Twenty-Six

by Leo McKay Jr

By The Acclaimed Author Of Like This,
A Finalist For The Giller Prize

Leo McKay Jr.’s bestselling novel is set in a small Nova Scotia town, where a family is changed forever after a devastating mining accident claims the lives of twenty-six men. As the story shifts back and forth in time and between characters, we meet the men and women of the Burrows family: brothers Ziv and Arvel, drawn to the mine for different reasons; their father, a former union organizer; Ziv’s ex-girlfriend, now living in Japan; and Arvel’s wife, who hopes for a better life for herself in the city. In the aftermath of the explosion, and as the investigation into its causes unfolds, the members of the Burrows family are forced to confront each other – and themselves – bringing the novel to its moving and redemptive conclusion. Written in spare, hard-hitting prose, and inspired in part by the Westray mining disaster, Twenty-Six is a novel of universal human struggle and understanding that evokes in all its drama and pathos a community transformed by tragedy.

Genres: Canada, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Family, Canadian Literature, Drama, Grief

400 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Lyn Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leo McKay Jr. has recently published another novel, and through a friend's excitement about it, I came to learn of "Twenty-Six." I wondered how this local, award-winning writer had previously escaped my attention. I seldom look to see what others have said about a book, but in searching information on the writer I learned 'Twenty-Six' was named by Canada Reads as one of the forty most important Canadian books of the first decade of the 2000's. I would praise it even higher, so taken I was from the first page by the story and the writing. I began it without knowing it was inspired by a Nova Scotian mining disaster and may not have chosen to read it, remembering the sad suspense and outcomes on television during two such tragedies in the late 1950s, but I am very glad I read this. Immediately I liked the way it was put together with chapters focussing on different characters at different times. The story goes back and forth in time and place, which added to its suspense, drama, and horror, and increased my interest in it. I even related well to one character's portrayal of life in Tokyo. I recommend it not only as a story of families caught in the sticky webs of their difficult lives, but also as an important piece of fictionalized Nova Scotian history.

[D.A. Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as part of "One Book Nova Scotia". At first, I didn't want to read this. It's about the Westray Mine disaster and I have to say that Disaster tourism and writing has become a bit of a giggle amongst we "come from aways" here in NS. It seems only terrible disasters are worth writing about, and that if you try to write about anything else, you will never get published.
But it suddenly called to me one day and I leapt in, like you do getting into the Atlantic Ocean.
It's a wonderful nuanced book, filled with characters you really grew to care about. The disaster hits hard, but it's the effect on the families and their friends that truly resonates. McKay is an excellent writer, not a word to spare. I hated to put it down.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

So glad that this book ended up on the Canada Reads Top 40. I'm not sure why it didn't get more attention when it came out. This book tells the story of the Burrows family, a Nova Scotian working class family, and the impact that a mine explosion has on the family members. There's some great writing in this book, and a good narrative structure. I wish this book had gotten more attention.

[Teenage Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot:
*Trigger Warning: Suicide*
In 1988, Ziv worked at Zellers after dropping out of university. But at least he went. Compared to his older brother who got an electrician degree at community college, to his father who did not even finish high school, Ziv was the smart one. His ex-girlfriend, Meta, who he grew up with but did not notice until university, is off in Japan, as unlike him, she stayed in university and ended up doing something with his life. Unlike Ziv, who after work gets drunk and then walks around down by his equally drunk father, he goes to bed and Ziv can creep home. Ernis, the father of Ziv and Arvel, has never been close to his sons. As a founder of the worker’s union, he was always harsh on his sons for being a ‘waste of space’, and it was the proudest day when he found both of them going into the mines in 1987, a true Canadian job. His wife was not so pleased. Mine work was dangerous, and even in 1987 was unnecessary, but she could not tell her sons what to do. Arvel, the oldest son, also had a drinking problem. One he promised his wife he would stop, especially for their daughter. But when Ziv’s friend Alec came over with a bottle of rum, the two of them passed out where the baby was crying in the other room. That was the first time Jackie, his wife, kicked him out. Longing to go to Halifax, Jackie lost the battle time and time again with Arvel, as she could make more money in the city, and give their kids a better education. Arvel wants to stay in his hometown, and in the mines. Even with unsafe practices, the boss gave the workers two options: quit or go to work. With each day passing like a ticking time bomb, only one spark can light the joint up and bury them all under.

Thoughts:
A surprisingly heartbreaking tale. For those who do not know, Nova Scotia is a small province on the eastern shore of Canada, with the capital city being Halifax, also known as the city as it is the largest city east of Montreal. The story revolves around a coal mine collapse that killed twenty-six men. The years go between 1988, 1982, and 1987, about this family and all the emotions they hold for each other. With the main family starting with Ernis, his temper is what got in the way between him and his sons. Easily frustrated, he does not know how to connect with his sons, and with recent tragedies, he is losing them even more. Ziv is dealing with problems as well, after losing some young friends, a very shocking and upsetting scene, and dropping out of school, he is lost in a world and does not know what to do. What's best about MaKay's work is all the side stories. He truly did not leave any loose ends, bringing up things you would not even think of until the end. Side stories like Meta in Japan, which has a whole book's worth of plot thought as she deals with living in a new culture, Yuka, and her job. Jackie is another side story that is given in detail as she deals with her high school sweetheart who is not so sweet anymore. Traveling between times is annoying as you want to know what is happening in the present day/time of the explosion, but it also gives you a drive you keep reading, while giving you a back story on the characters. With an event that shaped so many mines in Nova Scotia and a family that was already seeing gaps get torn apart even more, McKay does a fantastic job at writing about the loss, love, and grief of this poor Nova Scotian family.

[Anna Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book for all Canadians, and most definitely all Nova Scotians. Leo Mackay Jr. transforms the pain of the red row and the disaster to a beautiful work of prose. A tortured story of father and son, a community’s heartbreak. This is required reading and is a work that will transcend time.

[Morwenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this, but in truth I had to return to the library before finishing it, got just over 3/4 way through. My observation as someone who doesn’t know anything about writing is it would have benefited from better editing. Also, not sure the purpose of the time jumping in the narrative.

[Jody MacPherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prairie Dog Book Club selection!

[Kellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent characters. Great writing. An excellent rendering of the side effects of long term grieving.

[Miral khalid · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was BAD...REALLY BAD.

[Glenda Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and heart wrenching. I love reading authors I know.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

On May 9, 1992, a methane explosion ripped through the Westray coal mine in Stellarton Nova Scotia, resulting in the death of all twenty-six men underground at the time.

Twenty-Six by Leo McKay Jr. Is closely based on that event, imagining the lives of the fictitious Burrows family, affected by that disaster: a troubled collection of violent, alcoholic, and underemployed working-class men, and the women who put up with them.

Renamed Eastlake & set a few years earlier than actual, the mine and the explosion are major components of the book, forming the background of the plot. But the story is about people: father Ennis, desperately wanting to connect with his sons, and messing up every interaction with them. Elder son Arvel is having marriage problems; younger son Ziv despairs of having a future in his home, Nova Scotia.

The reality of employment prospects and life in rural Nova Scotia is deftly portrayed.
This has been on my reading list for some time so when my local librarian suggested that I read it for One Book Nova Scotia; I readily put my name on the reserve list. I’m glad I did – and now I’m investigating their suggested list of ‘Read-a-likes’.

Read this if: you’re interested in what it’s like to live with limited education and prospects in rural/small-town Atlantic Canada; or you’d like an introduction to the WestRay mine disaster. 4 stars

I also recommend you watch the 80 minute NFB film Westray, which focuses on the aftermath and the official inquiry. As in life, so in the novel: “No matter what the inquiry finds in their hearings, no matter whether a criminal trial takes place, and no matter the outcome if one does. His son is dead. Nothing is going to make his death right. Nothing can justify it, explain it, nothing can make it hurt less. His son is dead.”

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leo MaKay's novel Twenty-Six is a devastating account of a mining disaster that claims the lives of twenty-six men in the fictional town of Albion Mines, Nova Scotia. In 1987 the opening of the Eastyard coal mine is welcomed, both as a great opportunity and economic boon for the community, and by the chronically under-employed Burrows brothers, Ziv and Arvel, as a chance to start building meaningful lives. Both apply and are given positions, which will take them underground to the coal face. College educated Ziv does not last a single shift and ends up stocking shelves part time at Zellers and drinking too much. But for Arvel it is his first steady work in years and despite obvious dangers and management's refusal to address the safety concerns of the workers, he feels he has no choice but to stick with it. When an underground explosion claims the lives of Arvel and twenty-five others on his shift, the repercussions are immediate for the families of the men who are lost, but are also felt by people all over the world. In the aftermath of the disaster, an inquiry uncovers a trail of incompetence, neglect and corporate greed leading directly to the deaths of the twenty six men. That the novel is based on events that actually happened, at the Westray mines in Nova Scotia's Pictou County, makes McKay's novel all the more searing. The N.S. government supported a project that was doomed to failure from the get go, making its cronies on the inside fat with tax-payer's dollars. Leo McKay has taken this tragic story and constructed a taut narrative that may not be particularly uplifting, but is certainly true to life.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written fictionalized account of the Westray mine disaster. It was engrossing in its simplicity and tragedy. The characters are vividly written and you almost viscerally feel the tragedy through them.

I was ten when the Westray disaster happened, old enough to feel sad hearing about it on the news (and to forever associate the CBC breaking news notification sound with the tragedy) but not really old enough to understand all the politics and details of the lead up and ensuing inquiry. I've learned more as the years went on but this is the first time I've read this much about it.

Reading this is kind of like watching Titanic in that you know what is going to happen and you desperately want it to turn out differently this time but of course the inevitable happens.

I'm glad this book has finally gotten some attention, 8 years after publication, through Canada Reads and One Book NS. Every Nova Scotian and probably every Canadian should read this book.

[Debbie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was chosen as the One Book for Nova Scotians to read. It was well worth the read. I had to finish it once I had begun - no distractions could take me away. The world described is stark and real and the novel gives a clear , riveting snapshot of one type of life in Nova Scotia. The characters are trapped in a situation that requires them to accept unemployment or underemployment or moving away or risky jobs in a profit driven government supported big business. This novel could be taking place now or in the 40's in Nova Scotia instead of the 80's.

[Meag · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good quick read of a mining disaster in the fictional town of Albion Mines, Pictou County. Anyone from the area will quickly note that this book was inspired by the Westray Mine disaster in the '90s.

This book does fall in the category of using the stereotypical, blue collar Nova Scotian families with men who drink too much and the women quietly suffering because of it.

Twenty Six is the first One Book Nova Scotia book.

[Leigh-ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was apprehensive to read this novel because I grew up in a coal mining town, in Pictou County. I lived through the Westray nightmare. The sadness and pain was unspeakable after that explosion. That being said, I really liked the book. It was really fun to be able to relate so closely to the locations and settings. I was also impressed with the way that the book became about more than just Westray. A good read!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having grown up just down the street from where this novel is set, the characters, the location, the events are all very familiar to me. MacKay Jr. as writer created true-to-life characters - the Burrows, Meta, the boys on the Arvel's mine shift, all were living and breathing people I could recognize. Drawing on the Westray Mine disaster, this is a story everyone should read and be familiar with - the havoc that is wreaked when limited opportunity meets greed and power.

[Andréa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I quit this book at around chapter 11. I wanted to learn about the mining disaster but found the book sidetracked every chapter about sob stories about violence and alcohol. I did not care for the characters. This book for me was just too all over the place and not focused on the mine which to me was the most important part. I lost interest.

[Mj Amirault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the "Nova Scotia reads" book. Will read quickly and pass it along to the next reader.

Finished. Family dynamics are so different, and tragic events causes some to rise to the occasion and others to fall into a bog so deep, it is hard to pull yourself out of, but thankfully never impossible to see the light when you gather the strength to open your eyes.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. I have to say, I could not get into the characters and didn't want to know their history. It took twelve chapters to get somewhere interesting. Also the excessive us of the "f" word bothered me. It's too bad because the Westray mine disaster is important in the history of Nova Scotia.

[Removed Removed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this a three, almost a four, but for me it dragged in a few places, and some characters seemed unnecessary. That said, definitely worth the read, and felt he did a reasonably accurate job of depicting Pictou County.

Definitely worth the read.

[Trudy Jaskela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story loosely based on a coal mining disaster in Nova Scotia. Story involves alcoholic, violent underemployed men in a small coal-mining town and the women who enable them. A mine explosion occurs. The story delves into how each of the persons cope with the disaster.

[Crystal Scott]

Was disappointed. Did not keep my interest.

[Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent. I like the way the author shared the story from the different perspectives of the characters. I loved the part about Ennis seeing the moose and then him taking Ziv skiing.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this for One Book Nova Scotia http://1bns.ca

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to read but had some good moments

[Kar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book

[Bailey Crawly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Intensely boring story, jumps pointlessly from the past to the present, the story is morbid, poorly written with flat, two-dimensional characters I had zero sympathy for.

[Aine Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book jumped from the present to the past and often had I to reorient myself. It was an honest portrayal of struggling Nova Scotians, that was well written and a fascinating read.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed the last few chapters.