Summer time at The Reader always comes with a peek at some of the novels that have been set within our beautiful shores. Enjoy once again a fictional tour of our province.
Middleton Yard’s Pub and Grub: abduction by Max Higgins
A young woman leaves her fast paced New York City fashion magazine life and slows things down in rural Nova Scotia, tending bar in the local tavern. She settles in Middleton Yard, and finds herself at the center of some pretty serious events. Assaulted and abducted, Wendy Dawson assumes she is the victim of mistaken identity and goes on to discover that her problems are far from over.
Oatcakes and Courage by Joyce Grant-Smith
Anne Grant escapes a harsh life with a cruel husband aboard The Hector bound for Nova Scotia in 1773. Life at sea is challenging in itself and Anne must call on all her courage and the help of her fellow travelers to survive the journey. ” Oatcakes and Courage, a tribute to the brave Scots who ventured across the North Atlantic Ocean in search of a better life, is told with harrowing realism.”
Low by Anna Quon
Adriana Song is a university student living in Halifax who one day finds herself in an emotional crisis and unable to get out of bed. Her relationship has ended and she is now being visited by her long dead mother. This is a story about friendship, love and loss.
Flagged Victor by Keith Holllihan
In the late 1980s two university students plan a bank robbery. One is the son of the police chief and the other the son of a bank executive, they both have the belief that they will pull off this crime and not get caught. This is a dark and gripping story of friendship, betrayal and dubious morality.
Indefinitely Idled by Libby Broadbent
In fictional Balneal Nova Scotia the paper mill has closed laying off 300 people. What next for Hal Stevens? His marriage ends and his daughter finds herself with a more limited future than before. Add in a cast of interesting characters and karaoke for an enjoyable read indeed.
The Promised Land by Bill Conall
In the 1970s a busload of young hippies made their way to Cape Breton, going against the tide of young people leaving the island to seek their fortunes. Much like their original Scottish settlers, they were a ragtag bunch determined to pursue their own path. 40 years later a young doctor moves to Cape Breton and sets up her practice amongst some of the grandchildren of the original hippies. Conall explores the challenges of small town life along with Cape Breton’s legendary welcoming and inclusiveness.
Turn Us Again by Charlotte R. Mendel
Mendel has been awarded this year’s Margaret and John Savage First Book Award in addition to the Beacon Award for Social Justice Literature and the H.R. Percy Novel Prize.. Turn Us Again features Gabriel Golden who learns family secrets upon his mother’s death that causes him to question all he believed about his life. Set in Halifax.
