This book contains everything: Adventure, mystery, travelogue, and unforgettable characters.

Ben McGrath’s first book elegantly relates the true story of Dick Conant, a troubled and charismatic man who disappeared on a long-distance canoe trip from New York to Florida.

Riverman “is a portrait of an America we rarely see: a nation of unconventional characters, small river towns, and long-forgotten waterways,” said a review on Goodreads.com.

For decades, Conant paddled the rivers of America, covering the Mississippi, Yellowstone, Ohio, Hudson, as well as innumerable smaller tributaries.

These solo excursions were epic feats of planning, perseverance, and physical courage.

At the same time, Conant collected people wherever he went, creating a vast network of friends and acquaintances who would forever remember this brilliant and charming man even after a single meeting.

Conant was fortunate to experience the benefits — and the occasional hardships — of being immersed in both worlds.

“It is our great fortune that his story landed in the hands of someone who cared to tell his story well,” said the review.