After the River the Sun

After the River the Sun tells the poignant story of Eckhart Lyon, a boy grappling with profound grief after his parents drown. He finds solace in video games and the tales of King Arthur's knights, using them as an escape from his pain and perceived cowardice. When he moves to his stern Uncle Al's orchard, Eckhart feels like he's on trial and struggles to connect. However, a friendship with the imaginative and hopeful Eva helps him reframe his challenges as a knightly quest for home and courage. The book beautifully explores themes of loss, resilience, friendship, and finding hope in nature and new connections, all while weaving in the inspiring spirit of Arthurian legends.

With a little help from a friend, Eckhart learns how to rise above the tragedies that weigh him down. “Lovers of gaming and Arthurian legends will thoroughly enjoy this” companion to Eva of the Farm (School Library Journal). When Eckhart Lyon arrives at Sunrise Orchard, all he wants to do is play video games and read about King Arthur’s knights. Anything that helps him forget that his parents drowned in a river, forget his own cowardliness. Eckhart doesn’t want to clear the dead orchard, or explore the canyon, or do anything else that stern Uncle Al asks. After all, Uncle Al is only taking him in on trial, and Eckhart can’t imagine the orchard ever becoming his real home. Then, up in the canyon, he meets Eva—a girl with a wild imagination and boundless hope who knows all about King Arthur’s knights. With her help, Eckhart sees that he is on a knightly quest of his own: a quest for home and courage. But what if he’s forced to choose between a new home and his most treasured possession—a gift from his mom? In this companion to Eva of the Farm, author Dia Calhoun shows that with friendship, determination, and the grace of nature, we can overcome tragedy and rise toward the sun.