“A jewel of an Oregon river—the Little North Santiam—comes alive in this meticulous history and memoir. Through Quiring’s evocative experiences as child and adult, we meet the people and history that made the canyon he knew, a world uprooted by a now-familiar tragedy, the unstoppable Beachie Creek Fire of 2020. From palm-sweating descriptions of escaping that conflagration to memories of idyllic summers under riverine old growth to accounts of rebuilding both a cabin and a physique after bouts with cancer, we learn how the ‘North Fork’ fits into the age-old rhythms of destruction and renewal that mark the destiny of the Pacific Rim.” —Louise Wagenknecht, author of Light on the Devils: Coming of Age on the Klamath

“James Quiring’s sense of wonder as he tells the rich history of the Little North Fork in Beautiful Stream is contagious. I found myself imbued with the same awe as I learned about the Native Kalapuyans, determined gold miners, intrepid homesteaders, loggers who love the woods, and enamored recreationists. The timeless themes of love for nature, people’s resilience in the face of hardship, and neighbor helping neighbor are captured exquisitely. ‘The river still speaks’ in this extraordinary, well-researched, tender history.” —Melody Munger, president of the North Santiam Historical Society