Braving the Bronx River

A 23-Mile Kayak from Westchester to Rikers Island

By: Daniel Robert Sullivan, Katelynn Cooper

Narrated by: Daniel Robert Sullivan, Katelynn Cooper

No one has ever paddled the entire length of the Bronx River--until now. Two underqualified adventurers explore history and disparity when they launch from Westchester's richest neighborhood and come ashore in the nation's poorest, the South Bronx. New York City's only freshwater river coalesces from brooks and streams in Westchester County and dumps itself 23 miles south in the face of Rikers Island. The river is witness to more of our country’s income inequality than its surrounding residents, stumbling and tumbling from its tributaries in one of New York’s wealthiest districts to its mouth in the single poorest district in the entire United States.

The Bronx River has a bad rap. Polluted? Yeah, in some parts. Full of tires and cars? Yeah, it used to be. But these fleeting eras of negative human impact have not destroyed the things that make the Bronx River one of the most striking waterways in North America: sky-high bluffs that encase a paddler on both sides, rocky waterfalls powerful enough to grind tobacco into snuff through the 19th century, countless deep channels hiding beaver and gargantuan carp, and an urban landscape that runs from pastoral to post-apocalyptic. The Bronx River is an outdoor adventure-seeker’s paradise. It begins in prosperity and ends in America’s most extreme poverty, and this is the first documented journey down the river's entire length.

©2021 Boogie Down Projects (P)2022 Boogie Down Projects

Great storytelling!

Really enjoyed this adventure! Looking forward to more from this up and coming author! Great narration!

A Tale Well Told of an Adventure Just Discovered

This one hits all the marks! I liked:
(1) that the dialog is carefully chosen to explain what’s happening in “easy to picture” descriptive words.
(2) that the narrative is professionally done by the adventurers themselves.
(3) that there are historical facts given that aid the reader’s understanding of the historical significance of the Bronx River and the com
Unities it passes through.
(4) that there are brief musical interludes that break from “just words.”
(5) that Dan and Katelynn had a well-deserved bottle of Chardonnay tucked away for those “let’s get through this and celebrate our triumph!” Moments.

Housekeeping details: the narrator reads at an easy-to-follow pace. The chapters are well organized in a logical “down the river” order. Historical details provide a picture of “what happened back then” detail but steer clear of burying the reader in too much detail. Descriptive words make it easy to have plenty of “you’re right there with those guys!” feelings.

All in all, an enjoyable 5 hour listening experience this reviewer strongly recommends.