Sweetland

The scarcely populated town of Sweetland clings to the shore of a remote Canadian island. Its slow decline has finally reached a head, with the mainland government offering each islander a generous resettlement package-- the only stipulation being that everyone must leave. Fierce and enigmatic Moses Sweetland, whose ancestors founded the island, is determined to refuse. As one by one his neighbors relent, he recalls the towns rugged history and its eccentric cast of characters. For fans of The Shipping News, Michael Crummeys prose conjures up the mythical, sublime world of Sweetlands past amid a storm-battered landscape haunted by local lore. In a spare style that belies "huge emotional depth and heart" (Celeste Ng, author of Everything I Never Told You), Crummey masterfully weaves together the past and present, creating in Sweetland a spectacular portrait of one mans battle to survive as his world vanishes around him.