Sweetland is the story of moses sweetland, whos lived on sweetland island all his life and resists governmental pressure to leave the government wants to move island residents to the newfoundland mainland. Born in buchans, newfoundland and labrador, crummey grew up there and in wabush, labrador, where he moved with his family in the late 1970s. Michael crummey was born in buchans, a mining town in the interior of newfoundland as far from the salt water as you can get and still be in newfoundland, second of four boys. Its slow decline has finally reached a head, with the mainland government offering each islander a generous resettlement package. Sweetland has 8 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. When a person is emotionally tied to the land they live on, money for that land is of little or no appeal. Sweetland by michael crummey is a work of art, a masterpiece, brilliant for its humanity.
Sweetland ontario library service consortium overdrive. I loved his previous novel galore and consider it a canadian classic, easily one of the best books of the last decade. Sweetland, by awardwinning canadian author michael crummey, was published in 2015. The plot of this story is quite timely and intriguing. Review michael crummey finds a metaphor for newfoundland, and an enthralling, heartbreaking story, in sweetland. Michael crummeys sweetland is all of a piece, its apparent simplicity of style, like that of its protagonist and his setting, concealing a primordial power. Sweetland was a finalist for the 2014 governor generals award for fiction. Sweetland might be michael crummeys best novel, even though such earlier work as river thieves, the wreckage and galore has garnered both literary awards and international acclaim.
Evoking the shipping news, michael crummey one of canadas finest novelistsconjures up the mythical, sublime world of sweetland s past amid a stormbattered landscape haunted by local lore. Part independent people for the fierce portrait of its main characters unwavering determination and part absalom, absalom. Michael crummey author michael crummey is the author of a memoir, newfoundland. By turns darkly comic and heartbreakingly sad, sweetland is a deeply suspenseful story about one mans struggles against the forces of nature and the ruins of memory. Michael crummeys sweetland is a beautiful prayer for a dying island and an elegy for the titular character, who is both haunted and haunting, besieged by ghosts and yet trying to stop himself from becoming one. Reading a michael crummey novel is a balancing act between wanting to read slowly to savor the prose and race ahead to see what happens next. A novel by crummey, michael and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Such is the case with moses sweitlund, a stubborn man who has no intention of letting anyone take away his home. Sweetland by michael crummey, first edition abebooks. Michael crummey on sweetland moses sweetland is as stubborn as a mule.
Michael crummey audio books, best sellers, author bio. Evoking the shipping news, michael crummeyone of canadas finest novelistsconjures up the mythical, sublime world of sweetlands past amid a stormbattered landscape haunted by local lore. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Sweetland michael crummey, 2015 liveright publishing 336 pp. Sweetland is both a placea small island off newfoundlandand a personmoses sweetlandand both have seen better times.
For a writer who always explores the same themeloss, both accidental and inevitable, coupled with a resilience that surprises the characters themselvesmichael. Im from the same small mining town buchans that michael crummey hails from. As one by one his neighbors relent, he recalls the towns rugged history and its eccentric cast of characters. Michael crummey reflects on the creation of sweetland, from his handmedown workspace to the decidedly nonliterary start of his writing day. The scarcely populated town of sweetland clings to the shore of a remote canadian island. As he watches his neighbors abandon the island, he recalls the towns rugged history and it eccentric cast of characters. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. When you have written the book you think you were meant to write, what do. Journey into a lost nation, three books of poetry including arguments with gravity, winner of the writers alliance of newfoundland and labrador book. As he watches his neighbors abandon the island, he recalls the town s rugged history and its eccentric cast of characters. Read sweetland by michael crummey available from rakuten kobo. Sweetland the place is not a bucolic paradise threatened with despoliation. Ive had the pleasure of reading most of his works, but sweetland is by far the best.
In michael crummeys novel, sweetland, a newfoundlander named queenie offers some literary criticism. This summer my book club kept finding irresistible gems to read. The government has offered a resettlement deal to the community, which is struggling after generations of industry loss and depopulation. The island itself is called sweetland, named by moses sweetland s ancestors, and its a dying place. For fans of the shipping news, michael crummey s prose conjures up the mythical, sublime world of sweetland s past amid a stormbattered landscape haunted by local lore. Sweetland explores the relentless pull of nostalgia and the complicated connection between man and land.
Last month it was the martian by andy weir, and this month we were lucky enough to discuss sweetland by michael crummey. In a couple of decades, a generation at most, dozens of newfoundland communities will have disappeared, and there seems to be no way to reverse the flow. This is a novel with a vast epic sweep, a tale of racial conflict set against the harsh and beautiful backdrop of newfoundland in the. Ive known for some time, along with most other canadian writers, that michael crummey is one of our finest storytellers. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading sweetland. Born in buchans, newfoundland, crummey grew up there and in wabush, labrador, where he moved with his family in the late 1970s. The book has a singular appeal, one which will live in the minds of readers long after its story is. Johns without hitting a great writer, i can also personally attest to the fact that he is one of the. In previous novels such as the awardwinning galore, michael crummey has depicted his homeland, the canadian province of newfoundland, as a.
For twelve generations, when the fish were plentiful and when they allbut disappeared, the inhabitants of this remote island in. Crummeys novel in no way resembles a hollywood treatment of this recognizable storyline. His fourth novel, sweetland, was published in 2015. As we get to know sweetland, we learn that hes generally a good guy who helps his neighbors and has a good heart. Sweetland by michael crummey halifax public libraries. From the awardwinning, bestselling author of galore comes another unforgettable novel. Evoking the shipping news, michael crummey one of canada s finest novelists conjures up the mythical, sublime world of sweetland s past amid a stormbattered landscape haunted by local lore. A former fisherman and lighthouse keeper on the verge of 70, sweetland has never been married. Michael crummeys latest novel is the tale of a man living on a small, imaginary island off newfoundlands southern coast, the eponymous. Ever since i heard that a new book was coming out by michael crummey, i have been excited about it. She adds that they are unrecognizable and probably. As in his critically acclaimed novel galore, crummey masterfully weaves together past and present, creating in sweetland a spectacular portrait of. Sweetland book by michael crummey 8 available editions.
It is the tale of a small north atlantic island in newfoundland and an elderly man, both bearing the name of sweetland. Soon, all that will remain will be a ghostly assembly like the one that closes michael crummeys sweetland a scene reminiscent of some. Michael crummeys sweetland, and more the new york times. I never knew him because i am twenty years older than he and i had left and gone to university before he was born. A useful trait in a man who lives on a remote island off the south coast of newfoundland.
The scarcely populated town of sweetland rests on the shore of a remote canadian island. Discover book depositorys huge selection of michael crummey books online. And sweetland the person is not localhero material. Sweetland by michael crummey, first edition abebooks passion for books. Buy sweetland by michael crummey online at alibris. Theres a quietness to michael crummey s novel that adds to its power. Sweetland is about a man, moses sweetland, who lives on an island off of newfoundland. He went to university with no idea what to do with his life and, to make matters worse, started writing poems in his first year.
Michael crummeys sweetland is like a song of mourning. His most recent book, galore, won the commonwealth prize for canada. Journey into a lost nation, three books of poetry including arguments with gravity, winner of the writers alliance of newfoundland and labrador book award for poetry, and a book of short st. Sweetland about this months author michael crummey michael crummey on sweetland resettlement is not a new idea to newfoundland sixty years ago, it was a hamfisted social engineering project instituted by the smallwood government to. I also greatly admire his previous novels river thieves and the wreckage i approached reading his newest novel, sweetland, with some. Michael crummey says sweetland is about mortality the star. Sweetland by michael crummey michael crummey was born in buchans, a mining town in the interior of newfoundland as far from the salt water as you can get and still be in newfoundland, second of four boys.
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