The River

The River is a 2019 novel by Peter Heller that tells the story of two college friends, Jack and Wynn, who take a canoe expedition in the remote Northern Canadian wilderness. What begins as an idyllic journey soon turns ominous when a nearby forest fire threatens the young men’s safety and survival. The fire is only one of many threats; the two inadvertently encounter an arguing husband and wife and soon learn that the argument has become violent. They discover that the husband attempted to murder his wife and leave her for dead in the wilderness, which provides him with a ready-made opportunity to fabricate a cover-up story.

Set against the backdrop of the harsh and unforgiving wilderness where human interaction is minimal, The River presents Jack and Wynn’s struggle to survive the dueling threats posed by the natural environment and human violence.

This guide refers to the 2019 Kindle edition of the book.

Content Warning: The novel and this guide include discussions of violence and an attempted rape.

Plot Summary

The opening pages introduce the two protagonists, Wynn and Jack. Both are recent graduates of Dartmouth College and wilderness-adventure seekers.