Death on Darby’s Island
Alice Walsh
Nimbus Publishing

As noted by author Hilary MacLeod, Alice Walsh’s latest “is more than a mystery. Walsh takes readers to Newfoundland in the 1960s and 70s and tells a tale rooted deep in that culture and time.”

The Bridge
Shauntay Grant
Playrights Canada Press

Grant’s play of familial conflict and secrecy, which won a Robert Merritt Award, is now in print. The live performances were powerful, but Grant’s words are plenty strong enough to carry the story on the page. As she told All Lit Up, her work stems from poetics. “Poetry for me is just dripping with music, metaphor, magic … it’s such a great place to write from.”

an impalpable certain rest
Jeff Bursey
Corona/Samizdat

The titular rest is perhaps a desire of these protagonists, but anxiety seems their most natural state. Bursey’s style fits them glovelike and his dialogue is as convincing and layered as always. As literary critic Alex Good wrote, it “nicely captures the rhythm of an interior voice…making you nod your head and shake it at the same time.”

Old Broad Road
Phyllis L Humby
Crossfield Publishing

Before the thrill, Humby reels us in, cradles us. Then thrusts us into the hard parts. This change of pace represents real-life trauma and creates a powerful reading experience. Humby expertly explores the culture shock of coming Toronto to Newfoundland, reinforcing the cruciality of adaptation and resilience.