"[A] captivating debut novel ... many flashes of clever humour and felicitous, well-paced storytelling that keeps you engaged throughout."
"Charming, wry, and believable ... Nason has a particular gift for introducing supporting characters with memorable anecdotes, each of which reads like a sparkling little gem of a short story ... Ruby's voice, vibrating with contradictory desires, [delivers] shot-to-the-heart moments of real humour and pathos."
"If her debut novel,
The Town That Drowned, is any indication, Riel Nason is a writer to watch. This tender tale about a New Brunswick village threatened by the provincial government's plan to build a dam has a ton of soul."
"Riel Nason's debut novel establishes her as a writer with a bright future ... Nason's writing is warm and empathetic. She has a lovely ear for dialogue and her townspeople are well drawn. She also does a terrific job capturing the feel of a 1960s rural New Brunswick."
"The writing is finely polished, the locale evocative, and her dialogue rings true. In Ruby, she nails the voice of youth."
"An impressive first novel."
"
The Town That Drowned is not easily forgotten."
"Fantastic ... I had such an emotional reaction ... The ending is so hopeful and uplifting. Highly recommended."
"This is a lighthearted and well-written book that I would recommend to anyone."
"[T]his is a vivid, intimate novel that works equally well for adult and young-adult readers. ... Nason's genius in this novel is not just to tell an important historical story that needed to be told but to find exactly the right perspective from which to tell it. ...
The Town That Drowned is a warm, intimate story in which every character feels as real as someone you might meet on the street."
"This is a richly detailed journey through a young woman's perspective, and the story flows like a gentle river as the reader watches a catastrophe unfold in slow motion. ... It's haunting and memorable, and simply a lovely read."
"I loved it. It's Canadian historical fiction with a tiny touch of the paranormal."
“A powerful contemporary examination of a girl who falls through the ice, has a vision of the future of her town, is rescued, and then finds that vision coming to life in an alarming way.”
"[A] captivating debut novel ... many flashes of clever humour and felicitous, well-paced storytelling that keeps you engaged throughout."
"Charming, wry, and believable ... Nason has a particular gift for introducing supporting characters with memorable anecdotes, each of which reads like a sparkling little gem of a short story ... Ruby's voice, vibrating with contradictory desires, [delivers] shot-to-the-heart moments of real humour and pathos."
"If her debut novel,
The Town That Drowned, is any indication, Riel Nason is a writer to watch. This tender tale about a New Brunswick village threatened by the provincial government's plan to build a dam has a ton of soul."
"Riel Nason's debut novel establishes her as a writer with a bright future ... Nason's writing is warm and empathetic. She has a lovely ear for dialogue and her townspeople are well drawn. She also does a terrific job capturing the feel of a 1960s rural New Brunswick."
"The writing is finely polished, the locale evocative, and her dialogue rings true. In Ruby, she nails the voice of youth."
"An impressive first novel."
"
The Town That Drowned is not easily forgotten."
"Fantastic ... I had such an emotional reaction ... The ending is so hopeful and uplifting. Highly recommended."
"This is a lighthearted and well-written book that I would recommend to anyone."
"[T]his is a vivid, intimate novel that works equally well for adult and young-adult readers. ... Nason's genius in this novel is not just to tell an important historical story that needed to be told but to find exactly the right perspective from which to tell it. ...
The Town That Drowned is a warm, intimate story in which every character feels as real as someone you might meet on the street."
"This is a richly detailed journey through a young woman's perspective, and the story flows like a gentle river as the reader watches a catastrophe unfold in slow motion. ... It's haunting and memorable, and simply a lovely read."
"I loved it. It's Canadian historical fiction with a tiny touch of the paranormal."
“A powerful contemporary examination of a girl who falls through the ice, has a vision of the future of her town, is rescued, and then finds that vision coming to life in an alarming way.”
Review
"Weird, warm, and wonderful. . . . The Town That Drowned will pull you into its compassionate heart and imbue you with the portrait of a place not easily forgotten." — Donna Morrissey, author of What They Wanted
"By turns charming, humorous and terrifying, Riel Nason's unique and compelling coming-of-age story is infused with warmth and insight and — through artfully painted details of a richly textured community — speaks to the transcendent power of human bonds." — Carla Gunn, author of Amphibian
Book Description
"Weird, warm, and wonderful. . . . The Town That Drowned will pull you into its compassionate heart and imbue you with the portrait of a place not easily forgotten." — Donna Morrissey, author of What They Wanted
"By turns charming, humorous and terrifying, Riel Nason's unique and compelling coming-of-age story is infused with warmth and insight and — through artfully painted details of a richly textured community — speaks to the transcendent power of human bonds." — Carla Gunn, author of Amphibian
From the Inside Flap
Living with an eccentric little brother can be tough. Falling through the ice at a skating party and nearly drowning are grounds for embarrassment. But having a vision and narrating it to assembled onlookers? That solidifies your status as an outcast.
What Ruby Carson saw during that fateful hallucination was her entire hometown -- houses and people -- floating underwater. Then an orange-tipped surveyor stake appears in a field, another in the cemetery. Soon everyone discovers that a massive dam is being constructed and their homes will eventually be swallowed by rising water. Suspicions mount, tempers flare, long-simmering secrets are revealed. As the town prepares for its demise, 14-year-old Ruby watches it all from a front-row seat.
Set in the 1960s, The Town That Drowned deftly evokes the awkwardness of childhood, the thrill of first love, and the importance of having a place, any place, to call home.
From the Back Cover
Living with an eccentric little brother can be tough. Falling through the ice at a skating party and nearly drowning are grounds for embarrassment. But having a vision and narrating it to assembled onlookers? That solidifies your status as an outcast.
What Ruby Carson saw during that fateful hallucination was her entire hometown — houses and people — floating underwater. Then an orange-tipped surveyor stake appears in a field, another in the cemetery. Soon everyone discovers that a massive dam is being constructed and their homes will eventually be swallowed by rising water. Suspicions mount, tempers flare, long-simmering secrets are revealed. As the town prepares for its demise, 14-year-old Ruby watches it all from a front-row seat.
Set in the 1960s, The Town That Drowned deftly evokes the awkwardness of childhood, the thrill of first love, and the importance of having a place, any place, to call home.
About the Author
The Town That Drowned is Riel Nason's debut novel. It is the winner of the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize (Canada and Europe) and the 2012 Margaret and John Savage First Book Award. It is longlisted for the 2013 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Riel Nason lives in New Brunswick, Canada with her husband and two young children.
Wow! eBook
