St. Vitus Dance

Ingrid conHausen was a librarian in New Hamburg, Ontario.

Gutteridge, author of 18 books of poetry and prose, is a professor at the University of Westem Ontario. In this vigorous historical novel we meet several strong women, notably the feisty Lily, who “ain’t had a proper upbringin” (p. 99). She grows up with absolutely no advantages in Point Edward, Lambton County in the middle of the last century. As well as enduring the usual hardships of the death of parents, childbirth, widowhood, her life is touched by the Underground Railroad, the politics of the time, and in one amazing incident, by the life of the Prince of Wales.

This marvelous tale deserves better packaging. The covers are plain; the print looks like a reduced copy of what comes out of a word processor; it is not kind to the eye. The book cries out for a lush cover and decent type to match the author’s rich prose.

Despite these physical shortcomings, readers can look forward to a lusty tale of bawdy dialogue, earthy characters and a wealth of incident, all served up in a rich, literate and amusing prose style.