The River Wife, chapters 1-7

I started the book this morning, and before I knew it, I was finished with chp 7. I'll wait here until everyone else is ready to discuss.

Does this mean it's good?

Oh my gosh, I can't believe it's time already....

That means it was one of those that grabbed me from the first sentence and didn't let go. I forced myself to stop at the end of chapter 7. I can only hope it will turn out to be a good book in the end.

Sandy, I, too, just finished Chapter 7...and I'm not sure I want to go on. I keep telling myself "it's just a story, it's not real," etc., but I guess Agee must be a terrific writer because I certainly felt the horror of that terrible scene at the end of the chapter. I definitely need a support group on this read.

Echos of Finn?

Chapter 7 was horrifying. I agree that Agee is a terrific writer - after 7 finished I turned quickly to the next page to find out what happens in the aftermath and found... a flash-forward to the narrator! So I don't know how it gets resolved yet.

I really like the way Agee is slowly revealing the consequences of Jacques's (sp?) drinking. First he's sweet, then he tries to steal and keep some slaves (I was not expecting that - I thought he was going to try to free them!), then he's sweet and nice, then he tries to throw her puppy into a dogfight. Neither Annie nor the reader has any idea which Jacques is going to show up next, a lot like with a real live alcoholic.

Chapter 7 made me hate humans. Dogfighting is so so wrong, torturing dogs to make them good guard dogs and fighters is so, so wrong. The fact that they were all too drunk to do anything when one of the dogs ran into the house - so so wrong!!!!

I feel so bad for Annie - losing the baby and the dog. She's a great character - the part with the slaves was sweet.

I thought this whole section was disturbing. True, there were some very nice parts, but to begin with Annie's family abandoning her in the wrecked cabin and then to end with Annie's baby being mauled.... I had only just recovered from the first when I was hit with the last. I was a bit confused about a couple of things in the middle. Jennifer's comment about Jacques stealing the slaves clears up one of them, as I didn't figure out what had happened to them. But I don't understand who Ford Jones is, and why he and his dogs remained well-fed when everyone else was starving during the winter. And why Jacques stood up for him to his wife when he (Jacques) was starving, too.

The slaves do get away - whats-his-name (starts with a C, the one who helped deliver the baby) takes them to the boat and lets them get away. One of the most decent people in the book.

I do not understand Ford Jones at all, or the guys who showed up in the middle of the night and then again with the dogfight dogs. What that the whole point of them skulking around the yard with Ford Jones? I am confused.

Annie's family - what kind of parents just abandon their daughter like that?

This book is very much Finn-like in its brutality and portrayal of evil. Jacques is turning out to be a snake, isn't he? Strange how I didn't bat an eye when he sunk the hatchet into the slave-trader, but I could have killed him with my bare hands for using Annie's (and his, for that matter) pet as dog bait. Jennifer, I am with you 100% on your feelings about dogfighting. And knowing that it still goes on today (remember Michael Vick?) just makes me ill.

I am taking a few days off from this book just to clear my head. I won't give up because I do want to know the hold the personification-of-evil Ford Jones has on Jacques. Was it his dogs and the money that the dogfights could generate or was he a slavetrader as well? I just can't imagine Annie staying in that hellhole, but she doesn't have a lot of options, does she? I can't help hoping that the Jamaican princess or whatever she was will be able to help her. So far they are the only two characters in the book that have shown any real integrity.

I was also disturbed at first about the family abandoning Annie, but when I thought about it, what else would they do? It was the early 1800s in New Madrid, the ground was shaking and the water was rising, her father probably wouldn't have been able to move the beam without horses, and he said they wouldn't come near. It sounds awful to us, but they had to make choices. I was already disgusted with the dogfighting, and the baby just made me sick. I'm also curious about Ford Jones, and his hold on Jacques. Still, her writing is very compelling, and it's a quick read.

Did anyone else notice the narrator's reference to "One-Armed Jacques Ducharme" at the end of the Prologue? I guess that's still to come. Probably at the very least what he deserves....

Anxious to carry on!

I'm with everyone else on the dogfighting- I had to skip over the largest part of the description there.
I loved Jacques at first, coming and rescuing his wife from death and then treating her the way he did when they were in the little cabin by themselves. Then everything changed- just life someone already said real alcoholics do.
So as far as Ford Jones- any guesses there about whats going on? The only thing I can guess is that Jacques is keeping him around for the dog fights to earn money- but I just don't think that's 'cruel' enough. I have a feeling when it comes up it's going to be a shocker.
What does everyone think of Dealie? I'm not a big fan of hers, she seems shiesty to me..... thinking something might happen between her and Jacques.

I was just confused about Jones being so well-fed during the winter when everyone was hungry. I think there is more to him than just dogfighting. I agree with Becky, I think it's going to be much worse.

You guys are doing a great job of encouraging me to get back to The River Wife. I have the last part of The Elegance of the Hedgehog to finish, which is helping erase my aversion to Annie's story, and then will leap back into the sordid world of the Ducharme women.

After flying through the first 7 chapters and forcing myself to stop so as not to get ahead of the discussion, I admit that I am having a hard time picking the book back up for the next section. Tonight. I must do it this evening.

So, chapters 8-14 on Monday?

Anytime is OK with me. I sat down last night and read the next 7 chapters. It read just as quickly as the first 7.