Review: The Colony of Unrequited Dreams
Aug. 2nd, 2005 02:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jawnbcI had the pleasure of re-reading a favourite book this week: Wayne Johnston’s The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. A book that wholly stood up to a second reading. Johnston has crafted a engaging historical novel, for which no awarenes or understanding of the history in question in required--though the book works on a whole other level for those knoweldgeable about Newfoundland.
For Canadians and canadophiles, the notion of a lifelong romantic entanglement between Joey Smallwood and (the fictious) Sheilagh Fielding having a formative role in Newfoundland (and therefore Canadian) history seems perhaps farcical. Until you read the book. Colony is, first and foremost, a great story told by a great storyteller. But like any historical fiction of note, Johnston embeds both facts into his narrative and infuses the narrative elements so convincingly one wonders if perhaps there really was a Fielding. And though the bulk of the book is written from Smallwood’s perspective, the journals, press clippings (she was a journalist), and private correpsondence of Fielding brings in new aspects of the story ... and an element of mystery.
It’s a gripping, entertaining, moving novel. Johnston’s subsequent work, The Navigator of New York is quite good, but not quite this good. This is the book for which Johnston will be remembered.
For Canadians and canadophiles, the notion of a lifelong romantic entanglement between Joey Smallwood and (the fictious) Sheilagh Fielding having a formative role in Newfoundland (and therefore Canadian) history seems perhaps farcical. Until you read the book. Colony is, first and foremost, a great story told by a great storyteller. But like any historical fiction of note, Johnston embeds both facts into his narrative and infuses the narrative elements so convincingly one wonders if perhaps there really was a Fielding. And though the bulk of the book is written from Smallwood’s perspective, the journals, press clippings (she was a journalist), and private correpsondence of Fielding brings in new aspects of the story ... and an element of mystery.
It’s a gripping, entertaining, moving novel. Johnston’s subsequent work, The Navigator of New York is quite good, but not quite this good. This is the book for which Johnston will be remembered.
