Lures

Debbie Feisst is the reference/Internet resources librarian in the
Information Services Division of the Edmonton Public Library.

Nova Scotia-based writer Sue Goyette is the award-winning author of The
True Names of Birds (1998), a collection of poetry that was nominated
for several prestigious awards, including the Governor General’s
Award.

Lures, her first novel, is loosely based on a series of her poems. It
is set in Beaumont, Quebec, and centres on the lives of two anglophone
families, the McIntyres and the Evans. The main character is 17-year-old
Grace McIntyre. Locked out of her house at the onset of the novel, she
seeks solace in the home of Lily, a bookish school friend who spends her
free time copying encyclopedia definitions word-for-word into cherished
notebooks.

Grace is neglected and lonely in the mess that is her family. Her
mother, Sheila, cleans the house obsessively and covers the furniture in
plastic. Her father, Les, cannot control his urges to buy the latest
gadget from Canadian Tire. The eldest child, Gary, escapes by smoking up
in the family basement while racking up debts with a local drug dealer.

Lily’s family seems like a fantasy compared to Grace’s situation,
but they, too, have their problems. Lily’s older brother, Jerry, has
been forced to leave home after a fight with their hot-tempered father,
Stan. Jerry, a gentle soul, lives in the woods behind his family’s
home and watches over the town as he wanders during the night. Lily’s
mother escapes her husband’s violent outbursts and her son’s absence
by sketching, while their youngest son, Curtis, is an overly anxious
six-year-old. Lily hopes that her copious reading will someday pay off
in the form of a university scholarship.

From his vantage point in the mountains above town, Jerry seems to be
the only person who sees what is truly happening in his community.
Through a heartbreaking series of events, Grace’s and Jerry’s lives
collide as they offer one another a sense of hope, love, and belonging.