All from Atlantic Canada, all involve some kind of travel. In Short Mercy, the characters embark on a road trip of revenge, from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick, leaving behind a trail of petty crime. In The Good Women of Safe Harbour, travel is restricted to Newfoundland, but it's the hardest kind of travel - … Continue reading From the Library: revenge, reunion, and unrequited love
Those who liked The Outlander by Gil Adamson are likely to enjoy this one as well. It continues the story of Mary Boulton--twelve years later--with a focus on her 12-year-old son Jack and his father William Moreland. The book begins with the death of Jack's mother, which drives the rest of the story. William becomes … Continue reading Ridgerunner by Gil Adamson
Reading Ireland Month is hosted by Cathy at 746Books and Niall at The Fluff is Raging. I made it with two days left to spare! Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne I have now read three of Boyne's books for children and none of his adult books. I don't know why this … Continue reading #ReadingIreland18: John Boyne and Maggie O’Farrell
Before you start to think I'm completely obsessed with the Halifax Explosion, let me explain... When I first saw this book I thought it was going to be a twist on Dickens's A Christmas Carol, set in Halifax. Which it is... but it's not as close to A Christmas Carol as I was expecting it … Continue reading A Halifax Christmas Carol by Steven Laffoley
As some of you may know, I have been working on a little project the last couple of years; reading novels that have a connection to the Halifax Explosion. On December 6th of this year, 2017, it will be the 100th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. One of the things I find compelling about reading … Continue reading Dazzle Patterns by Alison Watt
Rachael Preston got her inspiration for The Wind Seller when, one day, she found a box of Elinor Glyn's writing books in a Prince Edward Island antiques store. The box even had the mailing label still on it - addressed to a Noble Mattinson, Great Village, NS, Canada. Nobel Mattinson becomes Noble Matheson, and one … Continue reading The Wind Seller by Rachael Preston
Normally, I prefer female protagonists in my reading. But I've recently read two books whose main characters (and most of the supporting characters) have been male. Richard Wagamese's beautiful writing pulled me into Medicine Walk effortlessly. In Found Far and Wide, it is Sam's story that had me turning the pages. In four parts, Found … Continue reading Found Far and Wide by Kevin Major
Kurt Palka was born in Austria, but he has spent some of his life living and working in Canada, and some of that time was spent in Nova Scotia. It was there that he started writing this book made up of ideas that he had gathered and shelved for an inspiring moment. You can read … Continue reading The Piano Maker by Kurt Palka
... Mom said that in Jasper there used to be two sure signs that winter was over. One was the glacier lily poking up through the snow, and the other was Doctor Byrne stepping off the train. Icefields takes us to Jasper Alberta, where in 1898 Doctor Edward Byrne falls into an ice crevasse. While … Continue reading Icefields by Thomas Wharton
100 years ago, John McCrae, Brigade Surgeon and Major of the 1st Brigade Canadian Field Artillary, wrote In Flanders Fields after the death of his friend Alexis Helmer. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce … Continue reading Canadian Poet, John McCrae
Consumed by Ink 