Description

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<p class= »MsoNormal » style= »MARGIN: 0in 0in 8pt » /><span style= »mso-ansi-language: EN-US »><em>Evening Star</em>, set on the south coast of Newfoundland and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, chronicles the journey of sea captain Abe Skinner and his schooner, the Hesperia, on a humanitarian voyage to North Sydney in December 1916 to secure a shipload of coal. A successful seaman in his late fifties, he is angered by circumstances contributing to a shortage of coal in his hometown. He confronts forces of nature, the long reach of World War I, prohibition, the dark side of the coal industry, and personal challenges as he and his crew navigate the vagaries of their lives and the stormy seas between them and home. Kate, his wife, fears he won’t return in time to celebrate Christmas with her and their four-year-old orphaned grandson, Lester. Abe’s older brother, James, also a retired sea captain, challenges the wisdom of sailing a schooner loaded with coal through winter waters plagued by frequent, cataclysmic storms. Despite opposition, Captain Skinner recruits crewmen John Piercey, Joseph Grandy, and John Smith. En route, they retrieve from the ocean a large chunk of ambergris, a whale by-product whose value exceeds their cargo of coal. One crewman attempts to enlist another in a scheme to steal a portion.<br /><br /></span><span style= »mso-ansi-language: EN-US »>The <em>Hesperia</em> is delayed loading—Canadian Navy ships have priority. Skinner learns of unionism, strikes, scab labour, and the enormous gap between company and employees when he visits two old acquaintances: a family doctor, once a champion of people in Abe’s home community, who is now a coal company advocate; the other, a woman whose life and family have been adversely affected by the mines.<br /><br /></span><span style= »mso-ansi-language: EN-US »>Nova Scotia is under prohibition. Despite this, Abe visits a bar at a local hotel, where he engages in intense dialogue with a union president, a retired Canadian Navy man, and a British Navy sailor about the risk of German U-boats along the eastern seaboard and Newfoundland. He barely avoids arrest when the bar is raided by police. This adds to his growing stress, already compounded by worries about the safety of his son fighting in France and ever-present angst over the recent tragic death of his daughter, Lizelle. Her son, Lester, is a reminder of why she died and his only tangible link to her. The captain struggles with his decision as delays continue.<br /><br /></span><span style= »mso-ansi-language: EN-US »>Through Kate’s eyes, we see life at home and how the war is progressing in Europe as she scours newspapers for reports on the Newfoundland Regiment. She agonizes over the delays. During their absence, Smith’s girlfriend finds out she is pregnant. Grandy’s wife is diagnosed with advanced tuberculosis. Kate attempts to keep life as normal as possible for her grandson.<br /><br /></span><span style= »mso-ansi-language: EN-US »>A mining accident involving the son of Abe’s friend on loading day delays them further. Once the Hesperia secures the precious cargo, plans are made to return home. That night, Abe and crewman Joseph Grandy visit the captain of SS <em>Kyle</em>, a Newfoundland–Nova Scotia passenger/cargo vessel. On their return to the Hesperia, their rowboat is struck by a passing schooner, injuring Abe.<br /><br /></span><span style=’FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-bidi-font-family: « Times New Roman »; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA’>The <em>Hesperia</em> departs North Sydney on Christmas Eve and encounters a fierce storm that batters the schooner and her crew with immense waves and freezing temperatures, coating them with destabilizing ice. The pounding storm shifts their cargo, bringing on a list to starboard. They seek sanctuary at Saint-Pierre et Miquelon. The Pointe Platte navigation light is not working, which causes a navigation error. Hesperia runs aground after midnight on the rocky coast of Langlade. The men climb and cling to the rigging in an attempt to survive. They are spotted at daybreak by local residents. However, conditions are too difficult for a rescue. One by one, they drop into the freezing ocean. Skinner is the last to fall as a rescue attempt gets under way. His final act is to look toward the Hebrides constellation, the garden of the three maidens, after which his ship is named. The story closes five years later in an epilogue with Kate Skinner remembering the events, aftermath, and consequences of her husband’s decision.</span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></span><p />