Running through the center of Empire Falls (the community) and Empire Falls (the novel) is the Knox River, flowing both literally and symbolically. The omniscient narration allows for multiple points of view, like tributaries off the main waterway. Thus, protagonist Miles Roby’s perspective anchors the narrative, while Janine, Tick, Father Mark, Max, Jimmy Minty, and C. B. Whiting, among others, also have their say. In addition, the structure of the book, framed by italicized memories recounted by the living and the dead, mirrors the topography of Empire Falls. On one side of the river’s meandering narrative are the memories of C. B. Whiting, erstwhile scion of the family dynasty; on the other side are the recollections of Miles Roby, struggling middle-class, middle-aged father. In between are the happenings and thoughts, both large and small, of the residents of this slowly decaying town.

The river is also a vibrant metaphor for family genealogy: In the prologue, C. B. Whiting is “mistaken for his father on the street” (7), which leads both to an acceptance of his family heritage—including the inheritance of a disastrous marriage—and to a rejection of the “life of enforced duty and chastity in Empire Falls” (11).