One early spring morning Two-Speed Crandall, with his wife at his side and a semitrailer full of cattle, drives through the middle of Cloten, plowing into the hardware store and killing himself, his wife, and most of the cattle. Was it an accident or suicide? No one will ever know, but a few people, including the town doctor and Two-Speed's son, have their theories. Gossip, half-truths, and painful memories are unleashed as the town tries to understand the tragedy as well as untangle their intertwined pasts. In voices as rich as the muddy river that runs through Cloten, each narrator shares what they know-always circling closer to the mystery that ties them all together. Moving back and forth through time, The River Warren creates an unforgettable sense of place and community, and introduces a remarkable new voice in American fiction.