An entertaining, informative account of the beginnings of European settlement in North America.
New novel by retired education professor Johnston explores the competing claims of love, commerce and religion in 17th-century Canada.
This work of historical fiction mines its author’s longstanding interest in Native American history and culture in order to craft an account of the early days of European settlement in Canada. The narrative follows Remy Moisson, a young Frenchman who has abandoned a promising Jesuit education to seek his fortune overseas. Through Remy’s actions and journal entries, the reader gains an insightful picture of a representative young man’s intellectual and personal development as he encounters the differing perspectives of his European peers and the peoples of the New World. Most important is his experience of falling in love with Tika, a young Wendat woman, who also serves as a liaison between the local Jesuit missionary and her tribe. As the novel unfolds, this romance not only places both Remy and Tika in grave danger, but also forces each to confront the other’s traditional practices and beliefs. This theme of cultural friction is not limited to the story of the star-crossed lovers. Johnston skillfully depicts the competing perspectives of commercial explorers and missionaries, showing validity in each, even as both are subtly critiqued. Among the strongest passages in the novel are the fictional letters exchanged between Jesuit priests on far-flung missions. Johnston adeptly conveys these characters’ fears and aspirations while also giving a convincing sense of their frame of reference. Although some readers may wish that Johnston had drawn the protagonist with equal subtlety, Remy in fact fits into a long tradition of upstanding adventure heroes, such as Jim Hawkins or D’Artagnan, upon whom a wide range of readers can project their own personalities. In any event, the complex character of Tika, caught between love and tradition, provides an insightful point of contrast. Though the generally brisk narrative sometimes drags, readers will nonetheless find themselves enriched by the various bits of historical information Johnston has succeeded in weaving into his story.
An entertaining, informative account of the beginnings of European settlement in North America.Pub Date: Dec. 11, 2010
ISBN: 978-1426917981
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Trafford
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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