by prfire | Nov 1, 2017 | All Reviews, Book Reviews, Fiction
Lesley Krueger—A distant relative of the Victorian era painter Richard Dadd— creates a generous and thoughtful portrait of the once-promising artist’s descent into madness, murder, and imprisonment in London’s Bethlem Royal Hospital’s psychiatric facility,...
by prfire | Oct 23, 2017 | All Reviews, Book Reviews, Non-Fiction
“To be frank, I have to say that the mission school, even if it was tough and I hated it sometimes, it was also like a second family for me.” (59) These words belong to Eddy Weetaltuk. His memoir, From the Tundra to the Trenches, resonates with an honesty and humour...
by prfire | Oct 12, 2017 | All Reviews, Book Reviews, Fiction
Alisa Smith’s Speakeasy tells the story of Lena Stillman’s past as a member of Bill Bagley’s Clockwork Gang of bank robbers, and her present occupation of elite codebreaker at the Esquimalt base during World War II. We are introduced to a thorough narrative of...
by prfire | Sep 21, 2017 | All Reviews, Book Reviews, Poetry
How Festive the Ambulance, Kim Fu’s debut book of poetry, is a startling exploration of the banality of modern life. With dark and exacting language, Fu dissects life’s excess of moments and uncovers a consistency of destruction and disappointment. Throughout How...
by prfire | Sep 11, 2017 | All Reviews, Book Reviews, Fiction
Suzette Mayr is an accomplished poet and novelist, based in Calgary. Her most recent novel, Monoceros, was nominated for a Giller Prize and won both the W. O. Mitchell Book Prize and the ReLit Award for Best Novel. Dr. Edith Vane and the Hares of Crawley Hall...
by prfire | Aug 28, 2017 | All Reviews, Book Reviews, Fiction
There is no doubt that Shot-blue is a promising debut novel. Published in February 2017 by Coach House Books, Jesse Ruddock’s literary work revolves around a tapestry of young people who struggle with isolation in the unforgiving Canadian North. The author quickly...
