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The year is 1926 and the isolated, unsophisticated townsfolk of Low, Quebec, are about to be brought into the modern era. Plans to dam the Gatineau River at the town's famous Paugan Falls will bring electricity to Ottawa while flooding the river valley to such depths that the surrounding landscape will be changed forever. The story's narrator is the irrepressibly original Mary Ann Alice, whose many interests include the local geology and a black-haired lad named Mickey McGuire Jr. Mary Ann Alice has the soul of a poet, according to her teacher and kindred spirit, Patchy Drizzle, and it is through her poet's eyes that the fate of the town and its quirky characters unfolds.
Returning to a setting familiar from his popular Uncle Ronald and Up to Low, acclaimed author Brian Doyle's poignant, image-rich novel mixes familiar personalities like Mean Hughie and the O'Malley girls with an extraordinary collection of new characters including the miserable Mrs. Drizzle, the hapless Jackie Boyle, and a 300- million-year-old fossil named Arthur. As the tide of progress jolts the town and drowns the river, Mary Ann Alice and Mickey McGuire Jr. row their boat "two church steeples above the old river. One river on top of another river. A modern river on top of an ancient river." The ending, like many of the riveting passages throughout the book, is powerfully cinematic and achingly beautiful. Highly recommended. (Ages 9 to 12) --Martha Johnson
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Doyle's fans won't be disappointed with this book about a seventh grader with "the soul of a poet" and a deep interest in geology who, along with her neighbors, experiences the changes that take place when technology comes to her rural community. The time is 1926, and a building project to dam the Gatineau River near Mary Ann Alice's Canadian town brings jobs and money to the residents and the threat of unpredictable environmental damage. The novel focuses on a small town rich with interesting characters (and interesting names) and the struggles of locals when it comes to dealing with outside influences. The integration of historical material is effective. Narrated by the bluntly spoken protagonist, the book has a fast-paced plot that comes alive with memorable characters. As with Doyle's You Can Pick Me up in Peggy's Cove (Groundwood, 1991) and Easy Avenue (Douglas & McIntyre, 1996), readers will come away with a powerful message about what's important in life. This is a good dose of Canadiana with a generous mixture of humor and expressive language.
Robyn Ryan Vandenbroek, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, CanadaCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
