The Topography of Love

R. Gordon Moyles is professor emeritus of English at the University of
Alberta, the co-author of Imperial Dreams and Colonial Realities:
British Views of Canada, 1880–1914, and the author of The Salvation
Army and the Public.

In “Moments of Grace,” one of 12 stories in this collection, three
Newfoundlanders—Beryl, Maud, and Dot—reminisce about the past during
a reunion in California. “They sit in the silence and heat, a great
cloud thicker than the polluted air, darker than the cigarette smoke,
hangs over them. They will never be young again, or pretty; they will
never again walk out on a spring night and know that anything might
happen, know everything is possible. Never again feel sure that all they
can ever want is there, just around the corner. That will not happen
again.” Evoking special (almost epiphanic) moments in her female
characters’ lives is one of Bernice Morgan’s many talents. Her
stories, by turns humorous and poignant, are notable for their
believable dialogue and beautifully realized characters. The Topography
of Love is a powerful, rewarding collection.