Book ~ "Broken Man on a Halifax Pier" (2019) Lesley Choyce

From Goodreads ~ Fifty-five-year-old Charles Howard has lost his long-time journalism job and has been swindled out of his life savings. Standing by the edge of Halifax Harbour on a foggy morning, contemplating his dismal future, his ritual of self-pity is interrupted with the appearance of the mysterious and beguiling Ramona Danforth. And so begins a most interesting relationship. 

On a whim, Charles asks Ramona to drive him to his childhood home, Stewart Harbour, a fishing village populated by rugged individualists far down Nova Scotia’s remote Eastern Shore. Charles left the Harbour immediately after graduating from high school and never looked back. And now that he's returned, the past starts catching up with him in ways he could never have imagined. 

Charles is 55-years-old and unemployed.  He was a journalist until the newspaper shut down.  He has no money and no prospects.  One morning, he is standing on a pier on the Halifax Harbour and a woman starts talking with him.  Her name is Ramona and she is a former actress, now living off a trust fund provided by her father.  She invites him to breakfast.

Charles invites her to drive to his childhood home on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia.  He hasn't been back since he left for university many years ago.  His parents are now dead and his brother lives in Alberta.  Things move rather quickly and Charles and Ramona end up staying his father's old fishing shack.  The longer Charles and Ramona stay in Stewart Harbour, the more they become involved in the lives of those Charles had left behind ... a old fishing buddy of his father's (who was also a fisherman), his old girl friend, his ex-girl friend's ex-husband, his ex-girlfriend's son and others.

I've read a couple books by this author and this was the first fiction.  It is written in first person perspective in Charles' voice.  I liked the writing style and I liked the story.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

I'm originally from Nova Scotia (as is the author) so have been to some of the places Charles and Ramona went to ... like The Bluenose, where they had breakfast.  I lived for a year not too far from "Stewart Harbour" on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.

I liked the characters.  I thought Charles and Ramona got together very quickly and it was a bit unbelievable to me that they would fall in love within days.  Though Ramona had lots of money and Charles had none, I thought it was weird that Ramona would be so generous so quickly and that Charles would be okay living off Ramona ... he didn't seem to have any ambition to make his own money or any qualms about accepting her generosity.

Book ~ "Peggy's Cove: The Amazing History of a Coastal Village" (2008) Lesley Choyce

From Goodreads ~ Here is the complete history of the famous cove and the unique village that hosts thousands of visitors each year. The story begins with the formation of the rocks along these shores and the impact of the glaciers. The Mi'kmaq were the first to live here in the summers, harvesting the riches of the sea. A land grant in 1811 brought the first hardy settlers, who built homes and wharves and discovered that the sea could provide bounty but was also a source of great danger.

The story includes the origin of the name, Peggy's Cove, and details about the everyday life of nineteenth-century families living here. A history of the famous lighthouse is included and there are excerpts from many of the famous and not-so-famous visitors who have written about the Cove through two centuries.

The author explores the most damaging storms and the shipwrecks, the reports of sea monsters and other strange phenomena. Fishing was always a source of income, but it changed over the years. At times the fish prices were so low it was not worth the effort and, in recent years, dramatic changes to the ocean have seen the collapse of several important species of fish.

In the twentieth century, Peggy's Cove attracted artists, writers and ultimately thousands of tourists. Sculptor William de Garthe made his home here and created his monument to the coastal fishermen out of the sheer granite outcropping in his backyard. In 1998, Swissair Flight 111 crashed off the shores of Peggy's Cove and the community opened its doors to the world in an effort to provide support for the rescue workers and the families of the victims. From the earliest days to the present, the story of Peggy's Cove has been a tale of natural wonder and human endurance. 

I'm originally from Nova Scotia and have been to Peggy's Cove many times over the years.  This book caught my eye because I thought it would be interesting to learn more about it.

The first chapter in the book is called "A Gift from Africa".  Huh?  Well, that caught my attention right away.  Nearly 500 million years ago, in the other side of the Atlantic, deposits of sand and mud became compacted beneath the ocean and eventually helped form the coastline of the ancient continent of Gondwana.  The sand and mud became compressed, forming shale and sandstone.  Then 100 million year later, a collision occurred and 50 million years later, Peggy's Cove was then near the equator and still recovering from the collision.  After another 50 million years, Gondwana moved east and south and rock was dragged and dropped along the way, creating Nova Scotia.  So what was left that jammed into North America was originally part of Africa.  Interesting, eh?

The author then continues to tell about the first families who lived and settled in Peggy's Cove, how it got its name, how it has grown and thrived throughout the years, the ups and downs of fishing industry, rum running, the lighthouse, deaths of people getting too close to the edge of the rocks, the SwissAir Flight 111 crash, how it has developed into the tourist destination it is today, and more.

I liked the writing style.  There was a lot of history and information provided but I didn't find it boring or too detailed.

I read the digital version of this book and was surprised that the illustrations and pictures were removed.  So if you are going to read this book, I recommend that you read a printed version as there are apparently pictures, etc. in it.

Here are some pictures I took when I was there a couple years ago:

Book ~ "Thin Places" (2017) Lesley Choyce

From Goodreads ~ One day, Declan Lynch, a regular teenager, starts hearing a girl’s voice inside his head. Eventually, he even begins to see her. Though he’s not certain the girl, Rebecca, is real, Declan finds himself falling for her. She shows him visions of places and people he has never seen - places he feels compelled to find in hopes of meeting her.

His quest takes him to County Sligo, Ireland, and its “thin places,” spots where the earth and the spirit world seem almost to touch. His slightly crazy Uncle Seamus takes him in, as Declan’s search has him wondering which world he belongs in - his, or the one belonging to a girl who might not even be real. 

Declan is sixteen, awkward and doesn't fit in at school.  His parents are originally from Ireland.  His father sees things in black 'n white and his mother is more open and spiritual.

One day Declan starts hearing the voice of Rebecca inside his head and when he closes his eyes, she is able to show him visions.  He is determined to find and meet her.  Once he realizes she is in Ireland, he convinces his parents to let him go there and stay with his Uncle Seamus.  What they don't know is that he intents to search for Rebecca.

According to Rebecca, "thin places" are "where they say the spirit world and the physical world are close together.  Sacred places and ancient burial sites."

I don't usually read books like this but I'd read and enjoyed a book by this author years ago.  Plus he's a Canadian from Nova Scotia (like me).

It took me a while to get used to the writing style but once I caught the rhythm, it was fine.

It was an interesting story and it was fun to step out of my comfort zone.  It's not a deep story and is a quick read.  You'll especially like it if you enjoy reading stories about selkies, mystical Ireland, etc.

Book ~ "Driving Minnie's Piano: Memoirs of a Surfing Life in Nova Scotia" - Lesley Choyce (2006)

From Goodreads: Novelist Lesley Choyce weaves together his real-life adventures living by the sea at Lawrencetown Beach on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore. He writes of his love for the rugged coast and tells tales of the ordinary and the extraordinary. His story includes accounts of what it's like surfing in the Canadian North Atlantic through all four seasons including the frigid depths of winter. 

 Also threading its way through this narrative is the story of Minnie's piano. There is music here in word and spirit along with the lessons learned from the old and the young. Driving Minnie's Piano is an eloquent personal memoir about the precious and fateful moments that change our lives. It is an exploration of what makes us tick and prompts us to be both heroes and fools in the daily enterprise of living.

What attracted me to this book was the title - because Sister Sarah and I had seen surfers in Nova Scotia in May 2005. At the time, I thought it was an odd sight.

I grew up in Nova Scotia and remember how cold the Atlantic Ocean is even in the summer ... I can't imagine surfing in it in the middle of winter! But Choyce does and loves it!

I enjoyed Choyce's writing style ... laidback and down-to-earth. It's obvious he loves his home (he's originally from New Jersey), Nova Scotia, his life and nature. He loves fog and will do all he can to save another breathing being.