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ex ce rp ts · re vi ew s· fr ee bo o k ne w s holiday 2010 · no 65 · publications mail agreement 40038836 interview with writing giller nominee relationships alexander nature or nurture page 26 macleod page 7 the top 100 canadian the top 100 singles canadian bob mersereau s provocative list singles exploring bob mersereau s provocative list book signings 101 book signings authors readers 101 authors readers maximize your book maximize your experience signing experience ke books make books mafts eat gi great gifts gr atl buy a at a bu c n bolannticy an o tic a boo k forca nadia ok fo sonad n n m ia u on yyor someeonn ourr listonee list atlantic atlantic art canada in art canada in inspire all new visual art books that enlighten and engage all new visual art books that inspire enlighten and engage the ultimate holiday gift guide with over 140 new books

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atlantic books today contents contents atlantic books today · number 65 features 16 top of the charts an insightful perspective on the canadian music industry as bob mersereau s provocative list of the top 100 canadian singles is put to the page 21 woozles writes woozles bookstore announce the winner of their first annual writing contest for young people 22 getting the word out for thirty years a look back on the past three decades at the atlantic publishers marketing association holiday gift guide on the cover 23 books from a to z the ultimate holiday gift guide for everyone on your list 26 all in the family are writing relationships that run in the family a product of nature or nurture 29 book signings 101 how to maximize your experience 30 atlantic canada in art new visual art books full of artistic accomplishments that inspire enlighten and engage atlantic canada art page 28 new guest editorial hilary drummond discusses her experience bookselling abroad 2 holiday 2010 atlantic books today

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atlantic books today contents in every issue 7 our contributors tammy armstrong is a fredericton n.b writer her new poetry collection the scare in the crow is with goose lane editions lis van berkel owns word writing editing and research and lives in halifax john boileau s eighth book halifax the royal canadian navy was published by nimbus in april for the navy s centennial alec bruce is an internationally award-winning journalist and columnist on business and public affairs he lives and works in moncton n.b paul butler is the st john s-based author of cupids and hero susan charles is the director of the nova scotia centre for craft and design a textile artisan costume historian and curator stephen clare is a freelance writer and musician living in halifax n.s jodi delong is a freelance writer whose sanctuary is scotts bay n.s her new book plants for atlantic gardens will be published by nimbus in early 2011 lisa doucet is a children s bookseller at woozles in halifax n s hilary drummond got her first job at the box of delights bookshop in wolfville fifteen years ago and has been hooked on independent bookselling ever since she doesn t plan to stop anytime soon margaret patricia eaton is a freelance writer photographer awardwinning poet and the author of seeking grace and painted poems who lives in moncton n.b michael follow lives in halifax n.s skana gee is a halifax-based freelance writer editor and communications consultant and a partner in peroxide pictures shirley gueller is a writer and editor who works in halifax and cape town ralph higgins is a writer columnist and book/movie reviewer living in nova scotia s annapolis valley sharon hunt is a freelance writer and editor living in st john s n.l rosalie maceachern is a freelance writer living in stellarton n.s deb malbeuf is a preschool teacher at the dalhousie university children s centre in halifax n.s and has a passion for storytime sandy macdonald is a freelance writer based in halifax whose stories have appeared in national newspapers and magazines including penguin eggs the national post and the halifax daily news clare o connor is a freelance writer living in halifax n.s elizabeth patterson is a writer musician and broadcaster based in sydney n.s jon tattrie is a freelance journalist and the author of black snow and the hermit of africville pottersfield press kate watson is a freelance writer and theatre critic for the coast living in dartmouth n.s atlantic books today holiday 2010 3 inside the author s studio the ink in alexander macleod s first book light lifting was barely dry before his scotiabank giller prize nomination 8 book excerpts fresh and frugal easy and affordable recipes for market-fresh local food in his newest cookbook chef craig flinn rises to the challenge how to cook with fresh local ingredients without breaking the bank gadzooks the christmas goose corina wants to nurse a mischievous canada goose back to health but granddad wants it cooked for christmas dinner can corina keep the cheeky bird safe from her curmudgeonly grandfather african chronicles a memoir burris devanney s 400-page memoir of the dramatic first two years of he and his wife s life-long engagement with africa 14 interview with an author abt talks to jacob akech deng about a hare in the elephant s trunk a new novel for young canadians that is based on real life experiences as he managed to survive through an almost unimaginable ordeal 18 children s books the best of new children s and young adult books 32 book reviews a selection of fiction poetry history non-fiction and people 45 events a list of upcoming atlantic book-related events 46 book news all the latest from the atlantic book world 48 book giveaway enter to win a beautiful basket of atlantic canadian books

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atlantic books today where to find us abt can be found in many libraries bookstores and cafés throughout atlantic canada and here are a few new brunswick bathurst · bathurst book gallery dieppe · chapters champlain place fredericton · chapters regent mall · maritime writers workshop · owl s nest bookstore · read s newstand united book exchange · strange adventures · unb bookstore · westminster books · york regional library fundy guild national park · fundy guild bookstore miramichi · books inn moncton · centre d etudes acadiennes · moncton public library · rags of time books and crafts · read s newstand united book exchange oromocto · sharla books plaster rock · blue mountain pharmacy book gallery riverview · cover to cover rothesay · benjamin s books sackville · rags of time books and crafts · tidewater books saint john · chapters indigo point · coles brunswick square · coles lancaster mall · coles mcallister place · inprint · saint john regional library · scheherazade books and music · the museum shop · trinity enterprise bookstore · unbsj bookstore st andrews · boutique la baleine the whale store woodstock · owl books and gifts newfoundland corner brook · coles corner brook plaza · family bookstore · newfoundland emporium · sir wilfred grenfell college bookstore gander · the book worm grand falls-windsor · the bookmark st john s · chapters · coles avalon mall · coles village shopping centre · downhomer · granny bates bookstore 4 holiday 2010 · memorial university bookstore · newfoundland public library · sweet relic · writers alliance of newfoundland and labrador stephenville · beavercraft nova scotia amherst · amy s used books · coles amherst shopping centre · pugsley s pharmacy ltd annapolis royal · bainton tannery outlet mad hatter books antigonish · antigonish 5c to the $1.00 · bookends · coles antigonish mall · word by word bookstore baddeck · blue heron gift shop ltd bear rvier · bear river bargains and books bedford · coles bedford place mall · smithbooks sunnyside mall bridgewater · coles bridgewater mall · sagors bookstore dartmouth · chapters mic mac mall · coles penhorn shopping centre · tattletales books digby · magasin campus bookstore eastern passage · dockside treasures enfield · ns tourism and information booth · relay books greenwood · the inside story halifax · atlantic news · back pages · bookmark ii · buy the book and more ltd · carrefour atlantique emporium · chapters bayers lake · coles halifax shopping centre · coles scotia square · dal tech bookstore · dalhousie university bookstore · diocesan bookroom · etc press · jade w · king s bookstore cooperative ltd · little mysteries bookstore · maps and more · mount saint vincent university bookstore · ns provincial libraries · ns visitor and information centre · nscc bookstore · pier 21 giftshop · schooner books · st mary s university bookstore · strange adventures · trident booksellers · united book stores · woozles children s bookstore · writers federation of nova scotia kentville · r.d chisholm ltd liverpool · snug harbour books gourmet shop lunenburg · admiral benbow trading company · bluenose ii company store · elizabeth s books · salt store gift shop · the black duck mahone bay · biscuit eater books and café · bluestone magik · simple things booksellers and gift shop new glasgow · coles · downtown book exchange new minas · coles county fair mall port hawkesbury · the nautical institute library shelburne · the whirligig book shop stewiacke · the ridge shop sydney · coles mayflower mall · reynolds bookshop · cape breton university bookstore · cape breton university library tatamagouche · hanna s books · tatamagouche centre truro · bookstore of the nova scotia agricultural college · coles truro mall · nscc bookstore · nscc library · the book nook wolfville · acadia university bookstore · box of delights yarmouth · at the sign of the whale · coles yarmouth mall · mast head gift shop prince edward island charlottetown · bookmark confederation court mall · bookmark publisher s outlet · holland college · indigo charlottetown · university of pei bookstore cornwall · booktales morell · pei provincial library · the bookmark summerside · avonlea bookstore · coles county fair mall atlantic books today is published by the atlantic publishers marketing association www.atlanticpublishers.ca which gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the canada council for the arts and the canada book fund of the department of canadian heritage opinions expressed in articles in atlantic books today do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the board of the atlantic publishers marketing association publisher atlantic publishers marketing association peggy walt executive director managing editor heather fegan editorial advisory committee diane faulkner heidi hallett kristina parlee editorial consultant krista ivanov advertising sales regional peggy walt 902 420.0711 pwalt@atlanticpublishers.ca national michael wile 416 531.1483 ads@lrcreview.com design meghan rushton ­ design@atlanticpublishers.ca printed in canada this is issue number 65 holiday 2010 atlantic books today is published three times a year all issues are numbered in sequence total atlantic-wide circulation 60,000 issn 1192-3652 one-year subscriptions to abt are available for $15 17.25 including hst please make cheques payable to the atlantic publishers marketing association and mail to address below or contact heather fegan for subscription inquiries publications mail agreement no 40038836 return undeliverable canadian addresses to atlantic publishers marketing association atlantic books today 1484 carlton street halifax ns b3h 3b7 e-mail apma.admin@atlanticpublishers.ca phone 902 420.0711 fax 902 423.4302 www.atlanticpublishers.ca atlantic books today

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atlantic books today editors message editor s note this past summer i had the opportunity to take a trip to paris france apart from the typical sites there was one parisian landmark i really wanted to visit shakespeare and company is a bookstore opposite notre-dame opened in 1951 which according to their website remains not only a venerable independent bookshop but also a renowned left bank cultural institution and a home-away-from-home for many thousands of writers and visitors from around the world i was captivated by this quaint shop and enthralled with the floor-to-ceiling shelves crammed with books complete with the clichéd tall sliding ladder after a long time browsing i thought it would be wild to find an atlantic canadian book tucked away on a shelf we were on our way out when my husband joking said you should open one of these in halifax the girl sitting at a desk by the door jerked up her head and asked did you just say halifax not only did we discover we are both from nova scotia we attended the same university at the same time know many of the same people and both work with books i had been in paris for five hours and discovered the one maritimer with way less than six degrees of separation after a very eyeopening discussion on the art of bookselling in france i knew hilary would have to pen our debut guest editorial column many people probably don t realize the difference in bookselling between our country and others abroad but what hilary has to share is very enlightening and i m sure will leave many of you wondering why it isn t the same way here look for more industry insider insights in our new ongoing guest editorial section in future issues of abt heather fegan dear reader in the fall many of our atlantic canadian book publishers gathered for their annual meeting in reviewing abt s holiday reading guide there was pause to reflect on the enormity of this project for the second year in a row we have added eight extra pages to our special publication just to squeeze in all the new books available for this holiday shopping season there are even a few classics thrown into the mix to round out this ultimate holiday gift guide the collectivity of the guide is enormous too when else could you ever hold over 150 books in your hands all at once there are books for everyone on your list from a to z we prove it on page twenty-four so pick up a copy and head to your local bookstore to shop till you drop as soon as we discovered that author alexander macleod was longlisted for the scotiabank giller prize only days after publication of his first book of short stories we knew we wanted to include him in this issue only hours after his interview with abt macleod learned he d made the shortlist alexander and his father alistair macleod are just one example of a family with creative ties that run in the blood family ties in the field of literature are plentiful here in atlantic canada our story on page twenty-six shares a few more family connections in the hustle and bustle of the approaching holiday season make sure you take some time to cozy up with a warm drink and a good book happy holidays and happy reading peggy walt heather fegan atlantic books today how does a printing company in a small nova scotia town become a major force in the atlantic canadian print industry and a hands-down favourite for clients roots work ethic ability diversity desire www.advocateprinting.com 1-800-236-9526 pictou ns dartmouth ns st stephen nb moncton nb our goal is simple be indispensable atlantic books today holiday 2010 5

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atlantic books today inside the author s studio light lifting literary heavyweight photo heather crosby by elizabeth patterson alexander macleod in a matter of a single day saint mary s university professor alexander macleod went from having his first book published to being on the long list for the scotiabank giller prize just hours after this interview was conducted macleod learned he was on the shortlist for canada s most lucrative literary prize macleod s pedigree is impressive his father is alistair macleod one of this country s most respected writers like his father his first book light lifting biblioasis is also a collection of short stories born in inverness nova scotia alexander macleod grew up in windsor ontario but now lives in dartmouth with his family am just getting the sentences and the paragraphs to sound right i d have the ideas and the characters and the plot and everything else in order but almost all the energy went into the actual making of it the construction of the story one sentence at a time i d go over it and over it and over it until i could almost recite the whole story to myself to me getting that flow was the most important part i wanted the stories to move and to have some intensity so the only way i could do that was to put some pressure on the language itself and then try to crank up the tension incrementally through small increases in the way the stories develop abt what s the most rewarding aspect am it s just nice to see something that was very private and very personal go out into the world and be welcomed instead of rejected or ignored the book s only been in print for a couple of weeks but new readers have already been writing back to me sending all these nice email messages and encouraging phone calls just to see it working the way i imagined it could seeing that living connection between writers and readers actually operating in the real world that has definitely been the most rewarding part to the short list but even if it doesn t go any further than this the prize has already done its work for me note since doing this interview macleod has made the shortlist the book came out on september 20th and it was on the giller long list the next day in one stroke that took care of any promotion problems my publisher might have faced and it put the book on the radar of all the big papers and helped forge that link with more interested readers the prize nomination gave the book a substantial life just hours after it was born so i ll always be grateful to the jury members who picked it out of the pile and gave it a chance abt do you feel the book accomplishes what you set out to do am yes as i said it s what i hoped it would be and i m very happy with the reaction and reception it has received the public readings have been incredible and the whole experience has been more than i ever expected abt are you planning on writing anything else am not right now it took me a long time to get this one done so i m going to let it cool down for a while i can tell you for certain that there won t be any 1500 page historical novels coming out of me anytime in the near future but after this settles down i still have other things i d like to try and i think i ll be back at it eventually abt abt what inspired you to write light lifting am i don t really know if there was ever any inspiration involved the stories in there are about people in different stages of life and as i was putting it together i was just trying to think through those stages and zero in on the major concerns of each character in his or her specific time and place it s obvious of course that the high-performance runners training to make the canadian national team have different worries than the young parents with a sick kid or the elderly people who occupy those apartments in the assisted living building but i wanted to show that even though they were all separated from each other and their lives were so completely different it was still possible to draw connections between them abt did it come together quickly or was it something that took a lot of time am it took a lot of time some of the stuff in there was written more than fifteen years ago and the first story was published thirteen years ago so it took quite a while to get to this point in the end and despite our best intentions we were still rushing to get it put together correctly in the final weeks and we had to scramble with the last story but that was just the last stage of a long process i guess you could say it was very very slow for a long long time and then very abt you get a book published and almost immediately get nominated for the giller very fast for the last little while how has all this affected you abt what was the most challenging part am it s been pure craziness we don t know yet if the book will make it through of writing this atlantic books today holiday 2010 7

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atlantic books today book excerpt abt book excerpt fresh frugal by craig flinn easy and affordable recipes for market-fresh local food excerpted from fresh frugal by craig flinn formac publishing company limited $24.95 pb 160 pp 978-0-88780-929-3 october 2010 e-book $19.95 978-0-88780-931-6 in his newest cookbook chef craig flinn rises to the challenge how to cook with fresh local ingredients without breaking the bank to prove the point he provides the cost per serving of every dish new cookbook from formac publishing company limited there s a common misconception that chefs are extremely fussy eaters and will not sit down to anything but butter-poached lobster and filet mignon nothing could be further from the truth auguste escoffier to many the greatest chef who ever lived ran the savoy hotel where i apprenticed in 1998 his favourite meal was reputed to have been simple beef broth with rice all chefs seem to be able to prepare the most complicated dishes on earth but are still deeply satisfied by indeed crave wholesome dishes that don t break the bank sure we splurge on some good cheese and the odd bottle of wine but isn t the idea to live within your means most of the time so you can enjoy a special treat now and then this book is not about eating cheap food cheap food to me implies bad food half rotten and sitting on a sell today or else shelf at the back of the store cheap means bags of chips and no-name mac n cheese three-for-a-dollar and smothered in ketchup cheap means not caring about the food you eat and just filling the void with empty calories investing no time or money in your health this book is about understanding that good food indeed some of the best food originates from the undeni8 holiday 2010 able need for humans to feed our families in a pot of boiling salted water cook the and each other even with limited means brussels sprouts for 6 minutes until forktender shock them in cold water to stop the roasted parsnip and brussels sprouts cooking and keep them green when cooled cut them in half top to bottom and set with cranberry-orange vinaigrette aside preheat oven to 400°f 200°c peel $2.50 per serving prep time 20 minutes this simple side dish for a sunday sup the parsnips and remove any dark woody per came about after a friend of mine once ends cut them lengthwise into quarters served me brussels sprouts glazed in cran or eighths depending on their overall size berry sauce i am often looking for new ways toss them in the olive oil and season with to spruce up the winter staple root vegeta salt and pepper bake them in a single layer bles so a combination of the two was inevi for about 15 minutes then add the brussels table adding roasted carrots celeriac and sprouts to the pan cook for an additional 5 even turnips to this will only make it better minutes just to warm them through place the vegetables on a platter and dress with the parsnips and brussels sprouts vinaigrette serve warm serves 4 1 lb 450 g brussels sprouts 2 lb 900 g parsnips 2 tbsp 30 ml extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup 125 ml cranberry-orange vinaigrette below ­ 1 tbsp 15 ml chopped italian parsley ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ cranberry-orange vinaigrette ­ 1/4 cup 60 ml dried cranberries orange flavour is even better ­ 1/4 cup 60 ml cranberry juice and finely chopped zest of 1 large orange ­ 2 tbsp 30 ml cider vinegar ­ 1/2 cup 125 ml canola oil ­ salt and pepper to taste for the cranberry-orange vinaigrette finely chop the dried cranberries and allow them to hydrate in the cranberry juice for 30 minutes add the orange zest and juice vinegar oil salt and pepper whisk together and store in a mason jar give the vinaigrette a shake just before using it as it may separate makes 1 cup 250 ml roasted pepper and aged cheddar fritters with chipotle mayo $2.12 per serving prep time 40 minutes this hors d oeuvre is a great party favou for the parsnips and brussels sprouts atlantic books today

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atlantic books today book excerpt rite when we cater at people s houses think of it as the chives canadian bistro cheese puff the base batter can be made and nearly anything can be added canned crab shrimp different cheeses ham or bacon but we usually keep it vegetarian for our parties as we often don t know who is coming for dinner these really are delicious and can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven just before serving fritters ­ 1/2 cup 125 ml unsalted butter ­ 1/2 cup 125 ml water ­ 1/2 cup 125 ml 2 or whole milk ­ 3 dashes of tabasco sauce ­ 1 1/4 cups 310 ml all-purpose flour ­ 1 tsp 5 ml salt if using salted butter reduce the salt by half ­ 3 free-range eggs plus 1 yolk ­ 1/4 tsp 1 ml freshly ground black pepper ­ 1/2 cup 125 ml grated aged cheddar cheese orange or white ­ 1/4 cup 60 ml pickled roasted red peppers finely chopped ­ 2 tbsp 30 ml chopped fresh chives or parsley ­ 4 cups 1 l vegetable oil for frying chipotle mayonnaise ­ 1 cup 250 ml mayonnaise ­ 2 tbsp 30 ml canned chipotle paste ­ juice of half a lemon for the fritters in a heavy-bottomed saucepan bring the butter water milk and tabasco sauce to for the chipotle mayo a simmer add the flour and salt and mix simply mix well until smooth makes 1 cup well over low heat cooking for a couple of 250 ml abt minutes when the paste pulls away from the sides of the pot and forms one large ball place in a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment while the paste is still very warm turn the machine on medium speed and add the eggs and the yolk one at a time until they are well incorporated add the pepper grated cheese chopped red peppers and chives or parsley and mix until smooth remove from the mixer and refrigerate in a covered container for at least 4 hours until it sets when the batter is very cold and has firmed up considerably heat the vegetable oil in a large steep-sided stainless steel pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 320°f 160°c using two large soup spoons make 2 5-cm quenelles football-shaped dumplings by scraping the batter off one spoon with the other changing spoons each time if this is too difficult simply drop a heaping spoonful on a greased cookie sheet and roll into a ball shape fry fritters in the oil until they float about 6 minutes each they should be golden brown but not too dark lower the heat of the oil if they are browning too fast and there s still uncooked batter in the centre serve with chipotle mayo as a dipping sauce below serves 6 to 8 as an hors d oeuvre about the author craig flinn studied contemporary and classical cuisine in europe canada and the u.s before opening his restaurant chives canadian bistro in 2001 chives was recently voted best fine dining restaurant in halifax for 2010 and in november of 2009 taste of nova scotia awarded chives its prestige award for best cuisine in nova scotia other books by craig flinn include fresh local straight from canadian farms to your table and fresh canadian bistro top canadian chefs share their favourite recipes atlantic books today holiday 2010 9

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atlantic books today book excerpt abt book excerpt gadzooks the christmas goose by jennifer mcgrath kent illustrations by ivan murphy excerpted from gadzooks the christmas goose by jennifer mcgrath kent illustrations by ivan murphy nimbus publishing $19.95 hc 32 pp 978-1-55109-794-7 october 2010 new children s book from nimbus publishing corina wants to nurse a mischievous canada goose back to health but granddad wants it cooked for christmas dinner can corina keep the cheeky bird safe from her curmudgeonly grandfather corina was in the kitchen making rosehip jelly with her grandmother when the storm struck it hammered at the door and threw sleet at the windows it blew the shingles off the henhouse it tipped over the tool shed and blew the weather vane off the barn it blew a canada goose out of the sky corina found the bird the next morning tangled in the twisted remains of gran s clothesline poor thing said corina he can t fly granddad came stomping through the storm-tossed yard gadzooks he grumbled what a mess he stopped when he saw the big plump bird hmm he grunted christmas came early this year then he stomped off to rebuild his woodpile what did granddad mean when he said that christmas came early this year corina asked her grandmother it s not christmas yet he meant the goose is like a christmas present said gran oh i think so too said corina she stroked the satiny smooth neck the goose laid its head on her shoulder he meant the goose would make a good christmas dinner said gran 10 holiday 2010 oh no cried corina hugging the bird tightly not this goose corina and her grandmother bandaged the bird s injured wing they gave him some corn and put him in the henhouse to sleep with the chickens they forgot to tell corina s grandfather the next morning when corina s grandfather went to feed the chickens an enormous goose exploded out of the door hissing and honking corina s grandfather was so surprised he fell over backwards right into the mud gadzooks granddad spluttered shaking an angry fist bird your goose is cooked at suppertime corina s grandfather went out to milk the cow hiss-hiss went the milk into the pail hiss-hiss went the goose in granddad s ear over went the milking stool over went the pail over went granddad gadzooks hollered granddad bird your goose is cooked the next afternoon corina s grandfather was dozing in his favourite chair zzz-zzz went granddad nibble-nibble went the goose gadzooks yelled granddad bird your goose is cooked the days got shorter the goose got fatter corina s grandfather started humming christmas is coming under his breath the goose was curious about the christmas tree decorations he was curious about wrapping paper and ribbon he was very curious about the strings of brightly coloured christmas lights gadzooks howled granddad i m going to cook that goose myself abt atlantic books today

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atlantic books today book excerpt about the author illustrator jennifer mcgrath kent is a freelance writer and the author of chocolate river rescue which was shortlisted for four children s choice book awards and won the 2009 hackmatack award and white cave escape shortlisted for the 2010 ola silver birch award currently she lives in the country just outside of moncton new brunswick with her family and several pets ivan murphy works and lives in halifax nova scotia his work has appeared in adult and children s fiction and non-fiction books as well as in publications for symphony nova scotia canada post and the atlantic film festival atlantic books today holiday 2010 11

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atlantic books today book excerpt abt book excerpt african chronicles a memoir by burris devanney excerpted from african chronicles a memoir by burris devanney new world publishing $24.95 pb 448 pp 978-1-89581-442-2 october 2010 in 1965 newlyweds burris and louanne devanney joined a massive airlift of canadian teachers to an africa of bright prospects on canada s new development assistance program african chronicles is burris devanney s 400-page memoir of the dramatic first two years of the couple s life-long engagement with africa new memoir from new world publishing the night train to bulawayo was vintage colonial neat clean comfortable postvictorian it was nothing more or less than a story-book train like many features of life in rhodesia the railway was segregated only by price of ticket white people and a few blacks chose sleeping compartments but only blacks elected the open coaches the ministry of education had provided louanne and me with a first class compartment we had just settled into our room about thirty minutes before departure when we realized that our brownie box camera was missing i hurried back into the terminal and telephoned the hotel the cleaning staff had already discovered the camera on a table in our room and had brought it to the front desk the receptionist said he would dispatch someone by taxi to bring it to the train we opened the window of our compartment and watched for the courier he arrived on the platform holding the camera high in his right hand a tall thin young black man panting hard the train was pulling out of the station he ran with all his strength alongside of the 12 holiday 2010 train several coaches behind the one from which i was waving he had seen me but could not keep pace with the gathering speed of the train by now everyone on our side of the train seemed to be part of the drama some were shouting encouragement to the breathless courier while i could only look back helpless at his diminishing figure then there was general applause as the young man turned smartly and passed the camera to an outstretched arm he stopped running and looked keenly ahead to where our section of train was bending slightly as we cleared the terminal i waved again thank you thank you soon the camera had made its way forward hand by hand through six or seven coaches to our own awash with gratitude i could only think so this is africa as we travelled through the dark countryside i could not resist cupping my hands around my face and pressing myself to the window trying to see what animals might be prowling about the countryside what do you expect to see in all that darkness asked louanne disdainfully i can t see anything i said but something might see me i imagined zebras wildebeest and lions observing our familiar night train with idle curiosity we found a corner table in the crowded station dining room and ordered fried eggs and bacon coffee and toast we were well into our food when we saw two middle aged men a tall white man with prominent features and a shorter roundfaced black man scouring the room as their eyes settled on us we waved tentatively they smiled broadly and joined us shaking our hands enthusiastically as we tried to rise from our chairs the tall white man spoke first ah mr and mrs devanney so glad to see you at last i m ken worger and this is mr griffiths malaba mr malaba is the headmaster of tegwani mission secondary school and i am his deputy and school chaplain ken worger spoke with a pronounced english accent your train was early we looked all over the station for you mr malaba added softly it s good you came into this restaurant the atlantic books today

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atlantic books today book excerpt about the author burris devanney grew up in halifax n.s he took degrees at saint mary s arts dalhousie education and the university of ottawa masters in english he enjoyed a full career as a high school teacher and administrator in halifax but along with his wife louanne he also found or created opportunities to work in several african countries for twenty years he managed an ngo working in the education health and community development sectors in the gambia and sierra leone he is the recipient of several prestigious awards for international development work including the order of the gambia the lewis perinbaum award in international development and an honourary doctorate from saint mary s university he and louanne live in halifax they have two children and one grandchild it s good you came into this restaurant the railway station is the only place in all bulawayo where whites and blacks can dine together please sit down enjoy your breakfast we ll have some coffee with you railway station is the only place in all bulawayo where whites and blacks can dine together please sit down enjoy your breakfast we ll have some coffee with you there were no white suburbs or black townships at the west end of the city we came abruptly onto dry grassland and ken worger steered the van from the left lane of the paved urban thoroughfare onto the two narrow rounded strips of tarmac that marked the beginning of a single lane rural road we have just mounted an engineering marvel announced peter wells the eighteen year old volunteer in his uncorrupted yorkshire accent the individual strips of pavement are just wide enough and just far enough apart so that one size fits all vehicles it s ingenious really we passed a sign that read plumtree 63 miles figtree 33 miles although ken maintained a good speed we never caught up with any traffic ahead of us if indeed there was any and met only three oncoming vehicles along the way at the first such encounter i won dered who would have the right of way on this single lane highway the oncoming vehicle was a land rover it loomed large and formidable the two drivers sped toward each other like two locomotives claiming the same set of tracks i seriously doubted the reverend minister s christian charity as he and his opposite ­ his opponent ­ kept all four tires on the two strips of pavement until a collision was imminent then simultaneously as if on signal each driver veered to his left maneuvered his right hand tires onto one strip of pavement and passed the other with no reduction of speed our left hand tires ripped up the dust at the side of the road for about three seconds then all four tires were back on tarmac again among the passengers in the van only louanne and i seemed aware of our close encounter with infinity henry knoll an afrikaner with the leathery complexion facial lines and musculature of a man who had spent most of his life working out-ofdoors under the african sun was sitting in the suicide seat next to ken worger he was totally unfazed some moments later he looked back and explained no one likes to get into the dirt too soon i began looking earnestly ahead on both sides of the road for signs of human life we drove for forty minutes there was nothing on any horizon but dry grass bushes and stunted trees i anticipated finding a small town or village or at least a shop or service station at figtree but there was only a sign figtree we didn t even slow down so so no one lives here in figtree i tried to sound nonchalant peter laughed i ve been through here several times already in the past three weeks i ve never even seen the fig tree henry pointed to an established pattern of tire prints on the right you follow that track over there through the bush twenty twenty-five minutes maybe more there s a small mission baptists i found no consolation in the presence however near or far of a lonely baptist mission no one had any other comfort to offer with every mile i was being driven against my will farther into desolation louanne and i were on our way to nowhere for two years we were trapped abt atlantic books today holiday 2010 13

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