Tyler was the one who actually escaped from the mountain he was raised on, leaving behind all his friends, lover and family, such as it was, to become a famous rock star. He named his band after the mountain and his first hit was an elegy to the friends he left behind. When his manager books his comeback tour to begin on that same mountain, it’s clear there will be a reckoning.
Unlike many reviewers, I found the characters to be deep and authentic in that small town, closed community way. It could have been set in the Midwest, the deep south, or a ranch in Montana and the sensibility would be the same. That’s what makes a Russo novel special…the characters are people we know.
That said, the tragedies of the novel, particularly after the crash, seem to be a bit much. The original one was enough to carry the narrative, and the latter half of the book took on more themes that are less conducive to the literary genre… particularly the police corruption and racism. Still, it was a joy to read Russo again. Thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor, the publisher and to NetGalley for the review copy. Under the Falls was published August 11, 2026.
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