A riveting, potentially redemptive story of modern American suburbia that reads almost like an ancient Greek tragedy. Ron Rash’s novel, Above the Waterfall, uses the beauty of nature and poetry to make the reader feel connected with each character.Love, romance, past traumatic experiences, and the hard truth about methamphetamine addiction are all critical elements within the story. Ron Rash was born in Chester, South Carolina, in 1953, grew up in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, and is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University and Clemson University. Above the Waterfall review: Grim tidings from Ron Rash. Above the Waterfall is told through the voices of two protagonists, one reflecting Southern noir; the other the voice of poetry. That goes doubly so for the newly published ABOVE THE WATERFALL, which follows 2014’s SOMETHING RICH AND STRANGE, an excellent collection of his short stories. In 1994 he published his first book, a collection of short stories titled The Night the New Jesus Fell to Earth . To be a Southerner is to be steeped in the tradition of tales told on the front porch, and Rash is a master of catching the voices of those storytellers and bringing then to life on the page. Above the Waterfall sits at the genre-juncture of western and mystery and follows the story of Becky, a park ranger, and Les, a retiring county sheriff, as they try to discover who poisoned the local river. While it is doubtful that many will find this to be Rash’s best work, his inability to write badly makes his latest effort worthy of shouldering its way to the top of your must-read pile. The exquisite US writer steeps his characters in the unforgiving landscape of Appalachia Above the Waterfall book. Les, a long-time sheriff nearing retirement, contends with the... Read 698 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Each tells a compelling story from differing perspectives, male and female. Their already unsteady relationship is tested when Becky’s love for Gerald, the elderly man accused of poisoning the river, clashes with Les’s duty to uphold the law. Read 698 reviews from the world's largest community for readers.