History with a Twist

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This collection of essays selected from a CBC Radio program aired weekly
in Nova Scotia brings stylistic gymnastics and local history together to
create a quick snack of light reading.

Nunn’s pages are stuffed with ghosts, shipwrecks, and assorted
characters from Nova Scotia’s past. He flips through the province’s
history and culture, looking for the absurd and the offbeat. Having
found some bit of local lore or legend that has comic potential, he
attacks it with a style his publisher calls “slanted wit” and
“slightly askew.” Puns, plays on words, witticisms, and an ear for
the outrageous characterize his unstoppable style.

While Nunn’s style may make some readers want to scream “enough
already,” there’s nothing dull about history in his hands. These
short, entertaining essays will be welcomed by Nova Scotia’s many
local history devotees.