Eva Pasco

5-Stars
Goodreads
December 23, 2024

The Ultimate Literary Journey

Boarding author Susan E. Sage’s ‘Silver Lady,’ I embarked on the ultimate literary journey over the course of its 28-day homebound trip to the ship’s owner. Cassie Navrone, the silver-haired lady at the luxury houseboat’s helm, becomes one with the vessel she steers even though the Silver Lady herself seems to be in command.

Classified by the author, the novel treads magical realism and “upbeat Dystopian” or “Protopian.” The year, 2033, is heading to the Great Collapse at an alarming rate:

Works of literature and art are vanishing in a post-pandemic world. There’s an uptick in rioting and looting which portends a disuniting of the United States of America.

Read-riding along the river road, the water becomes murky as does life. So do the passengers whose motives and connections aren’t exactly clear. The author’s storytelling prowess and vivid details via Cassie’s ship log, and each of the five other characters' introspective thoughts, steer the reader toward clarity. Sage withholds judgment, allowing her readers to draw their own conclusions about each far-from-perfect character.

I highly recommend boarding ‘Silver Lady’. The river road’s illusions, time-slips, and unexplained oddities reflect the author’s imaginative flair and savoir-faire.