PositiveLibrary JournalIn this engaging novel, Straub explores the ups and downs of a somewhat disaffected 21st-century family with warmth, sympathy, and humor.
Melanie Hobson
RaveLibrary JournalWe\'ve seen this type of dysfunctional family before, but first novelist Hobson refreshes the trope in a family psychodrama that upends the old stereotype that all Canadians are bland and inoffensive ... Over the course of a disastrous weekend in August, family secrets come to light and tensions reach a boiling point, as a darkly comic garden tour from hell brings disturbing strangers into the mix ... Hobson draws a riveting picture of twisted family dynamics in this compulsively readable novel.
Emma Hooper
PositiveLibrary JournalIn the early 1990s, the villagers on a remote island off the coast of Newfoundland face a great challenge: as the fish disappear, so does their way of life ... In a simple, almost childlike style touched by magical realism, Hoope...offers a novel reading more like a fable or fairy tale, with many references to local folk music ... This aptly titled work is like a sweet, sad ballad about keeping home and family together and will appeal to a wide range of readers.
Judy Blundell
RaveLibrary JournalThis sophisticated and delicious portrayal of subtle class warfare at the shore would make a perfect beach book, but it’s a pleasure to read any time.
