Essie Chambers’s debut novel Swift River (2024) is a work of historical and literary fiction set in an old New England mill town in decline. The book explores the existence of “sundown towns,” which required Black people to leave by sunset under penalty of violence, alternating between narratives that take place in 1915, 1980, and 1987. The main character is Diamond Newberry, a Black teenager and the only person of color in the town. Through her story, the novel explores themes of The Intergenerational Harm of Racism, The Importance of Family Roots, and The Pain of Family Secrets. Swift River was Jenna Bush Hager’s Read with Jenna book club pick for June 2024. 

This guide refers to the 2024 Kindle edition of the text, published by Simon and Schuster.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of substance use, bullying, graphic violence, antigay bias, sexual content, pregnancy loss, child abuse, physical abuse, child sexual abuse (sex between an adult man and a teenage girl), death, suicide, and racism. Specifically, the work takes place in a historical “sundown town” and centers on the ongoing persecution of the community’s few remaining Black residents.

Language Note: This study guide quotes and obscures the author’s use of the n-word.

Plot Summary

Swift River consists of three main narrative threads: one set in 1987, one set in 1980, and one (comprised entirely of letters) set in 1915. In the 1987 storyline, Diamond Newberry is a Black teenager in the town of Swift River. Her father (Rob Newberry, or “Pop”), the town’s only other Black resident, disappeared in 1980. Seven years after his shoes were found on the bank of the Swift River, Diamond and her mother (Annabelle Newberry, or “Ma”) are struggling; Pop was never officially declared dead, so they were unable to access life insurance money to help pay the bills. 

The 1980 storyline describes the events leading up to Pop’s disappearance. Following a racist accusation of stealing, he was fired from his job at the mill. He could not find another job in town, and the police circled his house regularly, harassing him and his family. When he was invited to Tom Campbell’s house, he hoped that his connection with this financially successful and influential former classmate could result in a job and even advocacy on his behalf. The party was not a success, however. While playing with Tom’s sons and another child, Diamond was pushed by Tommy Jr. Pop came to her rescue and twisted the arm of Tommy Jr., forcing him to apologize. As the family left the party, Pop knew that he had endangered his chances of receiving help by hurting Tom’s son.

Soon, Ma noticed a burly man following her around at work, and the same man showed up at Diamond’s after-school program at the YMCA. Pop was certain that Tom had hired the man and that they were no longer safe in Swift River. Against Ma’s protests, he loaded the family into their car, and they started off toward Woodville, Georgia, where the rest of the Newberry family resided. Along the way, they stopped overnight at a campground, where Pop and Ma fought loudly. Diamond pulled her tooth out as she listened to them fight. They stopped to soothe her. and when she woke up the next morning, Diamond found a $100 bill that Pop asserted the tooth fairy had brought her, to Ma’s displeasure.

They drove on and stopped at Adventureland for one last day of fun. Diamond enjoyed the day, but in the evening, Pop started drinking, and the tension between her parents was visible to Diamond. When they were on the Ferris wheel together, Diamond intentionally released the $100 bill. Frantic, her parents asked the operator to allow them to search for the money. When he could not find it, Pop turned to the operator, accused him of looking at his wife, and fought him. Both men were arrested, and the money was not found.

Clara, Pop’s cousin, wired money for his bail. He later left the home quietly and disappeared. Ma and Diamond searched for him fruitlessly, even getting into a car accident when a family of deer jumped into the road in front of them. Later, Pop’s sneakers were found on the banks of the Swift River.

In the 1987 storyline, Diamond is focused on earning her driver’s license so that she can escape Swift River. The townspeople engage in explicitly racist behaviors and speech, including using racial slurs. While Diamond takes driving lessons in secret using money that she has saved from her work at the Tee Pee Motel, Ma focuses on trying to get the paperwork for Pop’s death certificate together.

While this is happening, Diamond begins receiving letters from Clara, Pop’s cousin, whom she is invited to call Auntie Lena. Lena shares letters dated from 1915. They were written by her own aunt Clara (Diamond’s great-aunt) who was the only Black resident of Swift River after “The Leaving,” a single night when the entire Black community left town due to the pervasive racism they had experienced. Clara stayed behind as a midwife, working with the doctor. However, Swift River was a sundown town, and Clara had to be very careful not to be out in town after dark under threat of violence. Clara’s letters describe her love story with a man named Jacques and the challenges of navigating a racist society. She eventually moved north to Canada with Jacques and became a doctor.

The letters from Lena help Diamond understand her father’s side of the family, which was previously completely unknown to her. She learns that Lena and her father were raised together until a violent incident led to Pop and his father returning to Clara in Swift River. This broke the hearts of Lena and her mother, Sweetie. Lena also explains that she reached out to Diamond after Sweetie’s death; she wanted to send some things to Diamond that were meant to be hers. Later in the summer, Lena discovers the deed to Clara’s land in Canada, which was left to Pop and now belongs to Diamond.

Ultimately, Diamond earns her driver’s license, and she and Ma receive Pop’s death certificate, giving them access to the insurance money. The money will support Ma, but Diamond plans to travel with Aunt Lena up to Canada.