The sixteen exquisitely crafted stories in Island prove Alistair MacLeod to be a master. Quietly, precisely, He has created a body of work that is among the greatest to appear in English in the last fifty years. A book-besotted patriarch releases his only son from the obligations of the sea. A father provokes his young son to violence when he reluctantly sells the family horse. A passionate girl who grows up on a nearly deserted island turns into an ever-wistful woman when her one true love is felled by a logging accident. A dying young man listens to his grandmother play the old Gaelic songs on her ancient violin as they both fend off the inevitable. The events that propel MacLeod's stories convince us of the importance of tradition, the beauty of the landscape, and the necessity of memory.
Alistair MacLeod Books
This author explores the complex relationship between people and landscape, particularly within the rugged setting of Cape Breton. His prose is often lyrical yet incisive, capturing the beauty and hardship of life. Through his writing, he delves into themes of identity, memory, and the profound influence of home on the spirit. His work offers a compelling invitation to contemplate the places we call home.
The story of family, loyalty, and of the blood ties that bind us to the land from which our ancestors came.
New Canadian Library: Barometer Rising
- 235 pages
- 9 hours of reading
Penelope Wain believes that her lover, Neil Macrae, has been killed while serving overseas under her father. That he died apparently in disgrace does not alter her love for him, even though her father is insistent on his guilt. What neither Penelope or her father knows is that Neil is not dead, but has returned to Halifax to clear his name. Hugh MacLennan’s first novel is a compelling romance set against the horrors of wartime and the catastrophic Halifax Explosion of December 6, 1917.