Sea of Tranquility: A Novel [Paperback]

Prolific Nova Scotia writer Lesley Choyce (editor of and contributor to the Atlantica anthology, among other things) is at it again with a story about simple island folk up against the harsh realities of life at the turn of the millennium. Sea of Tranquility tells of the economic difficulties of life on Ragged Island, a quaint little piece of rock off the coast of rural Nova Scotia. After the failure of a seemingly endless series of survival strategies, from cabbages and cod to whale tours and a junkyard shooting gallery, the main character, four-time widow Sylvie, decides to follow her instincts. The novel opens with moving evocations of the old way of life out east and the tragedy of its disappearance, while honestly facing the fact that it is the author of its own destruction. Choyce writes of the dilemmas of the East Coast people with sympathy and realism until a heartwarming ending that is a little too mushy to be believable. --Robyn Gillam

"Choyce has impeccable pacing, a flare for the lyrical, and Sylvie, his alluring, intuitive charcter, who makes a great anchor for this sea yarn." (Globe and Mail 200309)

"…lyrical, funny, and mordant." (Quill and Quire )

"The salt-smacked charms of this story are hard to resist as Ragged Island learns how to peg its future on the sea of ingenuity." (Edmonton Journal )

"…an almost perfect novel. Part of what makes Sea of Tranquility so nearly perfect is the seamless blend of reality, fantasy and satire." (New Brunswick Reader )

"Sea of Tranquility is the lyrical and moving story of an island struggling to survive…rich with engaging characters, a page-turning storyline, and uproarious humour." (Eastword (Writer's Federation of Nova Scotia Newsletter) )

For Sylvie, Ragged Island - and the whales who swam around it - is the only world she has ever known. It is the place where she was born and raised, where she lived with her four late husbands, and where she plans to live out her remaining years.

It is also the home to a community whose love for the island is immense. But when the Nova Scotia government decides to shut down the ferry service that is the lifeblood of Ragged Island, the residents see their world beginning to disappear.

Sea of Tranquility is the lyrical and moving story of an island struggling to survive. Lesley Choyce's seventh novel, it contains the elements for which the author is known: engaging characters, page-turning storyline, and uproarious humour. Choyce is in top form.

(200305)

Lesley Choyce is one of Canada's most prolific authors. A resident of East Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia, he has published more than fifty works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. His previous fiction has included the best-selling The Republic of Nothing. He is the host of Vision TV's Off the Page.

(20030608)