Round four of our Summer Reads series comes from Goose Lane Editions in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The East Coast publishers have suggested three moving books from three great Canadian writers to take you on some pretty fantastic journeys, all from the comfort of your cozy cottage holiday.
The Town That Drowned
by Riel Nason
Fiction
Young Ruby Carson certifies her status as the town outcast when she has a vision of her small town entirely submerged in water – and narrates it the crowd assembled around her. But soon enough, her prophecy starts to come to life. Orange-tipped surveyor stakes appear around town and then the residents of Haventon discover that the construction of a massive dam will see their homes engulfed by water.
Tension rises, tempers flare, and the townfolk reveal the best and worst of human nature as they prepare for the town’s demise. Riel Nason writes with deft subtlety and keen insight into the human condition for a story that ripples with dramatic tension.
Read it: On the dock, in hopes that your own water level might rise (but not flood, of course).
The Republic of Nothing
by Lesley Choyce
Fiction
Eccentricity abounds on Whalebone Island – a small piece of Canadian soil that declares its independence from Canada and the world, allowing benign anarchy to reign. A dead circus elephant, US refugees, and a psychic raven-haired castaway are all part of island life, where the people of the Republic of Nothing still can’t help but be drawn into 1960’s politics of war and peace.
Winner of the Dartmouth Book Award, Leslie Choyce’s novel reminds us of the beauty in resilience, independence, and being absolutely free.
Read it: On a lawn chair on your front lawn, your own little independent state.
My Leaky Body: Tales from the Gurney
by Julie Devaney
Memoir
Julie Devaney spares us no gory detail as she takes us on her feverish journey through the health care system and her treatment for ulcerative colitis. She wades through the indignities of emergency room care, where she is poked, prodded, and at one point abandoned in a closet.
Daveney is raw and darkly funny in this admirably honest memoir/manifesto/love story – a highly entertaining rally cry for a fix to a broken system.
Read it: On your daybed, in perfect health.
