One Book Nova Scotia is seeking public input selecting the 2016 One Book! You can vote for your pick from our long list of 10 titles and be a part of this year’s program!
Big White Knuckles by Brian Tucker
As a boy Dagan Cadden knows what “Cadden men” do – they grow strong, enjoy a few pints at the local pub after hard days of toiling in the coal mines of Cape Breton. But as Dagan grows to manhood he realizes his life must follow a different path; one not fully appreciated or understood by his family and extended community. Originally from New Waterford Nova Scotia, author Brian Tucker now makes his home in Trout Brook New Brunswick.
Published by: Nimbus (2010)
The Deception of Livvy Higgs by Donna Morrissey
Family secrets are uncovered and ancient promises broken as ailing 80 year old Livvy Higgs travels back through her past to Halifax of the 1930s and 1940s. Guided by the ghost of her younger self, Livvy must acknowledge the deceits of loved ones as well as her own. Originally from Newfoundland Award winning author Donna Morrissey now makes her home in Halifax.
Published by: Penguin Canada (2013)
Every Little Thing by Chad Pelley
From an idyllic lakeside vacation to a desolate prison cell the dramatic tale of Cohen Davies explores how lives are shaped and misshapen by the networking of poor decisions, hasty alliances and family tragedy. “Every little” love can harbor a destructive dark secret…Chad Pelley is an award-winning author, songwriter, and photographer from St. John’s, Newfoundland. Pelley’s first novel, Away from Everywhere, won NLAC’s CBC Emerging Artist of the Year Award.
Published by: Breakwater Books (2013)
My Leaky Body: Tales from the Gurney by Julie Devaney
As she is successfully treated for colitis Julie Devaney takes the reader on a journey through the Canadian medical system that is amusing, poignant, straightforward and empowering. Advocating for repairs to hospital logistics and bedside manners promotes healing at all levels. Julie Devaney lives in Ontario where she provides workshops on patient care and patient rights.
Published by: Goose Lane (2012)
Revenge of the Lobster Lover by Hilary MacLeod
A cast of quirky characters join forces to rescue lobsters from their traps in a community dependent upon the lobster industry. Hilary MacLeod resides in Prince Edward Island and is the author of a mystery series set in a small fishing village known as The Shores. She explores the darker side of village life in what she has dubbed “Village Noir”. Suspenseful and fun.
Published by: Acorn Press (2010)
Sweetland by Michael Crummey
A moving literary novel featuring Moses Sweetland and his refusal to leave his island in the face of a resettlement program. Sweetland is stubborn and crusty, and is determined to hold onto his way of life. Sweetland is told in a series of flashbacks to an earlier time combined with realities of present day life. Michael Crummey is a Newfoundland writer who was awarded the Thomas H. Raddall Award for his novel River Thieves.
Published by: Doubleday Canada (2015)
Us Conductors by Sean Michaels
A richly detailed work of historical fiction which features the life of Russian scientist and spy Lev Termen, inventor of the Theremin. Us Conductors is a sweeping look at Russian and American relations in the early part of the 20th century. Sean Michaels was born in Scotland and currently lives in Montreal. Us Conductors was his debut novel and won the 2014 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
Published by: Random House Canada (2014)
Walt by Russell Wangersky
Psychological thriller set in St. John’s. It is a dark story featuring a grocery store janitor who collects and analyzes discarded grocery lists, and is of interest to the police due to the disappearance of his wife. Russell Wangersky grew up in Nova Scotia and presently lives in St. John’s. In 2012 his short story collection Whirl Away was nominated for the Scotiabank Giller.
Published by: House of Anansi Press (2014)
Wicked and Weird: The Amazing Tales of Buck 65 by Rich Terfry
Fiction based on the truly “amazing” life of radical author Rick Trefry follows his early life from a modest home in Mt. Uniacke Nova Scotia, where he discovered baseball and began his love affair with hip hop, to Halifax, where he studied biology at Dalhousie University, hosted a popular campus radio show and birthed his rap doppelganger, Buck 65. Rich Trefry is originally from rural Nova Scotia.
Published by: Doubleday Canada (2015)
When the Saints by Sarah Mian
The Saints are a poverty-stricken rural Nova Scotia family caught in a cycle of abuse and unhappiness. The story is lifted from despair by Mian’s tone of sarcastic humour and by a resilient protagonist Tabby Saint who returns home with bravery and strength. Sarah Mian hails from Dartmouth Nova Scotia, and When the Saints is her first novel.
Published by Harper Collins (2015)
The 2016 1BNS featured title will be ultimately selected by the 1BNS
Selection Committee, who will utilize established 1BNS selection criteria,
while considering other accompanying factors such as author
availability, budget, etc.
