David Adams Richards
Author of Mercy Among the Children
About the Author
David Adams Richards lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons. Author David Adams Richards was born in Newcastle, New Brunswick, Canada on October 17, 1950. He has received numerous awards for his works including the Canadian Authors Association Award for Evening Show Will Bring Such Peace in show more 1991, the Canada-Australia Literary Prize in 1992, and the Giller Prize for Mercy Among the Children in 2000. He also won the Governor General's Award in both the fiction and non-fiction categories with Nights below Station Street in 1988 and Lines on the Water in 1998 respectively. He currently lives with his family in Toronto, Canada. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: photo credit: Jerry Bauer
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Works by David Adams Richards
Arch of Triumph 1 copy
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Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1950-10-17
- Gender
- male
- Education
- St. Thomas University, New Brunswick (B.A.)
- Occupations
- writer
author
screenwriter - Awards and honors
- CBA Libris Award (2001)
Canada-Australia Literary Prize, awarded for the excellence of an author's complete body of work (1992)
Alden Nowlan Award for Excellence in the Arts
Writers' Federation of New Brunswick, annual David Adams Richards Award for Fiction
Order of Canada (2010)
Timothy Findley Award (2004) (show all 7)
Matt Cohen Prize (2011) - Agent
- Anne McDermid
- Short biography
- David Adams Richards (born October 17, 1950) is a Canadian novelist, essayist, screenwriter and poet.
Born in Newcastle, New Brunswick, Richards left St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, one course shy of completing a B.A.* Richards has been a writer-in-residence at various universities and colleges across Canada, including the University of New Brunswick.
Richards has received numerous awards including 2 Gemini Awards for scriptwriting for "Small Gifts" and "For Those Who Hunt The Wounded Down", the Alden Nowlan Award for Excellence in the Arts, and the Canadian Authors Association Award for his novel "Evening Snow Will Bring Such Peace." Richards is one of only three writers to have won in both the fiction and non-fiction categories of the Governor General's Award. He won the 1988 fiction award for "Nights Below Station Street" and the 1998 non-fiction award for "Lines on the Water: A Fisherman's Life on the Miramichi." He was also a co-winner of the 2000 Giller Prize for "Mercy Among the Children."
In 1971, he married the former Peggy MacIntyre. They have two sons, John Thomas and Anton Richards, and currently reside in Fredericton.
John Thomas was born in 1989 in Saint John, New Brunswick.
The Writers' Federation of New Brunswick administers an annual David Adams Richards Award for
Fiction.
Richards' papers are currently housed at the University of New Brunswick.
* David Adams Richards was awarded his B.A. by Saint Thomas University in 2009. Source: David Adams Richards' sister Susan Marshall. - Nationality
- Canada
- Birthplace
- Newcastle, New Brunswick, Canada
- Places of residence
- Newcastle, New Brunswick, Canada (birth)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Bartibogue, New Brunswick, Canada - Associated Place (for map)
- New Brunswick, Canada
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Reviews
On a Mi'Kmaq reserve on the Miramichi, in 1985, seventeen-year-old Hector Penniac is killed while helping load pulpwood into the hull of a ship. Although there is no physical evidence indicating his guilt, blame soon falls on Roger Savage, a white man who lives on the border of the reserve.
Amos Paul, the 75-year-old chief, fears that Savage is being scapegoated by being seen as the incarnation of centuries of wrongs committed by whites. The chief, the voice of reason, strives for truth and show more peace, but many of the younger people view Amos' conciliatory approach as obsolete and favour a more confrontational style which demands immediate retribution. They attempt to remove Savage from his home; the crisis gathers force, and tragedy ensues.
Twenty years later, the chief's grandson, Markus Paul, who is an RCMP officer, sets out to unravel the mystery of Hector's death and to answer some questions surrounding subsequent events on the reserve. On the one hand, therefore, the book can be read as a mystery, but it is much, much more than that.
The author scours the community and examines the motives of everyone affected by Hector's death. No one escapes unscathed. Corruption and weakness are exposed everywhere. Markus observes, "Yes . . . we all have one [cheatin' heart]" (267).
One theme is people's "willingness to forego a certain integrity in order to belong to a group" (49). Chief Amos, the moral centre of the novel, explains people's behaviour with an analogy: "'There is always a big hidden giant in the room, and this giant attaches itself to people in a crowd, and moves them in one direction or another. Those who do not join this giant are outcast, and sometimes will get stepped on by great big feet. Those who join the giant have the benefit of puffing themselves up and acting like one, and sometimes do the stepping - until their friends leave and then they just get smaller and smaller. And sometimes after it is all over, they simply disappear'" (105). These words prove to be prophetic: many people, including the journalist Max Doran who covers the crisis, fall prey to this giant.
The author examines the lingering consequences of Canada's mistreatment of aboriginal people, and there is do doubt of his sympathy for First Nations people. However, he bravely suggests, as Rayyan Al-Shawaf summarized in The Globe and Mail, that "Legitimate historical grievances cannot justify the pernicious notion of inherited guilt. . . . attempting to redress sins of the past sometimes leads to victimizing innocent descendants of the sinners."
This is a book that all Canadians, both indigenous and non-indigenous, should read. show less
Amos Paul, the 75-year-old chief, fears that Savage is being scapegoated by being seen as the incarnation of centuries of wrongs committed by whites. The chief, the voice of reason, strives for truth and show more peace, but many of the younger people view Amos' conciliatory approach as obsolete and favour a more confrontational style which demands immediate retribution. They attempt to remove Savage from his home; the crisis gathers force, and tragedy ensues.
Twenty years later, the chief's grandson, Markus Paul, who is an RCMP officer, sets out to unravel the mystery of Hector's death and to answer some questions surrounding subsequent events on the reserve. On the one hand, therefore, the book can be read as a mystery, but it is much, much more than that.
The author scours the community and examines the motives of everyone affected by Hector's death. No one escapes unscathed. Corruption and weakness are exposed everywhere. Markus observes, "Yes . . . we all have one [cheatin' heart]" (267).
One theme is people's "willingness to forego a certain integrity in order to belong to a group" (49). Chief Amos, the moral centre of the novel, explains people's behaviour with an analogy: "'There is always a big hidden giant in the room, and this giant attaches itself to people in a crowd, and moves them in one direction or another. Those who do not join this giant are outcast, and sometimes will get stepped on by great big feet. Those who join the giant have the benefit of puffing themselves up and acting like one, and sometimes do the stepping - until their friends leave and then they just get smaller and smaller. And sometimes after it is all over, they simply disappear'" (105). These words prove to be prophetic: many people, including the journalist Max Doran who covers the crisis, fall prey to this giant.
The author examines the lingering consequences of Canada's mistreatment of aboriginal people, and there is do doubt of his sympathy for First Nations people. However, he bravely suggests, as Rayyan Al-Shawaf summarized in The Globe and Mail, that "Legitimate historical grievances cannot justify the pernicious notion of inherited guilt. . . . attempting to redress sins of the past sometimes leads to victimizing innocent descendants of the sinners."
This is a book that all Canadians, both indigenous and non-indigenous, should read. show less
David Adams Richards has long been one of my favourite Canadian authors. His Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul I have designated as one of the books all Canadians should read (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/2015/07/from-schatjes-reviews-archive-incidents.html). His latest novel, Mary Cyr, focuses on a minor character from Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul; also appearing is John Delano who is the protagonist of Principles to Live By show more (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/2016/06/review-of-principles-to-live-by-by.html). Neither of the previous books has to be read in order to understand Mary Cyr.
Mary Cyr, the 45-year-old heiress of a multi-million-dollar fortune is charged with the murder of a young boy while she is in Mexico. Though she is innocent, she becomes a scapegoat because the Cyr family, through its Tarsco Mining Company, invested in a coal mine where 13 men recently died after it collapsed. Amigo, the Mexican company which owns the mine, was given $14 million by the Cyrs for safety upgrades but Amigo executives misappropriated all the funds. It is, however, easier to blame the Cyr family, rich foreigners, than investigate the corruption of the local officials. Mary is seen as a representative of the family, “a woman who on paper was partial owner of this mine” (8) and so the locals transfer all their anger onto her.
There is little credible evidence against Mary and “Tallagonga [the prosecutor] had no intention of prosecuting until she found out who Mary Cyr was. Then they filed the charge, called her guilty and looked for a lifelong prison sentence because she was on the board of Tarsco Mining” (82). And Mary is a perfect scapegoat because her behaviour in the past leaves her compromised. For example, she was implicated in the deaths of two people. And then there are the rumours about her seducing engaged men and her son being fathered by Mary’s beloved grandfather.
The focus of the book is revealing the truth behind the exaggerated rumours and sensationalized gossip. Through flashbacks and entries in Mary’s diary, the image of a deeply wounded woman emerges. From a young age, she was largely misunderstood; she was also bullied and abused and betrayed. “She was always alone – or nearly always alone” (63). This does not mean she is innocent; she often seeks revenge for injustices committed against her or those she cared about. For instance, she does indeed seduce an engaged man but she does so to take revenge on Marianne, the man’s fiancée, “the girl from long ago who had teased Denise Albert [Mary’s childhood friend] to distraction because Denise had wanted to dance one dance with Marianne’s beau” (361). It is emphasized, however, that though Mary “was a good hater, . . . in her compassion she could hate no one at all. No one at all!” (119) and “In fact at the end, she could not hate a soul” (269). She takes revenge on three girls who tormented her, her cousin, and a friend, but afterwards, “she sat in a corner, tears in her eyes. She knew it was a terrible thing to do – in fact she wrote in her diary it was the worst victory she had ever had” (280).
The book examines the process of scapegoating. In the end, it is suggested that Mary “had lived to show the falseness and tragedy of scapegoats.” Eventually, those guilty of using her as a scapegoat would “as they had with so many through the ages, from Joan of Arc to Anne Frank, and with so many in camps and prisons and dark places of the soul, and with so many of our prophets to whom they would wail and beg forgiveness and forget they had ever played a part in their fate” (369). Mary herself says, “’I saw more and much deeper than other people, so I was often accused of their crimes’” (352). Sometimes, like in the Joan of Arc parallel at the end, the imagery is a little heavy-handed. It is also mentioned that Mary stuffs newspapers in her clothes so “her whole life of scandal [is] stapled to her chest” (417) but “Underneath all of it her naked body was shiny white” (418).
As in his other books, the author lashes out at those he disdains. Mary rails against people “using today’s wiles to draw and quarter those poor sons of bitches who lived in another time and bourn us” (192). There are comments about Canada: “As always in Canada, one is not caught between two worlds but between three or four – not between two competing interests but a multitude” (66). The author even dares to compare French language concerns in Quebec to pre-occupation with Aryan purity in Germany: “’they are after French purity like others cherished certain Germanic qualities. Oh, they won’t say that, but their politicians will demonstrate it. Someday I bet they will have laws in Quebec against having English on signs – and call it progress’” (68). David Adams Richards, who writes about the Miramichi, even indicates how he feels as a writer: “Years ago the Miramichi writer who she liked but who she could never read told her that they both were the kind of people who did not belong” (379).
There are some coincidences that are troubling. A guest at the Mexican resort where Mary is staying turns out to have a connection to Mary from her childhood. Perhaps Mary had kept track of this person, as she was wont to do of others, or perhaps the coincidence of meeting her years later “’is the will of God’” (372)? And then there’s the incident with “that bottle” (363); how often does a bottle with a message find its target across an ocean?!
David Adams Richards has a deep understanding of the human condition and human behaviour. This is evident in this novel as in his others. Mary Cyr is not perfect but it is worth reading; in some ways it is like a detective story in which the goal is to reveal the real Mary Cyr. And it warns us against judging others on the basis of superficialities or stereotypes or fake news and against singling out people for unmerited blame.
Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski). show less
Mary Cyr, the 45-year-old heiress of a multi-million-dollar fortune is charged with the murder of a young boy while she is in Mexico. Though she is innocent, she becomes a scapegoat because the Cyr family, through its Tarsco Mining Company, invested in a coal mine where 13 men recently died after it collapsed. Amigo, the Mexican company which owns the mine, was given $14 million by the Cyrs for safety upgrades but Amigo executives misappropriated all the funds. It is, however, easier to blame the Cyr family, rich foreigners, than investigate the corruption of the local officials. Mary is seen as a representative of the family, “a woman who on paper was partial owner of this mine” (8) and so the locals transfer all their anger onto her.
There is little credible evidence against Mary and “Tallagonga [the prosecutor] had no intention of prosecuting until she found out who Mary Cyr was. Then they filed the charge, called her guilty and looked for a lifelong prison sentence because she was on the board of Tarsco Mining” (82). And Mary is a perfect scapegoat because her behaviour in the past leaves her compromised. For example, she was implicated in the deaths of two people. And then there are the rumours about her seducing engaged men and her son being fathered by Mary’s beloved grandfather.
The focus of the book is revealing the truth behind the exaggerated rumours and sensationalized gossip. Through flashbacks and entries in Mary’s diary, the image of a deeply wounded woman emerges. From a young age, she was largely misunderstood; she was also bullied and abused and betrayed. “She was always alone – or nearly always alone” (63). This does not mean she is innocent; she often seeks revenge for injustices committed against her or those she cared about. For instance, she does indeed seduce an engaged man but she does so to take revenge on Marianne, the man’s fiancée, “the girl from long ago who had teased Denise Albert [Mary’s childhood friend] to distraction because Denise had wanted to dance one dance with Marianne’s beau” (361). It is emphasized, however, that though Mary “was a good hater, . . . in her compassion she could hate no one at all. No one at all!” (119) and “In fact at the end, she could not hate a soul” (269). She takes revenge on three girls who tormented her, her cousin, and a friend, but afterwards, “she sat in a corner, tears in her eyes. She knew it was a terrible thing to do – in fact she wrote in her diary it was the worst victory she had ever had” (280).
The book examines the process of scapegoating. In the end, it is suggested that Mary “had lived to show the falseness and tragedy of scapegoats.” Eventually, those guilty of using her as a scapegoat would “as they had with so many through the ages, from Joan of Arc to Anne Frank, and with so many in camps and prisons and dark places of the soul, and with so many of our prophets to whom they would wail and beg forgiveness and forget they had ever played a part in their fate” (369). Mary herself says, “’I saw more and much deeper than other people, so I was often accused of their crimes’” (352). Sometimes, like in the Joan of Arc parallel at the end, the imagery is a little heavy-handed. It is also mentioned that Mary stuffs newspapers in her clothes so “her whole life of scandal [is] stapled to her chest” (417) but “Underneath all of it her naked body was shiny white” (418).
As in his other books, the author lashes out at those he disdains. Mary rails against people “using today’s wiles to draw and quarter those poor sons of bitches who lived in another time and bourn us” (192). There are comments about Canada: “As always in Canada, one is not caught between two worlds but between three or four – not between two competing interests but a multitude” (66). The author even dares to compare French language concerns in Quebec to pre-occupation with Aryan purity in Germany: “’they are after French purity like others cherished certain Germanic qualities. Oh, they won’t say that, but their politicians will demonstrate it. Someday I bet they will have laws in Quebec against having English on signs – and call it progress’” (68). David Adams Richards, who writes about the Miramichi, even indicates how he feels as a writer: “Years ago the Miramichi writer who she liked but who she could never read told her that they both were the kind of people who did not belong” (379).
There are some coincidences that are troubling. A guest at the Mexican resort where Mary is staying turns out to have a connection to Mary from her childhood. Perhaps Mary had kept track of this person, as she was wont to do of others, or perhaps the coincidence of meeting her years later “’is the will of God’” (372)? And then there’s the incident with “that bottle” (363); how often does a bottle with a message find its target across an ocean?!
David Adams Richards has a deep understanding of the human condition and human behaviour. This is evident in this novel as in his others. Mary Cyr is not perfect but it is worth reading; in some ways it is like a detective story in which the goal is to reveal the real Mary Cyr. And it warns us against judging others on the basis of superficialities or stereotypes or fake news and against singling out people for unmerited blame.
Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski). show less
David Adams Richards is a Canadian author whose books I always purchase as hardcovers as soon as I learn of a new release. This is the twelfth novel of his that I have read.
Colonel Musselman dies of a gunshot wound. Six years later, despite his claims of innocence, Jamie Musselman is convicted of his father’s murder. His fiancée Gertie is among the very few that believe there has been a miscarriage of justice. Very early in the novel, the reader comes to understand that others are show more responsible for the Colonel’s death: one person shot him but others were present and another provided crucial information. The focus of the novel is on the events that led to the killing and what happens after Jamie has been convicted and imprisoned.
This book has all the hallmarks of a David Adams Richards novel. Of course there’s the rural setting of New Brunswick’s Miramichi River valley which is found in most of his novels. There’s an innocent person charged with a crime (like in Mary Cyr). There are exaggerated rumours and sensationalized gossip (as in Crimes Against My Brother). There are criticisms of certain groups like academics, feminists, and activists (as in The Tragedy of Eva Mott and Darkness and Principles to Live By). As in Mary Cyr, Canada is criticized: “Canada became insipid, a country hollowed out by intellectual conceit and sanctimonious self-reflection. . . . to the rest of the world, in many respects, it was [invisible].” Of course, some of the comments cannot but elicit a smile: one character “did not know that Ottawa was the capital of Canada, and believed it was Washington. Well, what the matter – more than one of our professors and political gurus did as well.” As in The Lost Highway, there is repetition of how non-believers inspired by reason rather than faith have become lost souls.
What is always impressive about DAR’s books is the memorable, authentic characters. The author takes great pains to explain the motivations of characters – why they make the choices they do. Sometimes people lash out because they feel betrayed; some are concerned about appearances and status; and some place personal ambition above all else. The backgrounds of characters are also detailed so the reader comes to understand why they behave as they do. Even someone who behaves despicably earns some sympathy when we learn about his/her past. As in previous books, the wisest characters are often those without a formal, academic education.
What is emphasized is that choices have ramifications, sometimes spanning generations. One professor tells a student, “’sometimes whatever we do affects the lives of many not yet born, or those born we do not yet know.’” For example, Gertie’s father wants to make an impression on someone, so he tells a man about money in Colonel Musselman’s house; passing on this information has disastrous consequences. A woman makes a decision to lie to save a man from a jail sentence, “And everything from that moment on changed dramatically in everyone’s life. Though none of them knew it then. All of this happened as if there would be no consequence.” One man, thinking back to events, ponders “When did it all begin?”
As in DAR’s previous novels, what also stands out is the inter-connectedness of all the characters. I grew up in a small town and know first-hand how everyone knows everyone, but sometimes the way people’s paths cross by chance seems contrived. Coincidences occur too: Pruty overhears conversations and finds a crucial letter; Marsha has a visitor when Little Nin calls.
This is not a light read; readers familiar with DAR’s books will not find this surprising. There is theft, infidelity, rape, murder, lying, family disintegration, loneliness, chronic pain, police ineptitude, and heartbreak. Several of the seven deadly sins come into play. So many elements in his books are
familiar, but what most impresses is his deep understanding of the human condition and human behaviour.
Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) or substack (https://substack.com/@doreenyakabuski) for over 1,200 of my book reviews. show less
Colonel Musselman dies of a gunshot wound. Six years later, despite his claims of innocence, Jamie Musselman is convicted of his father’s murder. His fiancée Gertie is among the very few that believe there has been a miscarriage of justice. Very early in the novel, the reader comes to understand that others are show more responsible for the Colonel’s death: one person shot him but others were present and another provided crucial information. The focus of the novel is on the events that led to the killing and what happens after Jamie has been convicted and imprisoned.
This book has all the hallmarks of a David Adams Richards novel. Of course there’s the rural setting of New Brunswick’s Miramichi River valley which is found in most of his novels. There’s an innocent person charged with a crime (like in Mary Cyr). There are exaggerated rumours and sensationalized gossip (as in Crimes Against My Brother). There are criticisms of certain groups like academics, feminists, and activists (as in The Tragedy of Eva Mott and Darkness and Principles to Live By). As in Mary Cyr, Canada is criticized: “Canada became insipid, a country hollowed out by intellectual conceit and sanctimonious self-reflection. . . . to the rest of the world, in many respects, it was [invisible].” Of course, some of the comments cannot but elicit a smile: one character “did not know that Ottawa was the capital of Canada, and believed it was Washington. Well, what the matter – more than one of our professors and political gurus did as well.” As in The Lost Highway, there is repetition of how non-believers inspired by reason rather than faith have become lost souls.
What is always impressive about DAR’s books is the memorable, authentic characters. The author takes great pains to explain the motivations of characters – why they make the choices they do. Sometimes people lash out because they feel betrayed; some are concerned about appearances and status; and some place personal ambition above all else. The backgrounds of characters are also detailed so the reader comes to understand why they behave as they do. Even someone who behaves despicably earns some sympathy when we learn about his/her past. As in previous books, the wisest characters are often those without a formal, academic education.
What is emphasized is that choices have ramifications, sometimes spanning generations. One professor tells a student, “’sometimes whatever we do affects the lives of many not yet born, or those born we do not yet know.’” For example, Gertie’s father wants to make an impression on someone, so he tells a man about money in Colonel Musselman’s house; passing on this information has disastrous consequences. A woman makes a decision to lie to save a man from a jail sentence, “And everything from that moment on changed dramatically in everyone’s life. Though none of them knew it then. All of this happened as if there would be no consequence.” One man, thinking back to events, ponders “When did it all begin?”
As in DAR’s previous novels, what also stands out is the inter-connectedness of all the characters. I grew up in a small town and know first-hand how everyone knows everyone, but sometimes the way people’s paths cross by chance seems contrived. Coincidences occur too: Pruty overhears conversations and finds a crucial letter; Marsha has a visitor when Little Nin calls.
This is not a light read; readers familiar with DAR’s books will not find this surprising. There is theft, infidelity, rape, murder, lying, family disintegration, loneliness, chronic pain, police ineptitude, and heartbreak. Several of the seven deadly sins come into play. So many elements in his books are
familiar, but what most impresses is his deep understanding of the human condition and human behaviour.
Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) or substack (https://substack.com/@doreenyakabuski) for over 1,200 of my book reviews. show less
Having picked up far too many books at the library on my last visit, I thought I wasn’t going to have the opportunity to finish Mercy Among the Children before its due date, but I made it a priority once hearing it was a Canada Reads 2009 selection. I will happily pay the late fees when entertained with such thought provoking and affecting storytelling as this.
Our narrator, Lyle Henderson, has the misfortune of being a descendent of a father and grand-father who have been outcasts in their show more small New Brunswick town for decades. Poverty, alcohol and condemnation have all been sources of ridicule and embarrassment that these men have had to endure. Lyle’s father, Sydney, a compassionate, stoic and righteous man, lives his life under the “turn the other cheek,” philosophy, and has faith in the fact that those who attempt to hurt him or his family, will eventually hurt themselves. This is a tough pill to swallow for Lyle, who sees his dad’s inability to protect or stand up for the family as pacifism, and ultimately neglect. His eventual recourse is to become a renegade, as he starts to detest all the propriety and weakness that his father seems governed by.
I would often find myself in a tizzy after reading the incessant small-town gossip and lies that run rampant throughout, and in disgust would throw the book down and pace my living room shouting obscenities at the ruthless and diabolical nature of the characters Richards has expertly presented us with. I would ferociously plead for Saint-Sydney to grow a spine and reject the false accusations made of him. As another one of his philosophies is never to beg the truth of anyone that wouldn’t understand it, for him justice was something that could only be obtained through patience, and waiting for others to self-destruct, not participating in injurious revenge. It was these instilled moral convictions versus a teenagers need be accepted and feel safe within the morally corrupt society around him, that ignited the internal battle between good and evil that Lyle found himself struggling with throughout this complex, tragic, and tightly woven tale.
Although you won’t find any perfectly ‘happy endings’ here, there are ponderous messages relating to spirituality, the essence of bravery, the possibility of redemption in spite of affliction, and the importance of truth, that leave me feeling challenged and inspired, no matter how lamentable the outcomes. I look forward to reading more of David Adams Richards’ work.
Check out more of my reviews at BookSnakeReviews show less
Our narrator, Lyle Henderson, has the misfortune of being a descendent of a father and grand-father who have been outcasts in their show more small New Brunswick town for decades. Poverty, alcohol and condemnation have all been sources of ridicule and embarrassment that these men have had to endure. Lyle’s father, Sydney, a compassionate, stoic and righteous man, lives his life under the “turn the other cheek,” philosophy, and has faith in the fact that those who attempt to hurt him or his family, will eventually hurt themselves. This is a tough pill to swallow for Lyle, who sees his dad’s inability to protect or stand up for the family as pacifism, and ultimately neglect. His eventual recourse is to become a renegade, as he starts to detest all the propriety and weakness that his father seems governed by.
I would often find myself in a tizzy after reading the incessant small-town gossip and lies that run rampant throughout, and in disgust would throw the book down and pace my living room shouting obscenities at the ruthless and diabolical nature of the characters Richards has expertly presented us with. I would ferociously plead for Saint-Sydney to grow a spine and reject the false accusations made of him. As another one of his philosophies is never to beg the truth of anyone that wouldn’t understand it, for him justice was something that could only be obtained through patience, and waiting for others to self-destruct, not participating in injurious revenge. It was these instilled moral convictions versus a teenagers need be accepted and feel safe within the morally corrupt society around him, that ignited the internal battle between good and evil that Lyle found himself struggling with throughout this complex, tragic, and tightly woven tale.
Although you won’t find any perfectly ‘happy endings’ here, there are ponderous messages relating to spirituality, the essence of bravery, the possibility of redemption in spite of affliction, and the importance of truth, that leave me feeling challenged and inspired, no matter how lamentable the outcomes. I look forward to reading more of David Adams Richards’ work.
Check out more of my reviews at BookSnakeReviews show less
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