Canadian Fiction – Scuffed Granny

Nearness of the Wild by Hilary Scharper

From the start, this book grips, continuing to keep you pinned, with its tale of love, diaries, avarice, ghostly girls and lighthouses!

A compilation of the author’s work drawn from Canadian life with special emphasis on the sea, family and friendship

A glimpse of the fading days of the dominance of the Hudson’s Bay Company, woven into a gripping tale of murder, lust and individual courage

In this rather quirky but nice book, Tess and her love troubles frame the action, leading to some philosophising about love on the side.

A quite traumatic but moving novel told in two narrative strands, one of a young mother, the other the daughter she is forced to give up.

A murder mystery, lightly told with the deft hand of Sydney Preston, which is big on character and well-plotted

The Underpainter is a character study of someone who views life from a distance, never fully engaging in its emotional landscape.

Cam Lang’s novel about the ambitions, past secrets and covert dealings of the folk of Niagara-on-the-Lake is well-executed and entertaining

Yann Martel’s book is surreal at times, but profoundly moving. I loved The High Mountains of Portugal and can’t recommend it enough.