Voices from the Lake

Melanie Marttila is a Sudbury-based freelance writer and writing
consultant.

This long poem is an accomplishment in itself. More than 100 pages in
length, it endeavors to retell a legend the author heard when she was a
young girl. The lyrical tale is part love story, part parable of
environmental responsibility, and part cultural exploration. For all
that it attempts to be, Voices from the Lake is well written. The reader
might ask, however, if the subject matter of the poem isn’t more
suited to a prose treatment.

E.M. Watts appears from her photo to be a woman from the late 19th or
early 20th century. Unfortunately, no biographical information appears
on the dust jacket. If Watts is what she appears, then Voices from the
Lake would be an essential addition to libraries focusing on early
Canadian women writers. If Watts is a more contemporary writer, the
issue of cultural appropriation might overshadow any value the work
might have on its own.