Publication Date: May 13, 2025
From New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes her highly anticipated Where the Rivers Merge, the first of two epic and triumphant novels celebrating one intrepid woman’s life across multiple generations in the American South.
1908: The Lowcountry of South Carolina is at the cusp of change. Mayfield, the grand estate held for generations by the Rivers family, is the treasured home of young Eliza. A free spirit, she refuses to be confined by societal norms and spends her days exploring the vast property, observing wildlife, and riding horses. But the Great War, coastal storms, and family turmoil bring unexpected challenges to Eliza, putting her on a collision course with the patriarchal traditions of a bygone era.
1988: At 88, Eliza is the scion of the Rivers/DeLancey family. She’s fought a lifetime to save her beloved Mayfield and is too independent and committed to quietly retire and leave the fate of the estate to her greedy son. She must make decisions that will assure the future of the land and her family—or watch them both be split apart.
Set against the evocative landscape of the twentieth-century Lowcountry, Where the Rivers Merge is a dramatic and sweeping multigenerational family story of unyielding love, lessons learned, profound sacrifices, and the indomitable spirit of a woman determined to persevere in the face of change in order to protect her family legacy and the land she loves.
Sometimes, the answers you seek come from unexpected places. At 88, a formidable Southern businesswoman has built a legacy in danger of being destroyed.
Author Mary Alice Monroe delivers a sweeping saga focusing on Eliza’s love for her coastal South Carolina estate. Where the Rivers Merge offers a dual timeline celebrating Eliza’s memories as she shares them with her granddaughter and grandniece. Readers should also note that Eliza’s story concludes in The Rivers’ End.
It’s a story that celebrates the beauty of the wildlife and the natural landscape while providing a foundation for Eliza’s decision to put the land into a conservation easement, guaranteeing Mayfield could be enjoyed by all.
Along the way, the author highlights the highs and the lows of Eliza’s life, all of which shape her determination to do whatever it takes to preserve the land for future generations. Spanning 1908 to 1988, the story offers rich details and solid characters to bring it to life.
Where the Rivers Merge offers a multigenerational story about a Southern woman whose love for nature dictates her legacy.
Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of 30 books for adults and children. She has earned numerous accolades and awards including induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame, the Southwest Florida Author of Distinction Award, South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence, RT Lifetime Achievement Award, the International Book Award for Green Fiction, and the Southern Book Prize for Fiction. Monroe is a co-founder of Friends and Fiction and serves on the South Carolina Aquarium Board Emeritus, The Leatherback Trust, The Pat Conroy Literary Center Honorary Board, and Casting Carolinas Advisory Board. She resides in South Carolina and North Carolina with her family.
