Defiant Island

by Robert Rayner

Overview

Robert Rayner's latest novel based in New Brunswick shows how the encroachment of age in a rural community's life exposes it to the perils of progress. White Rock Island, an isolated rural community, becomes a defiant island of souls intent on preserving itself when it is threatened by economic decisions of the provincial and federal government which tax it but threaten to withhold services that would sustain the community. When a bigger, stronger entity threatens a much smaller one, the outcome seems easy to predict. But no man is an island. For with age, nearly every community changes. But the social and institutional bonds that invigorate the social life of any community can change in an ending or a resurrection. Larger social forces that necessarily interact with the settled and simple lives of such communities, usually rural, as they attempt to survive in the face of economic forces that they do not control often decide the prospect.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940157803650
Publisher:	Speaking Volumes
Publication date:	03/18/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

A transplant from England to New Brunswick, Canada, via the island of Newfoundland, writer, musician, photographer and teacher Robert Rayner is the author of three adult novels, nine young adult novels, and four teen novels. His stories have been shortlisted in Canada for the Brimer Prize and (four times) for the Hackmatack Award. Five have been included in the Canadian Children's Book Centre 'Best Books' list, and one on the U.S. Young Adult Library Services Association 'Best Books to get Teens Reading' list. He lives on the Magaguadavic River in St. George, New Brunswick.

Praise for Robert Rayner

"...Raising questions of ethics in love, family, business, and politics, and doing so through characters coping with everything from sexuality to senility... Defiant Island is a deep and engaging read—a testament to Rayner's skill at weaving together both plot and thought."
—Kathy Mac – Poet, ‘Nail Builders Plan for Strength and Growth’ (Defiant Island)

"Rayner has a keen eye for detail... and shows a deep understanding of the Bay of Fundy's populated islands, and of the people who have struggled to wrest a living from the sea and the land... as they struggle to hold onto their homes and way of life despite business and political decisions that would see them dispersed to the mainland. I wanted them to win out, but in the end, I am not sure they did."
—David Goss – Author, 'It Happened in New Brunswick', 'Saint John Curiosities', 'Tall Tales and Curious Happenings' (Defiant Island)

"You can smell the salt water and the sea air in this novel... An absorbing story of a proud people’s fight to survive... a story of struggle and enduring friendship... a story about love. If you want to understand the spirit of New Brunswick this is a novel you should read. It'll take you on a ferry ride to a place that will seize your imagination. I want to emphasize how realistic the dialogue is. I felt like I was eavesdropping and at times even felt a little bit embarrassed that I was listening in on such a personal and private conversation."
—Terry Seguin – CBC Radio and Television (Defiant Island)