Rich description fills the pages of The River King. Hoffman surprises the reader with rich descriptive choices, erring on the side of whimsy when faced with a chance at metaphor and simile. In describing the Haddan River, Hoffman writes: It did not stop until it branched in half— one section mixing with the dark waters of the Charles, to then flow into the brackish tides of Boston Harbor, the other end meandering through farmlands and meadows in a thousand nameless rivulets and streams. Even on windy nights, it was possible to hear the current almost anywhere in the village, and perhaps that was why most people in Haddan slept so deeply. Some men in town couldn't be roused even when an alarm bell rang right beside their heads, and babies often didn't wake until nine or ten in the morning.

Hoffman is at her best when describing...