Q&A with Mary Alice Monroe

 

 

 

Mary Alice Monroe is the author of the new novel Where the Rivers Merge. Her many other books include The Summer Guests. She lives in North Carolina and South Carolina.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Where the Rivers Merge, and how did you create your character Eliza?

 

A: Where the Rivers Merge is my first historical novel—a sweeping, two-book saga that follows a remarkable woman’s life across generations of change in the American South. I was inspired to explore how deeply people can love a place—so much so that they fight to preserve it forever.

 

The setting, South Carolina’s stunning ACE Basin, became central to the story. Named for the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers, this vast estuarine system encompasses 360,000 conserved acres, protected largely through the efforts of local landowners who united to preserve it.

 

At the heart of the novel is Eliza Rivers. We meet her first in 1908, a spirited child growing up on her family’s historic rice plantation, Mayfield, nestled in the Lowcountry.

 

Eschewing traditional roles, young Eliza finds joy in roaming the golden fields, observing wildlife, and riding her horse across the sprawling estate. She was inspired in part by historical figures like Eliza Lucas Pinckney—women who defied the expectations of their time.

 

In the dual timeline, we meet Eliza in 1988,  in her 80s, the family matriarch who has spent a lifetime defending her land and legacy against hurricanes, social upheaval, poverty, and personal loss.

 

Now, as the future of Mayfield hangs in the balance, Eliza must make one final, bold decision to secure what she holds most dear—for the generations yet to come. 

 

Q: The writer William Kent Krueger said of the book, “With elegant prose and an embracing heart, Mary Alice Monroe has written an epic tale of the place where the soul of nature and the sould of a unique woman converge…”  What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love it—it truly moved me. It’s no surprise that a writer like William Kent Krueger, who also draws inspiration from the natural world, would understand and articulate the heart of this novel so beautifully.

 

I’ve long admired his work, so to receive such a thoughtful endorsement from him meant the world to me. His words captured exactly what I hoped readers would feel: that deep, inseparable connection between a woman’s journey and the landscape she cherishes.

Q: How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: My research process always begins with a deep dive into the time period, setting, characters, and themes. From there, I speak with experts in relevant fields to gain deeper insights—and finally, I immerse myself in the world I’m writing about.

 

For Where the Rivers Merge, that meant spending time in the ACE Basin itself. I drew extensively from the resources of the Charleston Library Society and connected with local wildlife organizations, including the Donnelly and Nemours Plantations and the Marsh Tacky Association.

 

To truly understand the rhythms of life in that region, I stayed for weeks at various plantations in the ACE Basin, observing and absorbing the environment firsthand.

 

What surprised—and delighted—me most was how vividly 8-year-old Eliza’s voice came to me. She emerged fully formed in my mind and heart, as if she’d simply been waiting for me to find her. That moment of creative clarity was one of the most rewarding parts of the entire journey.

 

Q:  How would you describe Eliza’s relationship with her son, Arthur?

 

A: In a word—contentious. Like many parent-child relationships, theirs is layered with love, disappointment, and unspoken regret.

 

Eliza loves Arthur deeply and recognizes her role in shaping some of his insecurities, which later manifest as ambition and greed. That awareness makes her disappointment in him all the more painful—a quiet heartbreak for any parent.

 

Yet, when faced with a moral crossroads, Eliza is guided by wisdom and a broader sense of duty. She makes the difficult choice to protect not just her cherished home, Mayfield, but the integrity of her entire family’s legacy.

 

Though her decision may feel harsh to Arthur, I hope readers will see that Eliza’s actions come from a place of clarity and strength. In The River’s End, she continues forward—rooted in compassion and grace, even as she carries the emotional weight of her choices.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: As I said, Where the Rivers Merge is book one of a duology. The story of book two, The River’s End, begins right where book one ends.  I am moving forward with Eliza’s story from 1926 to 1988.  The words are spilling out.  I have so much I want to say!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I hope readers of Where the Rivers Merge and The River’s End come away with a deeper understanding that we all share this fragile planet—and that the responsibility to protect its precious habitats, both human and wild, rests with all of us. Only by working together can we ensure its beauty and balance endure for generations to come.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb