THE STONES OF BURREN BAY

Norie Lynch has a passion for art and feels a close bond with Johanna, her maternal grandmother. After Gram’s death, Norie’s controlling father is killed in a car accident that also destroys a precious artist’s box that belonged to Gram and was brought to Canada when the family left Ireland generations ago. Now, Norie can’t face doing art. She and her mother, Alice, go stay with Alice’s friend Dahlia and her family in rural Burren Bay on Manitoulin Island. There, Norie slowly connects with emotionally distant Alice. She also gradually forms bonds with Dahlia’s family—daughter Wil (also 15) and husband Gibson—and people in the local community, such as artist Nell Gallagher and contractor Ray Fox, who’s cued Anishinaabe (other major characters read white). Norie also finds a healing connection to the landscape around the nearby lighthouse, finding her way back to her artist’s soul in part by connecting to the past through the story of Oonagh, an 1892 immigrant from Ireland. This compact, lyrically written novel will appeal to readers who appreciate character-driven stories and rich symbolism. De Angelis roots her story in a well-rendered landscape, creating a strong sense of place in both the historical and contemporary storylines.

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