“In So Said the River, life reflects the Colorado’s pure purpose, flowing in spite of all the obstacles on the journey. Hold on tight, this story is a transcendent adventure worth taking.”
~Dave Showalter, author/photographer of Living River: The Promise of the Mighty Colorado

“Exuberant, precocious Colleen Miniuk points her inflatable standup paddleboard Lir into turbulent Colorado River waters; we participate in her journey of discovery. Rigid perfectionism and control yield to new self-confidence not based on perceived societal expectations. Widely held truisms fade as she learns, by near-death helplessness, that the Universe of truth and love prevails.”
~Jeanne Falk Adams, The Ansel Adams Gallery, Yosemite National Park

“Standup paddleboarding on wild waters provides a fitting metaphor for Colleen Miniuk's journey through unexpected loss that upends her identity. In her quest for self discovery, with each stroke of both paddle and pen, she forges through life’s headwinds and waves with determination. The descriptions of her travels — down rivers and across lakes, onto beaches and into collapsing tents — are so well written that you’ll feel the heat, the cold, the wind, and the terror. Every setback and defeat leads to introspection about what really matters in life, lessons we would all be well served to learn. So Said the River is part travelogue, part self-help manifesto, but it’s also a love letter to America’s most stunning landscape and a plea for environmental preservation, and will make you want to pick up a paddle and head to the canyons of the Southwest.”
~Beth Howard, author of Making Piece: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Pie

“Lake Powell is a Rorschach. A travesty, a delight. A jewel, an eyesore. A dying reservoir, a resurrected canyon. For Colleen Miniuk, the reservoir is a place of life-defining challenge and adventure, but mostly a place of healing. She keeps going—through the Grand Canyon and onto Lake Mead. Her beloved Colorado River tells her, “Be the water.” She listens. In doing so, she charts both the West’s great river and her own evolving life in this charming and honest book.”
~Stephen Trimble, editor of Red Rock Stories and The Capitol Reef Reader

“So Said the River took me along for a wild ride alongside Colleen as she ventured on an epic journey paddleboarding across Lake Powell. It’s a story of facing one’s fears and somehow arriving on the other side; perhaps a little weathered by the experience, but in the end raising her paddle to a triumphant tale of self-discovery.”
~Suzi Minor, host of Souvenirs Podcast

"A true, life-risking river expedition survived by nature photographer Colleen Miniuk. Through narrative, photos and maps, Miniuk navigates you down the Colorado River on a paddleboard. It’s a brave, soul-searching adventure permanently preserved on paper for others to reap inspiration from."
~Kris Millgate, author of My Place Among Beasts

“Loved every page. I honestly couldn’t put it down. It was really uplifting and inspiring. Amazing work.”
~Matt Payne, adventurer, nature photographer, and host of the “F-Stop Collaborate and Listen” podcast

“If you know the Colorado River territory and its history—or not—this book is for you. If you have been on an inner healing journey—or not—this book will meet you where you are at. If you are afraid of being in large dark bodies of water—or not—this book will show you a way further into the heart of it all. Reading Colleen Miniuk’s words in So Said the River brought me into a gorgeous unexpended place of discovery.” ~Ana Lucia Cottone, accomplished Hollywood studio and network senior executive and consultant/advisor in leadership and creativity

“This was incredible! I laughed, I cried, I laughed again…Then I cried at the end again. It’ll take a while to process what a remarkable read this was and all the life… oops, I mean Life lessons it contains. The entire book was a literal thrill ride and I felt compelled to read the entire thing in one sitting because I couldn’t bear not to immediately know what happens next! I truly felt like I was along for the ride, and your mom is my new hero!”
~Lori A. Johnson, my amazing proofreader and photographer/writer