Keeper of Tides

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At age ninety-two, Ivadoile Spears is in the grip of early dementia. Alone except for a cat named Rose and an old cedar box filled with photographs, Ivadoile is stubbornly set on living out her remaining years in the now-vacant Tides Inn on Cape Breton Island. The only child of cold and withdrawn parents and widowed by the age of twenty-eight, a younger Ivadoile turned the Tides Inn into a retreat for the broken-spirited. But she had not been prepared for Ambrose Kane – a southerner who entered, bringing a cold wind in his dirty shirt.

AUTHOR

Beatrice Macneil

Beatrice MacNeil is the bestselling author of Where White Horses Gallop, Butterflies Dance in the Dark, and The Moonlight Skater. In 1999, she received the Tic Butler Award for outstanding contribution to Cape Breton writing and culture.

Reviews

“Keeper of Tides is a remarkable novel that shines an important light on the challenges of dementia, the destructive power of childhood trauma and the healing effect of friendship.It also hits on an oft-forgotten truth: that within each mother, father, friend or enemy, there’s a vibrant past that has made them who they are — a history full of old loves, treasured friendships, regret and hope.”
“Themes of love and sexuality, loss and aging will generate lively book club discussions. Lyrical, moving and deeply touching, Beatrice MacNeil has created a character brimming with love and loss.”