Summit County Library and Park City Library have presented Go as a River by Shelley Read as the selection for One Book One Community 2026. The novel, which has won the High Plains Book Award and the Reading the West Book Award, follows a coming-of-age story set in Colorado's wild beauty.
Author Shelley Read is scheduled to speak to the community on Thursday, July 30th at 7:00 p.m. The presentation will take place in the Jim Santy Auditorium at the Park City Library, located at 1255 Park Ave., Park City, UT 84060. A book signing will follow the talk, with books available for purchase through Dolly's Bookstore.
The selection Go as a River explores themes of love, loss, and survival. The story features seventeen-year-old Victoria Nash, who manages her family's peach farm in Iola, Colorado, and her encounter with Wilson Moon, a young drifter.
The novel is inspired by historical events involving the destruction of Iola and the damming of the Gunnison River in the 1960s. This theme of community displacement is reflected in local companion events, such as a presentation titled Memories of Rockport. This event features Alan Siddoway discussing his family's experience with the town of Rockport before it was submerged by the construction of the Rockport Reservoir following the damming of the Weber River.
Additional community programming includes a book discussion and tasting on July 9th at the Park City Library. The event, featuring Sue Fassett of Dolly’s Bookstore and Tagge’s Famous Fruits, will discuss the novel and feature a presentation on Utah peach farming traditions.
The One Book One Community program is supported by Friends of the Park City Library, Friends of the Summit County Library, and Dolly’s Bookstore.
Copies of the book, including ebooks and audiobooks, are available through Libby. Multiple physical copies can be checked out at all library branches.
