The Day the Falls Stood Still
Set in 1915, The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan, examines family, loyalty and love. This novel whisks the reader back in time, when daredevils rode Niagara Falls in barrels, the falls were as dangerous as they were beautiful and before hydroelectric power companies were an everyday sight along the Niagara River.
Seventeen-year-old Bess Heath has lived a very sheltered life in her family’s mansion near the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Her boarding school overlooks the picturesque falls and she is surrounded by friends and family. In one night all of this will change forever.
Bess’ mother suddenly appears at the school to take her home. Bess is informed that her father has lost his job; she will not be returning to school and her sister’s fiancé has spurned her. Her family has lost the social standing it once had. To make ends meet, Bess and her mother begin sewing dresses for the ladies they once socialized with. Meanwhile, her father begins to drink and her sister becomes withdrawn and refuses to eat.
To make matters worse, Bess finds herself falling in love with Tom Cole, a riverman of whom her family disapproves, despite his reputation for heroic rescues on the falls. Her best friend, Kit and her family begin pressuring her to marry Kit’s brother. This union will raise her family’s social standing once again. Bess must make a painful choice between what she wants and what is best for her family.
Also available in: Talking Book (Restricted to Print Disabled Patrons)
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