Colorado Author's Debut Novel Captivates Global Audience
From her self-built home in Colorado's Elk Mountains, author Shelley Read watches with astonished delight as her debut novel, Go as a River, achieves remarkable international success. The 61-year-old fifth-generation Coloradan, who resides with her husband in Crested Butte, has seen her literary work transcend expectations, securing translations in more than thirty languages even before its American publication.
From Regional Recognition to Worldwide Acclaim
Published in 2023 by Spiegel & Grau, Go as a River initially received modest attention beyond trade publications, earning regional honors including the High Plains Book Award and Reading the West Book Award. Despite this quiet beginning, the novel has blossomed into a genuine publishing phenomenon, appearing on bestseller lists across North America and Scandinavia while surpassing one million copies sold globally.
The 300-page narrative spans from the 1940s to the 1970s, following the tragic romance between a seventeen-year-old Colorado farm girl and an itinerant Indigenous man, exploring how this relationship reverberates through subsequent decades. Read's accomplishment demonstrates that literary works can achieve breakthrough success without relying on high-profile endorsements or established author recognition.
Late-Blooming Literary Success Story
Read joins an esteemed group of first-time authors who achieved acclaim later in life, following in the footsteps of literary figures like Frank McCourt and Louis Begley. "What she's done is unusual," observes Cindy Spiegel, co-founder of Spiegel & Grau. "Every now and then someone comes along who has a vision that they've held for many, many years and they really do write it down. Most people don't."
A Colorado Springs native and University of Denver graduate with a master's degree from Temple University's creative writing program, Read spent nearly three decades teaching writing and literature at Western Colorado University. During this period, the character of Victoria Nash persistently occupied her thoughts, eventually becoming the novel's protagonist.
From Post-it Notes to Published Manuscript
With Victoria's presence becoming increasingly insistent, Read began capturing fragments of the story on whatever surfaces were available—Post-it notes, napkins, and miscellaneous papers. Encouraged by her husband, she took early retirement in 2018 to dedicate herself fully to completing the manuscript, drawing inspiration from historical events including a 1960s flood in Iola, Colorado, and her deep connection to the local landscape.
"I had no idea where it was going," Read admits, reflecting on her creative process during a Zoom interview from her mountain home. "I had no intentions about where it was going, because I had never written a novel before. Once I figured out this was going to be a novel, I was like, 'Oh no!' I have studied novels thousands of times throughout my life, but I never even considered that I would write one."
Overcoming Publishing Challenges
The path to publication proved challenging despite Read's compelling manuscript. After meeting Denver-based literary agent Sandra Bond at a 2017 writers conference, Read faced rejection from twenty-one publishers before finding her champion at Spiegel & Grau. Bond recalls being immediately impressed by the manuscript but recognizing structural issues requiring editorial guidance.
"I had a feeling Cindy might be able to see how to guide Shelley in revising the second half—what was really working and what wasn't and why," Bond explains. The collaboration resulted in significant revisions, including shifting the entire narrative to Victoria's perspective rather than alternating narrators as in the original draft.
International Recognition and Film Adaptation
International agent Susanna Lea became instrumental in the novel's global success, reading the manuscript in one sitting and rapidly arranging meetings with foreign publishers during mid-July—typically a quiet period in the publishing calendar. "Suddenly, they were all reachable," Lea remembers of her efforts to connect with Scandinavian publishers during their traditional vacation period.
The novel's success has extended beyond publishing, with Mazur Kaplan—co-founded by producer Paula Mazur and independent bookseller Mitchell Kaplan—currently developing a film adaptation. Award-winning director Eliza Hittman, known for Never Rarely Sometimes Only, is expected to helm the project.
Literary Legacy and Future Projects
Royalties from Go as a River have enabled Read to make practical investments including solar panel installation for her home, travel opportunities, college tuition payments for her son, and bolstering family retirement savings. "Not too sexy," she acknowledges with characteristic humility. "We're still do-it-yourselfers, and I still drive an old Toyota pickup. The main thing about the royalties is that I get to be a writer for a living, and that is a dream come true."
While enjoying her newfound literary career, Read is already working on a second novel set in southeastern Colorado, drawing inspiration from her homesteader grandparents' experiences. Her journey from educator to internationally celebrated author serves as testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the remarkable potential of late-blooming creative talent.
