Cobb, a devoted teacher and nature-lover, takes a sabbatical from his
New England boys prep school seeking to experience what Henry David
Thoreau and the transcendentalists did in the early nineteenth century.
Kayaking to the last known spot where the American writer and
philosopher camped four years before he died, he encounters the
beautiful free-spirited Mary. Also a teacher, avid bird-watcher, and
deft adventurist, Mary is flirtatious and beguiling, and the two soon
become inseparable. Mary is like no one Cobb has ever met before, but he
gets the feeling that she is harboring a secret. Eventually she shares
her fears with Cobb--that she may be carrying the gene for a
devastating, incurable illness that runs in her family. Finding strength
in their commitment to one another, the two embark on a journey that is
filled with joy, anguish, hope, and most importantly, unending love.Set
against the sweeping natural backdrops of Maine's rugged backcountry,
the exotic islands of Indonesia, scenic Yellowstone National Park, and
rural New England, Tender River is a timeless and poignant love story
that will captivate readers everywhere.