In best-selling and award-winning author Robert Macfarlane’s new book, “Is the River Alive?” (2025, 374 pages) the title’s question, “Is the river alive?” jumps out at you even before you’ve turned the first page. What does he mean? After 374 pages, you will know exactly what Macfarlane means, and your idea of what a river is will be changed forever. I’ve read a few of Macfarlane’s previous books (“The Wild Places,” “The Old Ways,” “Underland”) and I’ve always enjoyed, been educated and appreciated his intimately comprehensive poetic style of writing. “Is the River Alive?” is a profound extension of these previous books.
Macfarlane’s format for this book is in three parts of around a hundred pages each that are divided into the seasons of winter, spring and autumn, with storylines of extended travels and time spent in the countries of Ecuador, India and Canada. The lucky reader gets to spend quality time in each of these locations with Macfarlane as he travels and tromps through wilderness, and explores three of these three countries major rivers.
