The Town That Drowned is a coming-of-age novel by Canadian author Riel Nason, first published in 2011 by Goose Lane Editions. The novel has garnered numerous accolades, including the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize for Canada and Europe, and was a finalist for the CLA Young Adult Book Award and the Red Maple Award. In addition to its Canadian success, it was published in Australia and New Zealand by Allen & Unwin in 2013.
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Riel Nason |
|---|---|
| Genre | Canada, Historical Fiction, [[Young adult literature |Young Adult]], Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming Of Age |
| Publisher | Goose Lane Editions |
Publication date | September 23, 2011 |
| Pages | 280 pages |
| ISBN | 978-0864926401 |
Plot summary
editThe novel is set in the 1960s in Haventon, a fictional New Brunswick town. Ruby Carson, a 14-year-old girl, sees her town submerged after an ice skating accident. Soon after, Ruby's premonition comes true when it is revealed that the town will be flooded to make way for a hydroelectric dam.[1] The town’s residents face the heartbreaking task of selling their homes and witnessing their community dismantled.[1]
Ruby's narrative weaves between personal and communal struggles, focusing on her relationship with her younger brother Percy, who is implied to have autism.[2] Percy’s eccentricities, including his project of sending bottles downstream with messages, contrast sharply with the growing tension in the town as it prepares for its “drowning”.[1]
Themes and symbols
editThe novel explores themes of identity, change, and the concept of home. Ruby’s coming-of-age journey involves grappling with her social identity as an outsider due to her strange vision and her brother’s condition. The theme of "home" takes on a literal and emotional significance as the town prepares for flooding and the residents struggle with displacement.[1]
The dam becomes a powerful symbol in the novel, representing the inevitable sacrifices rural communities make for urban development. Percy’s character, with his fixation on consistency and his reluctance to change, reflects the broader community’s resistance to the flood.[3]
Characters
editRuby is a nuanced character whose voice is authentic, capturing both the awkwardness of adolescence and the looming weight of loss. Her bond with Percy is central to the emotional core of the novel, highlighting themes of familial love amidst external turmoil. novel's emotional core Other characters, like the affable Mr. Ellis Cole and Ruby’s first love, Troy Rutherford, enrich the narrative by embodying the broader themes of change and resilience.
Structure and literary devices
editThe novel’s structure spans three chronological sections—Summer 1965, Spring 1966, and Spring 1967. Each section charts Ruby’s growth and the town’s steady decline, drawing on symbolism and metaphor to deepen the reader's understanding of rural displacement.[3][1] The choice of first-person narration adds an intimate layer to Ruby’s reflections on identity, belonging, and the inevitability of change.[1]
Awards
edit- 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize for Canada and Europe[4]
- 2012 Margaret and John Savage First Book Award[5]
- 2013 Frye Academy Award
- 2012 Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award (Shortlist)[6]
- 2013 OLA Red Maple Award
- 2013 International Dublin Literary Award (Long list)
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Truscello, Michael (2020). Infrastructural brutalism: art and the necropolitics of infrastructure. MIT Press. ISBN 9780262358736.
- ^ Lane, Richard J. (Summer 2013). "New Canadian Fiction: 1 / Emerging Fiction". University of Toronto Quarterly. 82 (3): 375–390. doi:10.3138/utq.82.3.1. ISSN 0042-0247.
- ^ a b Truscello, Michael. Infrastructural brutalism: Art and the necropolitics of infrastructure. MIT Press, 2020.
- ^ "2012 Prizewinners". Commonwealth Foundation. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ^ "Margaret & John Savage First Book Award (Fiction) – Dartmouth Book Awards". dartmouthbookawards.ca. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ^ Canadian Library Association announces 2012 Young Adult Book Award Shortlist. (2012, March 1). Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 7, 2024