2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction (longlist)
2025 Libby Award for Debut Author of the Year (nominee)
2024 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize for Fiction
A READ WITH JENNA TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK | A National Bestseller | Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize |One of The Washington Post's Best Books of 2024| An NPR Best Book of 2024 | An Elle Best Book of 2024 | A Boston Globe Best Book of 2024 | An NAACP Image Award Nominee
‘A book we all need to revive our souls’ (Nicole Dennis-Benn): A ‘powerful novel…[that] broke my heart, and then offered me hope’ (Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful) about a complicated bond between mothers and daughters, the disappearance of a father, and the long-hidden history of a declining New England mill town.
It’s the summer of 1987 in Swift River, and Diamond Newberry is learning how to drive. Ever since her Pop disappeared seven years ago, she and her mother hitchhike everywhere they go. But that’s not the only reason Diamond stands out: she’s teased relentlessly about her weight, and since Pop’s been gone, she is the only Black person in all of Swift River. This summer, Ma is determined to declare Pop legally dead so they can collect his life insurance money, get their house back from the bank, and finally move on.
But when Diamond receives a letter from a relative she’s never met, key elements of Pop’s life are uncovered, and she is introduced to two generations of African American Newberry women, whose lives span the 20th century and reveal a much larger picture of prejudice and abandonment, of love and devotion. As pieces of their shared past become clearer, Diamond gains a sense of her place in the world and in her family. But how will what she’s learned of the past change her future?
A ‘sparkling’ (The Washington Post), ‘poetic, and propulsive’ (NPR) debut of first friendships, family secrets, and finding the courage to let go, Swift River heralds the arrival of a major new literary talent.
Genre: Literary Fiction
‘A book we all need to revive our souls’ (Nicole Dennis-Benn): A ‘powerful novel…[that] broke my heart, and then offered me hope’ (Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful) about a complicated bond between mothers and daughters, the disappearance of a father, and the long-hidden history of a declining New England mill town.
It’s the summer of 1987 in Swift River, and Diamond Newberry is learning how to drive. Ever since her Pop disappeared seven years ago, she and her mother hitchhike everywhere they go. But that’s not the only reason Diamond stands out: she’s teased relentlessly about her weight, and since Pop’s been gone, she is the only Black person in all of Swift River. This summer, Ma is determined to declare Pop legally dead so they can collect his life insurance money, get their house back from the bank, and finally move on.
But when Diamond receives a letter from a relative she’s never met, key elements of Pop’s life are uncovered, and she is introduced to two generations of African American Newberry women, whose lives span the 20th century and reveal a much larger picture of prejudice and abandonment, of love and devotion. As pieces of their shared past become clearer, Diamond gains a sense of her place in the world and in her family. But how will what she’s learned of the past change her future?
A ‘sparkling’ (The Washington Post), ‘poetic, and propulsive’ (NPR) debut of first friendships, family secrets, and finding the courage to let go, Swift River heralds the arrival of a major new literary talent.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"Swift River is a tender coming-of-age novel, a story of grief both personal and historical, one told with warmth and humor by a memorable, irrepressible heroine. Essie Chambers writes powerfully about the bonds of family, the many ways people fail and save one another, and the human instinct for resilience." - Rumaan Alam
"In the tradition of all great mother-daughter stories, Swift River is complicated, frank, yet infused with that satisfying feeling one gets when you realize the missing piece to the puzzle is a sense of self. Page by beautifully vibrant page, Swift River comes at you in whirring Kodachrome snapshots of memory, classic rock, and hidden New England lore. A sensational debut." - Paul Beatty
"Swift River is the book we all need to revive our souls. It's told with such grace, humor, and above all, heart. I could follow Diamond and her captivating journey forever. It's heartbreaking. It's beautiful. This epic novel deserves all the attention in the world. A must read!" - Nicole Dennis-Benn
"Swift River is a fearless, cinematic exploration of loss and inheritance, written with fierce urgency and overflowing compassion. From the very first image of river-mud-caked shoes, Diamond's story - part coming of age, part epistolarian excavation of grief - instantly pulled me in and held me close through an addicting mix of hope and suspense." - Xochitl Gonzalez
"A powerful novel about how our family history shapes us; it is only when Diamond learns about the women that came before her - their strengths and losses mirroring her own - that she can finally imagine a better future for herself. Swift River broke my heart, and then offered me hope." - Ann Napolitano
"Truly amazing. Such an incredible blend of intimate and epic, so smart and funny and honest and generous-spirited. I like plenty of books but I love a novel this much maybe just once or twice a year." - Curtis Sittenfeld
"Essie Chambers masterfully weaves this story together, building characters and worlds so real I felt pangs of nostalgia while turning the pages. This is a voice I'd follow anywhere." - Dawnie Walton
"Darkly funny and fiery, heartbreaking and healing, with language so gorgeous I went back to read sentences again and again. What a beautiful debut." - Jacqueline Woodson
"In the tradition of all great mother-daughter stories, Swift River is complicated, frank, yet infused with that satisfying feeling one gets when you realize the missing piece to the puzzle is a sense of self. Page by beautifully vibrant page, Swift River comes at you in whirring Kodachrome snapshots of memory, classic rock, and hidden New England lore. A sensational debut." - Paul Beatty
"Swift River is the book we all need to revive our souls. It's told with such grace, humor, and above all, heart. I could follow Diamond and her captivating journey forever. It's heartbreaking. It's beautiful. This epic novel deserves all the attention in the world. A must read!" - Nicole Dennis-Benn
"Swift River is a fearless, cinematic exploration of loss and inheritance, written with fierce urgency and overflowing compassion. From the very first image of river-mud-caked shoes, Diamond's story - part coming of age, part epistolarian excavation of grief - instantly pulled me in and held me close through an addicting mix of hope and suspense." - Xochitl Gonzalez
"A powerful novel about how our family history shapes us; it is only when Diamond learns about the women that came before her - their strengths and losses mirroring her own - that she can finally imagine a better future for herself. Swift River broke my heart, and then offered me hope." - Ann Napolitano
"Truly amazing. Such an incredible blend of intimate and epic, so smart and funny and honest and generous-spirited. I like plenty of books but I love a novel this much maybe just once or twice a year." - Curtis Sittenfeld
"Essie Chambers masterfully weaves this story together, building characters and worlds so real I felt pangs of nostalgia while turning the pages. This is a voice I'd follow anywhere." - Dawnie Walton
"Darkly funny and fiery, heartbreaking and healing, with language so gorgeous I went back to read sentences again and again. What a beautiful debut." - Jacqueline Woodson
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