A Confluence of Rivers: A Memoir Through Digital Love Letters

An old box of papers, saved for decades and never reopened, is the portal into a story of improbable ocean-crossing romance at the dawn of the internet age. In the late 1990s, Katherine's simple tech support request led to a delightful correspondence with the computer programmer who responded. The box holds printouts of the hundreds of emails they exchanged, the record of blossoming friendship which deepened into love – through the written word alone – and took this neophyte traveler to Europe to meet him in person.

The book opens with recounting the story solely from faded memory. Then, with mysteries to resolve and emotions to confront, Katherine invites readers along as she cracks open the cardboard treasure chest to relive the exhilarating and painful story – in the process making startling discoveries about herself and what she’d misremembered.

Readers of A Confluence of Rivers: A Memoir Through Digital Love Letters will savor its relatable personal narrative, told with unsparing candor and an uplifting touch. The story will engage any reader who enjoys seeing romance unfold or who waxes nostalgic for 1980s and ‘90s era pop music and technology.

Paperback

eBook

"Katherine S. Hansen’s memoir, A Confluence of Rivers, traces a woman’s sentimental journey as she revisits her past, and gently untangles her long-buried recollections about her life and love. Often unfolding like a moving novel exploring a how love is shattered by one's cruel fate and a heap of misunderstandings, the memoir is sure to keep readers enthralled by its simple yet deeply affecting narrative. What makes Hansen’s book outshine other memoirs is its openness to reinterpreting the past, and its return to the present not defeated but strengthened by reflection and acceptance."

~IndieReader.com

~ ~ ~

"At the heart of every friendship, marriage, or love story is a mystery—and there are several surprises and mysteries that unfold in Katherine S. Hansen’s memoir. Why is love the most powerful of human emotions that drives life’s most important decisions? “'ou can choose anything your heart desires, but you cannot choose your desires' is a quote attributed to Schopenhauer. What happens to a woman who purchases a 'screen saver' online and winds up falling in love with a software engineer who lives thousands of miles away in a foreign country? Would you advise that woman to jump on a plane and travel to meet him? It seems like a disaster in the making, but in A Confluence of Rivers, an intelligent, literary, and music-loving narrator goes on a scavenger hunt in a long-forsaken box of memories...What does she find? The meaning of life and the experience of a deep personal love. Hansen’s book is an extended reflection on romantic love, free will, fate, human personality, German and American cultural idiosyncrasies, 90s computer tech, music, and Christian faith or the lack of it. With the precision of a forensic scientist or archeologist, Hansen tells a heart-rending story of email exchanges culminating in travel and life-changing personal connections. Highly recommended!"

~Jonathan Thorndike, Author, Long Walk to Canterbury

~ ~ ~

"This book is a beautifully nostalgic and deeply moving journey through love at the beginning of the digital age. It transported me back to a time when the internet was new, connection was raw and thrilling, and two souls could find each other through an innocent request for tech support.

Hansen does an incredible job telling the story from memory before diving into the old emails that bear the truth of it all. I was swept away in the emotion, unable to pull myself away from the pages. Hansen’s honest writing allows you to feel every heartbeat, every hesitation, every spark of a love that grew across the wires. A Confluence of Rivers is a stunning reminder of the power of words, fate, and the magic of first connections."

~Danell Parker, Author, What's Not Broken and The Ranting and Raving Goldie Green

~ ~ ~

"Katherine has written an honest, heartbreaking love story in A Confluence of Rivers. Her writing exemplifies the vulnerability needed to look back on an unfulfilled love story without anger or regret, but with clarity and understanding. She shows what realistic personal growth truly looks like."

~Tayler Otten, Owner and Editor, Tailored Literature LLC