Romance and tragedy combine in affective novel

Three Rivers Rising

Celestia is spending her summer at an elite resort in Lake Conemaugh, Pennsylvania. She falls in love with Peter, the hotel's hired boy. It is a forbidden romance that could get Celestia disowned. 

Maura's husband works as a train engineer and Kate is going to nursing school. 

These three women's lives will become intertwined during the devastating Johnstown Flood of 1889. Caused by the failure of the South Fork Dam, this is a tragedy that could have been prevented if not for the arrogance of the dam's owners. However, this novel is not about blame, but about the lives of those affected by the flood. Told in free verse, it is a romantic and affecting tale, with a remarkably happy ending for all the main characters. 

For those readers who want a more serious and closer look at the tragedy, a list of further books are included.