River of the Stick Wavers — Gillian Andrews

Following the premature death of her husband in the later winter of 1963, Grace Irwin discovers that she no longer fits in to the world she knew. Always a dutiful daughter, wife, and mother, the widow is unmoored by her loneliness, fearing the slightest rapid will sweep her away. Grace travels to the French River in Northern Ontario, to grieve her loss and draw strength from the wild landscape. There she forms friendships with two fiercely independent women who challenge her to carve her own path in the world. As Grace begins to heal, her faith and courage are tested in unexpected ways. River of the Stick Wavers is a nuanced portrait of grief, a subtle challenge to expectations for how a woman should behave, and a testament to the transformative power of friendship....