First Fiction Fridays: Friendly Fire by Lisa Guenther
Lisa Guenther’s debut novel is a tough-minded look at an invisible plague that attacks far too many people around us, domestic violence. Through her main character Darby Swank’s investigation into the death of her beloved aunt, a curtain of lies and silence is pulled away from a problem that is all too real for many people.
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What:Friendly Fire (NeWest Press, 2015)Who:Lisa Guenther is a writer and agricultural journalist based in Livelong, Saskatchewan. Her writing has appeared in Grainews and Country Guide, and she is the sitting president of the Canadian Farm Writers’ Association.Why you need to read this now:Lisa Guenther’s debut novel is a tough-minded look at an invisible plague that attacks far too many people around us, domestic violence. Through her main character Darby Swank’s investigation into the death of her beloved aunt, a curtain of lies and silence is pulled away from a problem that is all too real for many people.Darby’s preferred weapon in this struggle against fear and deceit is music. Guenther shows readers how the power of art, creation and caring, can be strong allies in desperate times.In addition to dragging family secrets into the light, Darby Swank also shows us the power of community at its best, in the scenes that give the book its name. The brushfire that threatens to engulf the small Saskatchewan town where Darby lives serves as a cauldron through which Darby and her true friends are tempered and made ready.* * *Thank you to NeWest Press, especially Matt Bowes, for sharing Friendly Fire with us! If you love discovering new authors, check out our other First Fiction Friday picks.
