Heave

I picked this book up on a visit to Nova Scotia in February 2003, and I am most impressed. Set mostly in the Annapolis Valley, and partly in Halifax, I felt Conlin drew word pictures of the area and its people that rang very true. The student life in Halifax came to life, as I enjoyed the vibrant and youthful pub scene in Halifax (I am old enough to be those students' parent but the scene was so age-mixed it was very welcoming).Like most early novels, this one seems to have more than a touch of autobiography. Apart from the truthfulness of the setting, Conlin has really got to the heart of the depression and aloneness of the young who stand somewhat apart from the mores and values of theur family. The tensions within family, where there is often unstated, but overwhelming love which somehow just isn't adequately communicated, was painful, raw, and honest. A growing-up story by a young writer who is a real talent. Melancholy (as I find much Canadian literature to be) but ultimately a book of hope.

Typically, depictions of Nova Scotia and Maritime life turn me off. I live here, I know what I see, and I know how I feel about it. But Christy Ann Conlin, in her debut novel, depicts it so well that it's impossible to put down the book for any great deal of time. But her portrayal of Nova Scotia is only one of the many great aspects of the novel; her characters, her story, and her style of storytelling are all aspects that make this novel a great read. After finishing this book, your first reaction is to want more. But surprisingly, this is a debut novel, and we'll have to anxiously await the author's next foray into fiction.