“Varley has the eye of a poet, with a true poet’s effervescent acuity for the natural world, and she weaves a lovely metaphor for herself and the countryside of her passion in this thoughtful, defining memoir with a story as gripping as a novel.”—Larry Woiwode, author of Beyond the Bedroom Wall and What I Think I Did
“Part celebration, part lament, Varley’s story of the rise and fall of waters she has known, culminating in the Grand Forks flood of 1997, explores our visceral connection to place and memory. What permeates and elevates this personal narrative is the mix of grand adventure and deep appreciation for both flux and constancy that informs Varley’s vision. The lyrical movement of her prose is like the music of water itself: undulant, resonant, and powerful.”—Kim Barnes, author of In the Wilderness
“It is all told so clearly, so dispassionately, so lovingly in Jane’s flowing style that I found myself reading on and on, enjoying the smooth flow of prose. . . . This is truly the mark of a fine poet, a superb user of words, able to communicate a feeling, a thought, with grace and a sort of eloquent charisma.”—Glenn M. Busset, The Manhattan Mercury
“Flood Stage and Rising is a story of intertwining gains and losses—from the breath-stopping tragedy of the Grand Forks flood to the strength discovered in personal reflection, in the support of spouse and friends and family, and in the imaginative power of memory itself.”—Mark Vinz, coeditor of Imagining Home: Writing from the Midwest
“I recommend this book to sociologists, psychologists, geographers, and others who are concerned with how people interact with landscapes and respond to disasters. I found the book enjoyable reading because it gave me insights into my own relationship with landscapes and a better understanding of people’s reaction to disaster.”—Donald E. Agthe, Journal of the American Water Resources
"With a poet's eye and an artist's gift for both vibrant and poignant detail, Varley takes us along on her journey. … In a riveting narrative of lyrical imagery and documentary intensity, Varley succeeds in re-creating the unpredictable forces of nature."—Great Plains Quarterly
“An exceptionally well-written memoir of [Varley’s] own experiences and feeling as Grand Forks was inundated by the flood waters. . . . . The power of her story is contained in the day-to-day descriptions of the building calamity. Her keen eye for detail and fine ear for dialog make her reminiscence of the flood days a splendid, moving read.”—Terry Shoptaugh, North Dakota History
