New ebooks From Canadian Indies
Description
Living with an eccentric little brother can be tough. Falling through the ice at a skating party and nearly drowning are grounds for embarrassment. But having a vision and narrating it to assembled onlookers? That solidifies your status as an outcast.
What Ruby Carson saw during that fateful day was her entire town — buildings and people — floating underwater. Then an orange-tipped surveyor stake turns up in a farmer’s field. Soon everyone discovers that a massive hydroelectric dam is being constructed and their homes will eventually be swallowed by rising water. Suspicions mount, tempers flare, and long-simmering secrets are revealed.
Set in the 1960s, The Town That Drowned evokes the awkwardness of childhood, the thrill of first love, and the importance of having a place to call home. Deftly written in a deceptively unassuming style, Nason’s keen insights into human nature and the depth of human attachment to place make this novel ripple in an amber tension of light and shadow.
Contributor Notes
Riel Nason is a writer and textile artist. She is the author of three novels, one for middle-grade readers; a children’s picture book; and two books on quilting. The Town That Drowned was her debut novel. It won the Commonwealth Book Prize for Canada and Europe and the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award. She lives in Quispamsis, New Brunswick.
Patricia Ross has narrated several audiobooks for CNIB. She lives in Toronto.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 12 to 18
- Grade:
- 7 to 12
Awards
- Short-listed, University of Canberra Book of the Year
- Winner, Frye Academy Award
- Winner, Commonwealth Book Prize, Canada and Europe
- Short-listed, Red Maple Award
- Winner, Margaret and John Savage First Book Award
- Long-listed, IMPAC Dublin Award
- Short-listed, CLA Young Adult Book Award
Editorial Reviews
“I loved it. It's Canadian historical fiction with a tiny touch of the paranormal.”
— 2012 Canadian Library Association young Adult Book Award judge
“This is a richly detailed journey through a young woman's perspective, and the story flows like a gentle river as the reader watches a catastrophe unfold in slow motion. ... It's haunting and memorable, and simply a lovely read.”
— Amy's Marathon of Books
“Charming, wry, and believable ... Nason has a particular gift for introducing supporting characters with memorable anecdotes, each of which reads like a sparkling little gem of a short story ... Ruby's voice, vibrating with contradictory desires, [delivers] shot-to-the-heart moments of real humour and pathos.”
— <i>Quill & Quire</i>
“This is a lighthearted and well-written book that I would recommend to anyone.”
— <i>Record</i>
“A powerful contemporary examination of a girl who falls through the ice, has a vision of the future of her town, is rescued, and then finds that vision coming to life in an alarming way.”
— <i>Midwest Book Review</i>
“[T]his is a vivid, intimate novel that works equally well for adult and young-adult readers. ... Nason's genius in this novel is not just to tell an important historical story that needed to be told but to find exactly the right perspective from which to tell it. ... The Town That Drowned is a warm, intimate story in which every character feels as real as someone you might meet on the street.”
— <i>Compulsive Overreader</i>
“If her debut novel, The Town That Drowned, is any indication, Riel Nason is a writer to watch. This tender tale about a New Brunswick village threatened by the provincial government's plan to build a dam has a ton of soul.”
— <i>NOW Magazine</i>
“Fantastic ... I had such an emotional reaction ... The ending is so hopeful and uplifting. Highly recommended.”
— Chrisbookarama.com
“The Town That Drowned is not easily forgotten.”
— <i>Scene Magazine</i>
“Riel Nason's debut novel establishes her as a writer with a bright future ... Nason's writing is warm and empathetic. She has a lovely ear for dialogue and her townspeople are well drawn. She also does a terrific job capturing the feel of a 1960s rural New Brunswick.”
— <i>Chronicle-Herald</i>
“The writing is finely polished, the locale evocative, and her dialogue rings true. In Ruby, she nails the voice of youth.”
— <i>Maple Tree Literary Supplement</i>
“An impressive first novel.”
— <i>Winnipeg Review</i>
“Riel Nason's debut novel establishes her as a writer with a bright future ... Nason's writing is warm and empathetic. She has a lovely ear for dialogue and her townspeople are well drawn. She also does a terrific job capturing the feel of a 1960s rural New Brunswick.”
— <i>Chronicle-Herald</i>
“[A] captivating debut novel ... many flashes of clever humour and felicitous, well-paced storytelling that keeps you engaged throughout.”
— <i>National Post</i>
“[A] captivating debut novel … many flashes of clever humour and felicitous, well-paced storytelling that keeps you engaged throughout.” — National Post
“Charming, wry, and believable … Nason has a particular gift for introducing supporting characters with memorable anecdotes, each of which reads like a sparkling little gem of a short story … Ruby’s voice, vibrating with contradictory desires, [delivers] shot-to-the-heart moments of real humour and pathos.” — Quill & Quire
“If her debut novel, The Town That Drowned, is any indication, Riel Nason is a writer to watch. This tender tale about a New Brunswick village threatened by the provincial government’s plan to build a dam has a ton of soul.” — Susan G. Cole, NOW Magazine
“Riel Nason’s debut novel establishes her as a writer with a bright future … Nason’s writing is warm and empathetic. She has a lovely ear for dialogue and her townspeople are well drawn. She also does a terrific job capturing the feel of a 1960s rural New Brunswick.” — Chronicle-Herald
“The Town That Drowned is not easily forgotten.” — Scene Magazine
