Wendi Stewart’s debut novel will appeal to anyone who’s a fan of classic Canadian stories in the vein of Margaret Atwood, Robertson Davies and Margaret Laurence. A story of courage in the face of overwhelming grief and pain is coupled with lovely, lyrical imagery and prose to reach a point of sublime resolve.
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What:Meadowlark (NeWest Press, 2015)Who:Wendi Stewart grew up on a farm in Northwestern Ontario and now makes her home in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She has been published in The Antigonish Review, The Leaf, Owen Sound Sun Times, and in Every Second Thursday (Glenmalure Publications). She currently has columns appearing in the Fort Frances Times and the Chronicle Herald.Why you need to read this now:Meadowlark is a study of how tragedy can shape but not entirely decide the course of a young person’s life. Rebecca Archer was only six years old when her mother and baby brother died, falling through the ice on Rainy Lake back in 1962. Her father managed to wrench her from the wreckage, but in doing so he left half of his soul down at the bottom for the rest of time.Luckily, Rebecca turns out to be a bit more resilient than her father, and assembles a new family around herself as she grows older and goes to school: Chuck, a neighbour boy who is forever in the shadow of his physically abusive father, and Lissie, an Aboriginal girl who’s been adopted into an incredibly strict family.Wendi Stewart’s debut novel will appeal to anyone who’s a fan of classic Canadian stories in the vein of Margaret Atwood, Robertson Davies and Margaret Laurence. A story of courage in the face of overwhelming grief and pain is coupled with lovely, lyrical imagery and prose to reach a point of sublime resolve. Far from just an exploration of grief, Meadowlark shows readers a path through it.* * *Thank you to NeWest Press, especially Matt Bowes, for sharing Meadowlark with us!
