The Secret River

By Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Leo Dillon (Illustrator), Diane Dillon (Illustrator)

A secret river offers hope in hard times, but can it be found again?

4.0/5 Goodreads · 820 ratings

56 pages· 3,156 words· Est. 53 min read

$19.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In a time of scarcity, young Calpurnia discovers a secret river that yields enough catfish to feed her community. Guided by wise Mother Albirtha, she learns that some miracles happen only once. Can Calpurnia find the river again, or was it a fleeting gift? This enchanting tale of resilience and wonder captures the magic of unexpected abundance.

From the publisher

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings + Leo and Diane Dillon = pure magic! A depression era story that is just as timely as it is enchanting, this is a stunning picture book for the ages. There’s just not enough…not enough money, not enough food, not enough fish for her daddy to sell at the market. Hard times have come to the forest, but Calpurnia wants to turn them back into soft times. With her little dog Buggy Horse and a tip from old Mother Albirtha, the wisest person in the forest, Calpurnia finds a secret river and uses the pink paper roses from her hair to catch enough beautiful catfish to feed the whole swamp land –with some left over for Daddy to sell. When she tries to find the river again the next day, Mother Albirtha tells her, “Child, sometimes a thing happens once, and does not ever happen anymore….You caught catfish when catfish were needed…you will not find the river again.” This story by the Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Yearling and literary icon Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is about living in a time of want, yet it is overflowing with riches–stunning language, mystical happenings, wondrous, wondrous artwork. Beautiful in all ways that a book can be beautiful, this unforgettable picture book is a classic in the making.