A handful of delightful reads from around our region

 

We Atlantic Canadians are blessed with not only a whole flock of talented writers—of fiction, non-
fiction, specialty subjects and more—we also have a host of great local publishers who promote and create the books written by those writers. Obviously, we can’t highlight them all, but here is a smattering of talent from each province, and a few must-read offerings for all.

 

Prince Edward Island

Julie Pellisier-Lush is Poet Laureate for PEI, a writer, actor and photographer who is dedicated to her Mi’kmaq heritage and culture. With her first book of poetry, Epekwitk: Mi’kmaq Poetry from Prince Edward Island, (Acorn Press), she creates moving and wise stories in verse, each complemented with a work of unique artwork also done by the writer. Her work is grounded in nature and her culture, uplifting and pensive, sorrowful and hopeful, and this is a volume to return to time and again.

We all know the story of LM Montgomery’s famous and beloved Anne of Green Gables, and many know of the book’s popularity in Japan. That popularity is in no small part due to Hanako Muraoka, who translated Montgomery’s work to Japanese as Akage no An, (Redhaired Anne). Now there is a marvellous book on the translator, Anne’s Cradle: the Life & Works of Hanako Muraoka, by her granddaughter Eri Muraoka and translated into English by Cathy Hurano. Hanako did her translation during the height of the Second World War, when anti-Japanese sentiments were high in the world and the gift of Montgomery’s book from a Canadian friend gave her hope for the future.

 

Newfoundland & Labrador

Gardeners, rejoice! Prolific author and horticulturist Todd Boland has produced another beauty of a book for our planting addictions. Shrubs and Vine for Atlantic Canada (Boulder Books) highlights some of the structural plants of our landscapes, including harder to deal with sites like coastal gardens or those with acid soils. Todd is one of the most knowledgeable plantsmen I know, who has worked at the Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Botanical Gardens for many years—and whose writing style is encouraging and approachable. You may find some new-to-you varieties of plants in this book—I certainly did—and it offers plenty of choices, listing them by botanical name but with common names available as well. A must-have for any East Coast Gardener.

     Social media can be hugely useful. I forget which stream I was perusing recently when I spied a new book out of Breakwater Books that piqued my interest. Salt Beef Buckets: a Love Story by Amanda Bulman is described as “an affectionate tribute to the land, the people, and their meals”, and it is all that and more. It’s a celebration of local ingredients from bakeapples to parsnips, from Japanese knotweed (yes, really!) to the beloved North Atlantic cod, but there are also sections on food gardening, on cooking for the holiday seasons, on hunting and foraging…and what she claims is the world’s best fruitcake recipe.

 

New Brunswick

Children’s books are a vital part of publishing in our region, and Chocolate River Publishing, based in Riverview, NB, not only publishes authors in English, they also have several books translated into other languages from the region. Among those books is Disaster at the Highland Games, by Riel Nason, with delightful illustrations by Nathasha Pilotte. It tells the story of Kate, a young Highland dancer who decides she doesn’t need to practice before the Games take place, with unfortunate but rather hilarious results.

     Publisher Kate Merlin had this book translated into Gaelic, as Mòr-thubaist aig na Geamannan Gàidhealach, by Nova Scotia publishing house Bradan Press, which specializes in Gaelic books. Likewise, one of Chocolate River’s earlier storybooks, Takeoff to Tantramar, is available in French and English, and Merlin hopes to be approached by Indigenous writers wanting to publish in Mi’kmaw.

     Longtime readers of Saltscapes will be familiar with the cheerily informative stories of Saint John historian, tour guide, storyteller and author David Goss, who has published some 20 books of local history and lore throughout his career. His latest is Sharing New Brunswick Ghosts, published by Blue Rock Books last year. With this clever volume, Goss encourages others to share the traditions of oral storytelling, including numerous ghost stories from the region but also dwelling on techniques he has used in recounting tales of spirits during his many years doing walking tours and more in Saint John. The stories are in the public domain and that others are welcomed to share them as they wish. It’s a great romp especially for those who enjoy the art of telling stories, and a great resource for teachers, theatre groups, and more.

 

Nova Scotia

Sometimes, we just need a book of glorious photos to make the world seem somehow nicer. Two recent books about Nova Scotia will make your heart soar with delight at the way the photographers and writers have captured views of everyday and made them unique.

     I tumbled upon The Peggy’s Cove Barrens by Kent Martin (Formac Press) purely by accident but was immediately enthralled with it. Subtitled “Rock, Life, Sea and Sky: a Portait in Photographs”, it is a stunning study of the wild spaces around what is probably Nova Scotia’s best-known vista, the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse. Divided into five sections—the last being the least interesting (to me), of people—the images and the writing are simply superb and will refresh your eyes and appreciation of that unique landscape.

     If I have a favourite new book this year, it’s Forgotten Nova Scotia, by Ted Pritchard and Ingrid Bulmer (MacIntyre Purcell Publishing). “There is beauty in isolation,” the longtime photojournalists write, and so true as we traipse forward into yet another year with COVID-19. The authors visited many abandoned and derelict homes, schools, churches and even vehicles throughout 2019, capturing many iconic structures but also focusing on something as small as a glass doorknob or a dress hanging in the window of an abandoned house.

            Photographing derelict structures is a passion for many amateur photographers throughout the region, and this book is a fine inspiration and paean of honour to buildings long since abandoned.