Description
Shortlisted, Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award
Luke Tremblett is one of five fishermen lost at sea off the coast of Newfoundland. Rose is left to pick up the pieces and learn to live with his sudden absence. And then there are three children, including two-month-old Emily, struggling to face an unbearable loss that has engulfed them.
This sharp, hard-edged novel begins two years after Luke's disappearance, at the moment that Rose takes her first step through the wall of the house Luke was building when he died. Her body vibrating, she enters a space where Luke waits for her.
Part novel, part fable, part essay on grief, with interlocking scenes that move between past and present and visuals that punctuate the narrative like signposts, This Is the House That Luke Built deftly explores existential questions about what it means to be alive.
A strikingly original debut that combines compassion and bravura to dazzling effect, this new novel by Violet Browne heralds the arrival of a significant new voice.
About the Author
Violet Browne is a writer from Placentia Bay, NL, who now lives in St. John's. She holds an MA in creative writing from Memorial University and works for the Registered Nurses' Union of Newfoundland and Labrador. This Is the House That Luke Built, Browne's first novel, is based on her own experiences after losing her husband at sea.
Reviews
"Sharp and hard biting. Here is charged, magical craft - concise, punching prose. Grief is heart-roiling throughout - nuanced, tender, and tough. This Is the House That Luke Built busts open from the foundation up with loss and ultimately love. And it's very funny. This is one of my absolute favourite novels ever." -- Lisa Moore, author of This Is How We Love
"This Is the House That Luke Built is an atmospheric literary novel that celebrates the persistence of love and makes note of the fragmentary nature of memories." -- Kristen Rabe * Foreword Reviews (starred review) *
Awards
Short-listed for Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award 2024 (Canada).
Book Information
ISBN 9781773102832
Author Violet Browne
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Goose Lane Editions
Publisher Goose Lane Editions
Weight(grams) 270g
Dimensions(mm) 203mm * 127mm * 16mm
Details
Imprint: |
Goose Lane Editions |
