morning and A Million Little Pieces

“The Banks of Certain Rivers is a touching, funny and thoughtful novel written with elegance and confidence. Impossible to put down, it’s a book I know I’ll read again and again; it made me laugh, cry and want to be a better writer. It should be at the top of your to-read list.” — Catherine McKenzie, bestselling author of Hidden

Born in Michigan, Jon Harrison studied English literature and geological sciences at Ohio University. A lover of the outdoors, he moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1994 and has lived there ever since. When not writing, he enjoys skiing, running, and climbing.

The Banks of Certain Rivers is his first novel.

@Harrisonpages and his Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/TheBanksOfCertainRivers

I love when Indie authors come out and blow my socks off! It is so great that these authors are able to get their work out and we are able to enjoy it!!! I love books that take place around where I live, it makes me feel so connected! So with this book taking place in the Midwest, I knew it had my interest right way! This book is a page turner, heavy at times, with great characters and like I said before a great setting! You need to pick up this book and read something very original and compelling!! 4 stars!