Guy Vanderhaeghe's A Good Man McClelland & Stewart, 2011 Sebastian Barry has said that a good historical novel is about "retrieving the present moment".* That is true of Guy Vanderhaeghe's A Good Man. From the beautiful but austere cover art of the frontier, to the detailed descriptions of fort and
Unforgettable design, no? Patrick deWitt's The Sisters Brothers House of Anansi, 2011 So I'm chatting about this book, about the scene with the 'dentist', and I announce that I agree that it's unfair that he doesn't get paid for his 'services', but dismiss it quickly by saying that
John Steffler’s The Afterlife of George Cartwright McClelland & Stewart, 1992 When John Steffler’s novel opens, Nottinghamshire is shimmering with the energy of May and George Cartwright describes the familiar route he’s taking on his horse. Doesn't seem that remarkable. Yet. But. It's the “same route he’s taken every day
Carol Birch’s Jamrach’s Menagerie Canongate, 2011 (Looking for a swallow rather than a full glass? ORANGE Squirt below.) This is a true story: while being delivered to Jamrach’s menagerie near Ratcliffe Highway, a Bengal tiger escaped. “An eight-year-old boy who walked up and patted it on the nose was knocked
