The Turning

Nora D.S. Robins is co-ordinator of Internal Collections at the
University of Calgary Libraries.

The Turning is a historical novel set against the backdrop of the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. The story begins dramatically with a
shipwreck. We are introduced to three characters who witness the ensuing
rescue: Elise Gagnon; her daughter Janik, who dreams of angels; and Paul
Gagnon, husband, father, and moneymaker, who wants to salvage the wreck.
Into their lives is thrust the Englishman, Alan Bridges, survivor of the
Lady Morgan. His relationship with Elise and Janik leads to a ruinous
triangle in which they are forced to chose between their loyalties and
their desires. The ensuing conflicts—emotional, spiritual, and
political—form the basis of this lyrical, skilfully plotted, and
psychologically complex novel.