A tale of one man’s shipwrecked life and an unlikely crew of rescuers. 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 … 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.
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As a young man, Charles left his childhood home, with the goal of becoming a writer. After a successful career as a journalist, he loses his job & shortly after, loses his life savings. One day, as he is sitting on a pier in Halifax Harbour, he meets Ramona, a former actress. Ramona has considerable financial resources & is as attracted to Charles as he is to her. They drive to Stewart Harbour, where Charles was born, & begin a life together which brings to light some secrets about Charles’ past & Ramona’s future.
This was an intriguing & well written story, which I often found myself thinking about. I strongly recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author Lesley Choyce, and the publisher Dundurn for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Leslie Choyce, and Dundurn publishers. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my personal opinion of this work. Broken Man on a Halifax Pier is an exceptional read. I am pleased to recommend it to friends and family.
I love books set on the rugged eastern coast of Nova Scotia. Lesley Choyce shares with us his intimate knowledge of this landscape, these people in a novel that keeps you reading far into the night.
This is a special book. It qualifies as a romance – but our protagonists are 50 and 55 respectively, both have lived full lives and bring to the table a storied past, with pains and joys and baggage you would expect if you thought about it. Add in Hurricane Greta, the fragile coastline of the Eastern Coast of Nova Scotia, a few old fishermen and a couple of young adults and you have an excellent mix-up of angst, fear and rampant nature that will have you burning the midnight oil.
5 stars
This book is a tale about some (fairly), ordinary people living their day-to-day lives. But it is told in such a remarkable way and with such descriptive language that the characters come to life in such a way that I would have not thought possible.
Charles “don’t call me Charlie” Howard is standing on the edge of a pier on Halifax Harbour when up walks Ramona Danforth. So begins an intense and adventurous relationship. Charles learns things about himself – both new and forgotten. He learns much about his past and recalls much that he consciously chose to forget.
Returning home he re-meets old friends and acquaintances. He is very surprised by some things he learns. Charles and Ramona discuss their families and compare notes on their respective childhoods. Family is very key to the success of this novel.
A thoroughly well written book that is easily read and very entertaining, this novel illustrates how even seemingly ordinary lives are important and do matter. I really enjoyed this book and I’m not really sure why. While it had moments of extreme action and drama, for the most part, it was what I would term a gentle read. I will be reading more of Mr. Choyce’s work.
I want to thank NetGalley and Dundurn for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.