The Western Light
by Susan Swan
Hardcover ISBN: 9781770862227
Size: 5.6" x 8.03"
Trade Paperback ISBN: 9781770864009
Size: 5.26" x 7.75"
Subjects:
FIC019000 FICTION / Literary
FIC014000 FICTION / Historical
FIC043000 FICTION / Coming of Age
Trade Paperback
Price: $20.00
Publication Date: August 1, 2014
Hardcover
Price: $29.95
Publication Date: July 19, 2012
Synopsis:
Mouse’s world is constrained by a number of factors: her mother is dead, her father — the admired country doctor — is emotionally distant, her housekeeper Sal is prejudiced and narrow, and her grandmother and aunt, Big Louie and Little Louie, the only life-affirming presences in her life, live in another city.
Enter Gentleman John Pilkie, the former NHL star who’s transferred to the mental hospital in Madoc’s Landing, where he is to serve out his life-sentence for the murder of his wife and daughter. John becomes a point of fascination for young Mary, who looks to him for the attention she does not receive from her father. He, in turn, is kind to her — but the kindness is misunderstood. When Mary figures out that the attention she receives from the Hockey Killer is different in kind and intent from the attention her Aunt Little Louie receives, her world collapses.
Set against the beautiful and dramatic shore of Georgian Bay, the climax will have readers turning pages with concern for characters they can’t help but love.
Shortlisted, 2013 OLA Evergreen Award
Reviews
“Readers will revel in the familiar details of home coupled with a dramatic plot.”
— Chatelaine
“The timely subject of hockey concussions is absorbing, as is Swan’s consideration of broken minds… At the heart of the novel is a girl’s thoughtful deliberation on the mysteries of good and evil, and how they can be combined in the same person.”
— The Globe and Mail
“A gallivanting read bound to become a classic.”
— Toronto Star
“Swan, the consummate storyteller, plays her hand shrewdly. There is just as much danger in goodness, she is telling us, as in evil.”
— Vancouver Sun
“Canadian literary icon Susan Swan is back … Once again, Swan expertly takes on what it meant to be a girl in a time when being a girl was no piece of cake.”
— Fashion
“[Swan’s] poetic descriptions of Ontario’s harsh winter weather and adept use of colloquial speech … are particularly vivid, and help bring the world of the novel to vibrant life.”
— Quill & Quire
“With its focus on winter in northern towns, pre-medicare medicine, hockey and the very relevant issue of concussions among professional athletes, Swan has added another gem to the Canadian canon.”
— NOW Magazine
“Swan’s new novel is a tentative, fraught coming-of-age story about the complications of Mary’s desire — for the athletic and charismatic Pilkie on the one hand and her elusive father on the other … Swan’s representations of the two male figures emphasize them as opposing poles in Mary’s desire.”
— Canadian Literature
“Swan’s elegant diction and structural flow is seamless. This is a novel for all generations.”
— Canadian Literature
“Mouse Bradford is a unique and luminous creation … Gentleman John Pilkie, the hockey killer with a heart of gold, is dressed and ready to become a legend.”
— Paul Gross