The Charcoal Burners

by Susan Musgrave

"His eyes never left her as he moved her across the floor.... She could see the smokefires when she looked into his eyes, could see the ghosts of his ancestors"

Once in a while comes a first novel of such savage and powerful impact, it's publication must be hailed as an important event.

"Her body was dripping: blue fluid, red worms. She was riding a cock horse to Banbury Cross. She was cradled in the bosom of the deep.. His presence filled her head. All Sound became his breathing, and silence her heartbeat."

Susan Musgrave, acclaimed as one of the most extraordinarily gifted poets this country has ever produced, has written such a novel.

"She only knew that she wanted to get away. She'd walk in circles, sleep in the cold, starve, eat roots, face bears- anything to be delivered form this madman"

Here is a story that transcends the traditional limitations of literature, a story that travels fearlessly to the darkest recesses of the human mind and soul. The Charcoal Burners is a work unlike any other, reflecting the astonishing and terrifying vision of a brilliant young author.

234 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Susan Musgrave is a Canadian poet and children's writer. She was born in Santa Cruz, California to Canadian parents, and currently lives in British Columbia, dividing her time between Sidney and Haida Gwaii.

Musgrave was married to Stephen Reid, a writer, convicted bank robber and former member of the infamous band of thieves known as the Stopwatch Gang. Their relationship was chronicled in 1999 in the CBC series Life and Times.

She currently teaches creative writing in the University of British Columbia's Optional Residency Master of Fine Arts Program.

Recognizing a life in writing, the Writers' Trust presented Susan Musgrave with the 2014 Matt Cohen Award for her lifetime of work.

Reviews

[Nicholas Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many years ago, I met Susan Musgrave at a Book Fair and tried to quiz on her novel "Cargo of Orchids". I'd been struck by the at times extreme violence in the novel. I don't remember her answers all these years later but obviously I hadn't read her first novel "The Charcoal Burners". A nightmarish tale of the hippie/draft dodger dream gone horribly awry in the BC Interior. Women are not treated well by men in this story to say the least. The stream of consciousness writing two-thirds of the way where our protagonist encounters a commune of women and is 'prepared' in the Pregnancy Wishes Ritual is packed full of imagery as perhaps befits her poetic tendencies but here the story bogs down somewhat until it picks up pace for the "baited breath" horrifying conclusion. Musgrave is a fascinating women with a life that is no less fascinating and her novels are always worth reading.

[Scott Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, brutal and unique. Be prepared for a wild ride. A book never to be forgotten. Ms. Musgrave can be hilarious one moment (her short pieces) and powerful human condition ugly the next (Charcoal Burners, Cargo of Orchids).

[Paltia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkly I wandered into unforgettable terrain. I read this long ago and still shudder thinking about it’s contents.

[Parthena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbing.