River, Cross My Heart

River, Cross My Heart is a debut novel by Breena Clarke. It was chosen in October 1999 as an Oprah Book Club selection: "This highly accomplished first novel resonates with ideas, impassioned lyricism, and poignant historical detail as it captures an essential part of the African-American experience in our century."

Plot introduction
After the Potomac River claims the death by drowning of eight-year-old Clara Bynum, her family leave the rural world of North Carolina in search of a better life among friends and relatives in Georgetown, Washington, DC. They seek to come to terms with their loss.