by Margaret Atwood (2002)
Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining.
Clare Morrall
Caught in an over-vivid world, Kitty feels haunted by her 'child that never was'. As children all around become emblems of hope, longing and grief, she begins to understand the reasons for her shaky sense of self.
John Gould
Kilter: 55 Fictions by John Gould is an acclaimed literary masterpiece celebrating major critical honors and timeless storytelling.
John Bemrose
For generations, the Walkers have lived on the island in a small, working class mill town beside Ontario's Attawan River. In the summer of 1965 their peace is shattered when a union organiser comes to town and Alf Walker is forced to choose between loyalty to his friends and advancement up the company ranks. His decision threatens to overwhelm not only his own life, but also his family. Through the course of the book, we come to know the Walkers intimately.
Gillian Slovo
"Irina Davydovna, survivor of the ice ship Chelyuskin, which sank in the Arctic circle, is back in her beloved home city of Leningrad. She thinks her troubles are over. But this is Leningrad in 1933. As Stalin begins to turn against the city, and his old favourite Sergei Kirov, Irina finds herself caught up in forces beyond anyone's control." "Loyalties, belief, love and family ties: all are about to be tested to the limit in one of the most devastating moments of human history." "There is Boris Aleksandrovich, who, having persuaded Irina Davydovna to go on the ice ship, feels honour bound to find her a new position within his family circle. Boris thinks he can negotiate between idealism and politics, yet his daughter, Natasha, a carefree girl, will be almost crushed by his compromises. Meanwhile, his oldest friend, Anton Antonovich, in an uncharacteristic moment, rescues a young orphan he finds on a Moscow train, only to discover that her ferocity for life will eventually threaten his own." "And watching all this unfold is Irina: wise, ironic, marvellous Irina, who comes to understand how love for another may, in the end, be more powerful and more profound than blind loyalty to an idea."--BOOK JACKET.