Ontario Library Association
Evergreen Reading Award™ Program

NOMINEES FOR 2007

	Absolute Honour Written by C.C. Humphreys Humphrey's swashbuckling adventurer, Jack Absolute, "the 007 of the 1770s", returns in a third rollicking tale. The young British officer, recuperating from the previous year's battles in Canada, is in top form. While returning to England, he and his new comrade, "Red" Hugh McClune, take a rich prize at sea, only for Jack to fall to a nearly lethal fever until cured by Hugh. While convalescing in Bath, Jack falls for the Irishman's beautiful cousin, Laetitia, though both she and Hugh hide secrets. In the ensuing tragedy, Jack barely escapes with his life, but loses his honour. In this whirlwind tour of New World and Old, Jack seeks the restoration of his honour through cannon fire, espionage and sword duels—with unforeseen consequences.
	The Birth House Written by Ami McKay Modernity meets tradition during World War I in the isolated coastal town of Scots Bay, Nova Scotia where the men make their living building boats and fishing and the women tend to matters of the home, including birthing and raising children, feeding their families, and cultivating gardens and friendships. When Dr. Gilbert Thomas arrives, promising to bring safe and hygienic methods to childbirth, the local women are faced with the choice of turning to him or continuing to be cared for by the midwife, Marie Babineau. After Miss Babineau disappears, Dora Rare (rare in name and also for having been the first female born to her family in five generations) who has apprenticed with Miss Babineau, takes over the midwifery practice, turns her home into the "birth house" and faces off against Dr. Thomas. Interspersing her story with letters, journal entries and newspaper ads, MacKay creates an evocative and charming debut novel.
	By the Time You Read This Written by Giles Blunt Detective John Cardinal has been with the Algonquin Bay police force for years. He's well-known by his colleagues, but also by the criminal element in the area, and when his wife supposedly commits suicide, Cardinal suspects a revenge murder. Overcome with grief, he can't accept that his beautiful Catherine could have ended her own life. Yes, she suffered from manic depression for years and yes, she discussed suicidal thoughts with her psychiatrist on many occasions, but she was feeling better, enjoying her life again... How could she do it? The more he tries to look at the case objectively, the more discrepancies he finds in the circumstances of his wife's death, and the more grief he feels. Meanwhile, Detective Lise Delorme, one of Cardinal's colleagues, is given a disturbing case of Internet child pornography to examine. Hundreds of photos of the same little girl being abused by an unidentified male have been sent to Delorme from the Toronto Police Department when background images in some of the photos suggest that the little girl may have been abused in or near Algonquin Bay. Delorme has no idea when the photos may have been taken, but is intent on finding and saving this little girl. As Cardinal tries to come to terms with his wife's death, and Delorme gets more involved with the child pornography case, they slowly discover that the two situations are indirectly connected to one another.
	Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? Written by Anita Rau Badami Rooted in the political minefield that was India and Pakistan in the 20th century, Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? is the story of three women- Bibi-ji, Leela and Nimmo- whose intertwined lives are as tumultuous as the history of their home country, and whose personal sagas follow them to Canada. In 1935, sixteen-year old Bibi-ji achieves her heart's desire by stealing her sister's future and emigrating to Canada. For many years, Bibi-ji lives blissfully and wilfully unaware of the consequences of her actions, until Leela, her closest friend, happens to connect Bibi-ji to Nimmo, the young woman believed to be Bibi-ji's niece. Bibi-ji's guilt propels her to convince Nimmo to send her son, Pappu, to Canada where Bibi-ji will raise him. In June 1984 Indira Gandhi sends the army into the sacred Golden Temple in Amritsar, sparking violence among Sikhs all over the world. One of the people inspired to violence is Pappu, now a young man torn between his upbringing in the west and his history which in India. Five months later, in Delhi, the Indian prime-minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. In the aftermath, a wave of violence against Sikhs is unleashed. Nimmo and her family are destroyed. Engulfed by sorrow and a corrosive, indiscriminate rage against all Hindus, Bibi-ji cuts off her long friendship with Leela Bhat. So destructive and paralyzing is her anger, that she is indirectly responsible for one more tragedy. Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? weaves together the personal and the political, the past and the present — and seamlessly guides the reader into the realities of terrorism and religious intolerance.
	Causeway: A Passage from Innocence Written by Linden MacIntyre Linden McIntyre’s memoir Causeway: a Passage from Innocence is a moving account of the effect of the building of the Canso Causeway on the residents and town of Port Hastings on Cape Breton Island. The Change began on September 15, 1952. This bridge between Mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island also signified a bridge between father, Dan Rory, and son, Linden. The Causeway promised a better life and a stronger economy for the Islanders. Personally, it meant Linden’s father would no longer have to earn a living “away” from home. McIntyre’s memoir is written in a style that makes readers feel as though they are sitting in front of the woodstove in McIntyre’s boyhood home drinking tea (or something stronger) and listening to stories of wonderful characters and a disappearing way of life. This engaging memoir, full of warmth and humour, is a pleasure to read.
	Charles the Bold Written by Yves Beauchemin (Translated By Wayne Grady) A Dickensian novel set against the political upheavals of Quebec of the '70s. The book traces the turbulent early life of the indomitable Charles Thibodeau, left motherless at four and at the mercy of his violent, drunken father. Charles's acute instincts for survival help him overcome heartbreakingly adverse circumstances. His adventures provide the framework on which Beauchemin has woven a rich tapestry of life involving memorable characters in east end Montréal.
	Cockeyed: A Memoir Written by Ryan Knighton This is a humorous, but thoughtful, memoir of a young man from British Columbia who is losing his sight. Part coming-of-age story, part travelogue, this book details Ryan Knighton’s adventures from his first driving experiences and relationships with girls to his college days in Vancouver and term teaching English in South Korea.
	Dream Wheels Written by Richard Wagamese This book deals with the growth and maturing of more than one character. There are many themes present here and it would be a good choice for a book club. Joe Willie Wolfchild is about to become a World Champion rodeo cowboy when he is severely injured by a bull he is riding. As he comes to terms with the way his life has changed as a result of the injury, he is supported by his close family. Claire Hartley and her son Aiden have lived a nomadic life as Claire has moved from one unsuitable man to another. After Aiden is arrested as a result of a botched robbery, an Edmonton policeman helps them find a new beginning, but they both must still face their past and choose their futures for themselves.
	A Good Death Written by Gil Courtemanche (Translated by Wayne Grady) It is Christmas Eve and a large family has gathered for what will probably be the last time. The father who has always loomed as a terrifying figure is now in the last stages of Parkinson’s Disease and is unable to communicate due to the further complications of a recent stroke. Andre, the eldest sibling a man approaching sixty, witnesses the conflicting but well-intentioned ways he and his siblings react to their father’s approaching death. They argue over what is best for him without pausing to consider that this might not be what he wants. This deeply contemplative novel challenges the reader to examine what it means to have a good death while at the same time coping with the fear of loss and what, if anything comes after.
	Still Life Written by Louise Penny The murder of a much loved and highly regarded woman in a small village in the Eastern Townships of Quebec brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec to the small village of Three Pines. As Gamache and his team investigate and discover whodunit, they meet a variety of the locales and learn that everyone in this picturesque village has a secret.