Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Atlantica: Stories from the Maritimes and Newfoundland - Edited by Lesley Choyce [April/06]


This is the second time I read this collection of short stories. The first time was for my own enjoyment because they were from celebrated Maritime authors and edited by one of my favourite authors: Lesley Choyce. This time I read them for one of my classes in university. The book is very enjoyable with the majority of the stories being quite entertaining. A great way to find out about life in the Maritimes. The stories include:

"Clearances" - Alistair MacLeod - One of Canada's most renowned short story authors. In this story we witness a man who is at the end of his life looking back on his past and fighting the changes that are coming with the future.

"The Train Family" - Joan Clark - A story about a young woman's imaginary family that kept her entertained.

"The Boot" - Wayne Johnston - A story about life in Newfoundland by one of Newfoundland's most famous authors.

"The Tarot Reader" - Carol Bruneau - A visit to a Tarot reader leads up to a big change in a family that always seems to be on the go.

"Homarus Americanus" - Maureen Hull - A city girl gets a lesson in the simple life.

"Missing Notes" - David Helwig - A story about the regrets a man faces.

"The Party" - Herb Curtis - An older woman's faith in mankind is shown.

That is just some of them, there is also:
"Dreaming Snow" - Anne Simpson
"Batter my Heart" - Lynn Coady
"Grieving Nan" - Donna Morrissey - would later become the inspiration for her novel, "Kit's Law"
"The Coinciding of Sosnowiec, UpperSilesia, Poland, 1942, and Banff, Alberta, Canada, 1990" - J.J. Steinfeld
"Mr. Manuel Jenkins" - Budge Wilson
from "The Afterlife of George Cartwright" - John Steffler
"One Saturday" - Helen Porter
"Heavy Ice" - Wayne Curtis
"Dance the Rocks Ashore" - Lesley Choyce
"Poems in a Cold Climate" - Bernice Morgan
from "The Bay of Love and Sorrows" - David Adams Richards
"Act of God" - Joan Baxter
"The Glace Bay Miner's Museum" - Sheldon Currie

This is simply a great way to get acquainted with literature from the Maritimes and Newfoundland. I particualarly liked it the first time because if I liked one of the stories I would look for the novels of these writers. It was a great way to encounter new authors.

4/5

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