Whitewater

Whitewater follows a woman named Mrs. Greene and two men who converge on a remote mansion in New Mexico in the 1930s. The story takes place over two days as Mrs. Greene seeks to convince the men to fund her project to dam a wild river. The natural landscape and forces of the Southwestern desert setting become central elements in this taut narrative. The characters' complex personal histories and motives emerge through their interactions and reactions to one another in the confined space of the mansion. Through the clash between preservation and progress, Horgan explores themes of human ambition versus nature's raw power. The novel raises questions about the true costs of trying to control and harness the natural world for human purposes.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Paul Horgan's overall work: Readers appreciate Horgan's detailed historical research and ability to capture the American Southwest's cultural complexity. His descriptions of landscapes and settlements receive frequent mention in reviews. Many note his talent for weaving historical facts into engaging narratives. What readers liked: - Deep knowledge of Southwest history and culture - Rich descriptive passages about the landscape - Balance between academic research and readable prose - Character development in biographical works What readers disliked: - Dense writing style can be challenging to follow - Some sections move slowly due to historical detail - Academic tone in certain works feels dry - Occasional dated perspectives on Native Americans Ratings across platforms: - Goodreads: "Great River" averages 4.0/5 from 89 reviews - Amazon: "Lamy of Santa Fe" averages 4.3/5 from 24 reviews - "The Centuries of Santa Fe" averages 3.8/5 from 15 reviews One reader noted: "Horgan brings the Southwest alive without romanticizing it." Another commented: "Sometimes gets bogged down in details, but worth the effort."

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📖 Paul Horgan won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Bancroft Prize for his historical works, though "Whitewater" was one of his novels rather than a historical text. 🌵 The book is set in New Mexico, where Horgan spent much of his life and which served as the backdrop for many of his works. He was considered one of the premier chroniclers of the American Southwest. 🎨 Before becoming a writer, Horgan worked as a librarian and stage designer at the New Mexico Military Institute, experiences that often influenced the detailed settings in his fiction. 💫 "Whitewater" was published in 1970, relatively late in Horgan's career, when he was already an established voice in American literature. 📚 The novel explores themes of isolation and human connection in the American frontier, reflecting Horgan's lifelong fascination with how geography shapes human experience and relationships.