Summary: An American writer of Argentine, Syrian, and Iraqi Jewish descent, Jordan Salama tells the story of the Río Magdalena, nearly one thousand miles long, the heart of Colombia. This is Gabriel García Márquez’s territory—rumor has it Macondo was partly inspired by the port town of Mompox—as much as that of the Middle Eastern immigrants who run fabric stores by its banks.
Following the river from its source high in the Andes to its mouth on the Caribbean coast, journeying by boat, bus, and improvised motobalinera, Salama writes against stereotype and toward the rich lives of those he meets. Among them are a canoe builder, biologists who study invasive hippopotamuses, a Queens transplant managing a failing hotel, a jeweler practicing the art of silver filigree, and a traveling librarian whose donkeys, Alfa and Beto, haul books to rural children. Joy, mourning, and humor come together in this astonishing debut, about a country too often seen as only a site of war, and a tale of lively adventure following a legendary river.
Following the river from its source high in the Andes to its mouth on the Caribbean coast, journeying by boat, bus, and improvised motobalinera, Salama writes against stereotype and toward the rich lives of those he meets. Among them are a canoe builder, biologists who study invasive hippopotamuses, a Queens transplant managing a failing hotel, a jeweler practicing the art of silver filigree, and a traveling librarian whose donkeys, Alfa and Beto, haul books to rural children. Joy, mourning, and humor come together in this astonishing debut, about a country too often seen as only a site of war, and a tale of lively adventure following a legendary river.
Reviews:
Kirkus Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jordan-salama/every-day-the-river-changes/
Laguna del Magdalena (https://www.guatevalley.com)
Author's Site: https://jordansalama.com/every-day-the-river-changes/
Filigree jewelry ring from Mompox
Interviews:
Princeton Alumni: https://alumni.princeton.edu/stories/jordan-salama-19-telling-stories-cross-cultures
Labyrinth Books: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5gKEqFZ1xg
Lithub: https://lithub.com/jordan-salama-on-journeying-colombias-magdalena-river/Hippo issue and more:
Article: https://www.npr.org/2021/01/24/960060880/colombia-has-a-hippo-problem-thanks-to-pablo-escobar
Article: Slow Boat up the Magdalena: https://thecitypaperbogota.com/travel/taking-the-slow-boat-up-the-magdalena-river/17807
Event: Join us virtually on January 27 @ 6:00 p.m. for a Conversation with the Author about his new book. Please visit Doylestown Bookshop for more information. https://www.doylestownbookshop.com/event/virtual-book-club-nature-lovers-13
Discussion Questions:
Columbia River (outsideonline.com)
Discuss
