Every Bend in the River

De: Emerson Ford

Narrado por: Stephanie Cannon, Angus King

Virginia, 1749. Rosanna Waters is more comfortable catching grasshoppers for fishing bait than helping her Mama with the washing. After one defiance too many ends in terrible tragedy, Rosanna learns that her rebellious nature carries a price too steep to pay. She must tame the fire within—for her family’s sake, if not her own.

Then she meets Callum Stewart, a Scottish indentured servant with secrets as deep as the river she loves, Rosanna discovers someone who sees her for exactly who she is. But revolution changes everything. War sends Callum to battle and Rosanna into the unknowns of the South Carolina frontier, where she carves out a life from the unforgiving backcountry—eight children, a working farm, and a hard-won independence.

When the war finally arrives at her doorstep, it brings not just soldiers threatening everything she’s built, but the boy who stole her heart all those years ago—now a man with his own scars. As violence engulfs the frontier, Rosanna must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect her family, and whether the woman she’s become can make peace with the girl she used to be.

Based on a true story, this is an epic tale of a woman who refuses to surrender—not to grief, not to the wilderness, and never to a fate trying to break the spirit she’s finally learned to love.

©2025 Emerson Ford (P)2025 Isis Audio

A Saga of Love and Survival!

Every Bend in the River is an epic historical fiction novel, inspired by a true story, that will keep readers captivated by its wonderful balance of romance, family drama, resilience, and frontier survival. It feels cinematic and heartfelt the whole way through and is perfect for readers who love generational sagas with compelling female leads and historical facts interwoven.

The story follows Rosanna Waters, a tomboyish young woman growing up in colonial Virginia in 1749. When a tragic accident forces her to take on more family responsibility, Rosanna’s carefree childhood gives way to a life of duty and determination. Along the way, she meets Callum Stewart, a Scottish servant, and an undeniable bond forms between them. When the American colonies march toward revolution, Callum is forced to flee, and Rosanna learns to survive on the rugged South Carolina frontier, raising her own family while facing war, danger, and heartbreak. The story is told through the alternating points of view of Rosanna and Callum as it moves forward through a single timeline that spans several decades, from the late 1740s to the 1780s—and it feels like a very natural progression of time as you’re reading, carrying readers from Rosanna’s childhood to motherhood and beyond, like the flow of a river itself, perfectly matching the book’s title!

Rosanna is a compelling heroine who will steal readers’s hearts. Growing up she’s wild, stubborn, and loves to go fishing with her brother, Fileman, and his friends, until life demands she grow up fast. She’s forced to evolve from carefree child into dutiful daughter, farmer, mother, and frontier heroine—and it’s all beautifully written in a way that will take readers on the captivating journey of self-discovery and hardships with her! Callum Stewart is a complex, loyal man and the perfect love interest for Rosanna. Just like hers, his journey is stacked with upheaval and seemingly insurmountable obstacles—he goes from indentured servant to fugitive to soldier—and his loyalty to those he holds dearest in his heart is never-ending! Their relationship has a cinematic, heartwarming feel from their first encounter—and even though the relationship remains a kindred friendship in their youth, the longing of a romantic connection is bubbling beneath the surface.

The book has strong pacing at the start and will hook readers right into the world-building and characters—young Rosanna, the accident, and Callum’s arrival are all major plot points that demand your attention. The midsection pacing ramps up a notch as decades roll by and both Rosanna and Callum’s lives dramatically change. Some of the narrative sometimes feels more “telling” than “showing,” but it will keep readers fully invested in the characters’ journeys and perfectly sets up for a satisfying, more drawn-out conclusion. In the last 30 percent, the stakes ramp up again with war, frontier threats, and Rosanna’s entire world being threatened. The ending brings quick emotional closure but also leaves questions unanswered for the characters.

The author’s note at the end of the book is definitely worth a read, as it gives fascinating insight into the writing process, character development, and how much of the story/characters are based on historical facts and figures.

Narrator Performances:

The audiobook of Every Bend in the River is an immersive, heartfelt listen performed by experienced voice actors Stephanie Cannon and Angus King.

Cannon’s portrayal of protagonist Rosanna is a true standout. She portrays a young Rosanna with an animated, curious voice that’s unrefined but full of youthful energy, perfectly capturing the character’s untamed nature. As Rosanna grows older and the tone of the story shifts, Cannons shifts her performance by using a deeper, steadier voice with more uncertainty in her tone to reflect Rosanna’s years of responsibility, hardship, and motherhood. In the tender dialogue moments between Rosanna and Callum, Cannon uses a more intimate tone to convey their closeness and chemistry, and it’s very heartwarming to listen to! Cannon also gives unique voices and personalities to all the supporting characters she voices, making it easy for listeners to differentiate them. In particular, her portrayal of Rosanna’s brother, Fileman, has a light, playful tone with a protective warmth that makes their sibling bond shine through!

Angus King delivers an equally emotionally resonant performance as Callum Stewart, the Scottish servant whose story runs parallel to Rosanna’s. King uses a steady, determined voice with an inflection of vulnerability that captures Callum’s proud, resilient nature, along with the scars from his past. King’s Scottish accent sounds natural and is easy to listen to and understand, especially compared to the typical Scottish accent you’ll hear in an audiobook. It’s still recommended to listen at a slower speed to fully appreciate the nuances in his performance and to grasp some of the faster-spoken dialogue sequences. When Callum speaks to Rosanna for the first time, King gives Callum a shy, almost hesitant voice—but as their connection deepens, King gives Callum a more confident, heartfelt voice. King also provides distinct voices to the variety of secondary male characters—from the cold-sounding villain Frederick to Callum’s older Jamaican friend to soldiers to the frontier farmers—and each character comes alive and makes the audiobook feel more immersive and cinematic!

This audiobook is a must-listen for those who love women-led historical sagas, compelling dual POV narratives, and cinematic, descriptive narration. If all of this sounds intriguing, grab a copy of this one immediately and let the river’s bends (and two immensely talented voices) carry you along this beautiful story!

Beautiful story

I love the way this author tells the stories of history and relationships. Every Bend in the River was phenomenal and me looking forward to every word.