Book ~ "Tyler's Cape" (2003) Darren Greer

From Cormorant Books ~ When Luke Conrad's aging mother breaks her hip he must return to the Nova Scotian fishing village of Tyler's Cape for one summer to take care of her. There, as he starts to remember the childhood he has worked so hard to forget, Luke unearths a secret in his mother's past — a secret that could be the key to understanding all that has happened to his family.

Taking the reader on a journey through childhood and memory, Tyler's Cape is a story about the relationship between brothers, the difficult yet enduring nature of family, and the rediscovery of a child's lost world of grace and glory.

What an excellent novel! I'd definitely recommend it.

It's not a happy story at all but I found it hard to put it down. I'm originally from Nova Scotia and could relate to the characters and mannerisms.

Written in the youngest brother, Luke's voice, it follows three brothers, Tom, Billy and Luke, who grow up in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia. Their father dies when they are young and they are raised by their mother, Dora, who is bitter and extremely anti-social. Dora is not likable at all and it's not until you got to the end that you discover why she is the way. I didn't excuse her actions but at least it explained why she had turned out the way she did.

I'll leave you with a quote from Tom, speaking to Luke, when they were adults:

"You're responsible for yourself. Your life is your life. You can drink it away, screw it away, do whatever you want but it's yours. You're responsible."