Grayling

by Gillian Wigmore

Follows a couple as they descend the Dease River in north-western BC. This title teases out the nuances between a man and a woman as they meet, travel together, dodge rocks in a boulder garden, and fish their way down the river.

Genres: Fiction, Canada

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

About the author

A library branch manager and the daughter of a veterinarian, Gillian Wigmore has published three books of poems: soft geography, winner of the ReLit Prize; Dirt of Ages, shortlisted for the George Ryga Award; and Orient. As well as Night Watch, she has written a novella, Grayling, and Glory, a novel. She lives in Prince George, BC.

Reviews

[Aaron Shepard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully evokes the wildness of the Dease River, and the tension between the two characters keeps the novella humming along. Both characters (especially the woman) remain mysterious to us in many ways, but we learn enough that the eerie ending resonates.

[Caroline Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful novella. As I have been paid to write a review of it for the summer issue of BC Bookworld, which has not appeared yet, I won't do a review here. Suffice to say, I do highly recommend it.

[John Geary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an interesting read, and a short one. The novella is only 112 pages long and I polished it off in one afternoon a rainy afternoon sitting by the fireplace in my home in Vancouver.
I love almost any story that involves a canoe trip down a river, and this one was no exception. But because it's fiction there are some very macabre elements to the story. It's about a couple's trip down the Dease River in northwestern British Columbia – but the woman in the story joins the man partway into his journey; they're both strangers, never having met before, and some very interesting dynamics and situations evolve the further downriver they paddle.

[Madyson Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently re-reading this after studying it for university, love the characters and Wigmore’s descriptions of the landscape. Immersive and highly engaging for anyone who enjoys the wilderness/outdoors with an intriguing twist

[Aaron Shepard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful evocation of the northern landscape - a moody, yet swift-moving novella. I know a lot of people who read it this summer, but I'd recommend it as the perfect autumn read.

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant debut makes your sixth sense hum. You can reread it many times and still be amazed.
It doesn't let you go, even long after you have finished

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

A touching novella on canoeing, loneliness, and the intimacy of telling a story to a stranger.

[Hannah Calder · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a local author and I thought I would give this a try and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story with the almost poetic discriptions of the river and the unlikely journey they go on . I enjoyed getting to know the characters and didn’t want this book to end ! It’s a very short book that captured my attention! Great job Gillian !

[Hailie · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHERE DID SHE GO

[Kira]

Quick, rich, and mysterious.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gillian's prose sings throughout this novella, and the visceral descriptions made me feel as though I was sitting in the canoe alongside the characters. Wonderful work!