Disturbing the Peace

Denise Denomme is a library assistant at the Laurentian University
Library.

Disturbing the Peace, Woodward’s first collection of short stories and
poems, is set in Peace River Country; hence the title.

“Peace River Block,” the introductory poem, is a thumbprint of
times, places, and personalities gone by. This initial piece is also the
common thread for 14 stories and one poem that follow, as illustrated by
the Peace River Country map grids accompanying all the pieces.

Most but not all of the stories are told from a female perspective. A
dog narrates “Good Dog.”

These writings are funny, poignant, human, and sometimes confusing.
They are as vibrant and as colorful as the cover. A case in point is
“Imagining Autobiography,” which begins with a girl running in a
wheat field and ends with the memories of a first flight. In “Farm
Stuff,” a city lady looking for “facilities” is introduced to the
two-holer out back. “Caboose,” which tells of a young girl
protecting her romantic imaginings, conveys the painful passage into
womanhood. The book is filled with textures, smells, dreams, and
emotions.

Woodward has created a wonder-filled book, one that captured me
totally. It is a collection of feelings, moments, memories, dreams, and
nightmares served in delightful bite-sized morsels. A “feel good”
book.