The Cartographer of No Man's Land

by P.S. Duffy

A Guardian Best Book of the Year
Finalist for the Minnesota Book Award
A Dayton Literary Peace Prize in Fiction Finalist
A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection
An ABA/Indies Introduce Debut Dozen Selection The lauded masterpiece about a family divided by World War I, hailed as “brilliant . . . altogether a remarkable debut” (Simon Mawer, author of The Glass Room ). From a village in Nova Scotia to the trenches of France, P. S. Duffy’s astonishing debut showcases a rare talent emerging in midlife. When his beloved brother-in-law goes missing at the front in 1916, Angus defies his pacifist upbringing to join the war and find him. Assured a position as a cartographer in London, he is instead sent directly into battle. Meanwhile, at home, his son Simon Peter must navigate escalating hostility in a town torn by grief. Selected as both a Barnes & Noble Discover pick and one of the American Bookseller Association’s Debut Dozen, The Cartographer of No Man’s Land offers a soulful portrayal of World War I and the lives that were forever changed by it, both on the battlefield and at home.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, War, World War I, Canada, Historical, France

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2013

About the author

P.S. Duffy was born in central China and grew up in New England and Maryland. She spent 35 summers sailing in Nova Scotia where her family roots go back to the 1750s. She has a degree in History from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec and a Ph.D. in Communication Disorders from the University of Minnesota. Currently, she is a writer in the neurosciences for Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN where she lives with her husband. The Cartographer of No Man's Land is her third book and first novel.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

P.S. Duffy's was one of the superb authors to speak at Books On The Night Stand's Booktopia Vermont event this past weekend. Procrastination found me reading Penny Duffy's The Cartographer of No Man's Land at the last minute. I literally finished at lunch just before her talk.

I truly did not realize I could be so interested in a book about the first world war. Penny Duffy feels this is due to America's distance from the causes and issues. The reality of war jump right off the page as her descriptions of battles, trenches and the like make you feel you are there, feel the pain, the sorrow, the devastation that these men endured. Do not let this keep you from reading The Cartographer of No Man's Land. There is more. It is a story about fathers and sons, husbands and wives, loss and love. The language is exquisite.

It quickly became evident to me that this fast reading was a huge mistake. I did get the essence of the story and a realization that this is a special book, one that merits a closer, slower, reading. I am certain I missed things in my fast read. My plan is to revisit this when a larger piece of reading time permits. The Cartographer of No Man's Land deserves no less.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous writing with well-crafted, evocative sentences that I would often re-read just to savor them. The Nova Scotia & France storylines were equally engaging. The characters were interesting & complex and I loved the often atypical family dynamics. Angus and Simon Peter are sympathetic protagonists and several of the secondary characters (especially Charlotte) either quickly, or eventually, became favorites of mine.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed and highly recommend this World War I novel about a fishing village in Nova Scotia during the war years. One of her sons, Angus McGrath, a talented artist, navigator, and mapmaker enlists in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, partly for patriotism and partly to search for his brother-in-law, Ebbin, a soldier, who has been declared dead. ID discs have been found but no body. Angus feels he is still alive. Angus has been told he will be posted behind the lines in London as a cartographer. Since there happens to be a surfeit of cartographers he is sent to the front to the infantry. The novel smoothly cuts from the village to the front lines back and forth. We are given a good picture of how the whole village, especially Angus' wife, son and sister carry on. The war scenes were especially vivid; they took me right to the horrendous conditions in the trenches, the skirmishing, and Vimy Ridge. Yes, he finds Ebbin, but the man is incredibly changed. After Angus is wounded with a bayonet to the shoulder and he is sent home with a paralyzed shoulder. We see finally how the war years have changed everyone into acceptance of a new way of life and thinking.

The characters were very believable. Angus' father's boat, the old and irreparable Lauralee to me was a symbol of the passing of the old way of life. When I read about the Lauralee at the end of the novel, I thought of Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard; the boat and the chopping down of the eponymous fruit trees mean the same thing. In this novel, Simon Peter, the son, helps to build a new up-to-date boat, the North Star. I felt it [along with even its name] was a symbol pointing to the coming new times and changes. I liked the author's flowing and descriptive writing style. I felt the story was paced well.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

ETA: I figured it out. Even though I ought to love this book, I don't, and that is because there is little humor in it. I don't need laugh out loud humor, but I want to smile at the way the author draws a situation or a person. No, there is very little humor in this book so reading it is kind of a chore. It ought to be good, but it isn't really. Don't tell me humor doesn't belong in a book about a war. There is always something to smile at when a book is about people!

I just picked up The Other Side of the Bridge, and reading this I knew at once what was wrong with The Cartographer of No Man's Land. In Mary Lawson's book each sentence makes me smile. I don't know if the book will be good but at least for now reading it is enjoyable.


******************************************


This is a good book of historical fiction. It contains LOTS of interesting information on:

* the role of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in WW1, culminating in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France April 9-12, 1917.
* the explosion of the vessel Mont Blanc on April 9, 1918 in Halifax Bay and following tidal wave
* the after-effects plaguing those who survived the war
* German internment camps in Canada
* banks fishing and community life in Halifax

All of the above is woven into a story about an extended family living in a village near Halifax. There is a coming of age story, a love story and a story about women who discover their own capabilities. The history is woven into family events so you never feel you are being lectured. It just sinks in. I didn't know that Canadian nurses in the war were referred to as "Bluebirds". I didn't know that some of the Canadian soldiers wore kilts. Sassoon's protests and the development of electro-therapy - it is all here.

The story covers a small time period, a little more than one year beginning in February 1917. Chapters alternate between Halifax and fighting on the front in France, but the time period is the same. It is simple to know where you are - the events and the people make this obvious, and you see what is happening in two places at a given moment in time. Both the war scenes and the life in Halifax drew me in. All of the characters are equally well drawn.

There are other themes too woven into the book - the value of art, traditional foods and flora and fauna and beeches. This author looks at nature; she is aware of nature.

I liked the reality of how the characters behave. I liked the ending. You aren't delivered a fairy tale, but that isn't to say the story is without hope. Pain and hardship and hope are well balanced.

How do I feel on completion? That was a good read. Maybe the reason I don't give it more than three stars is that I have read so many books now on the war so the content just does not surprise me anymore. This is a good strong three star book and I do recommend it.

One word about the audiobook narration by David Marantz. This I did not like, not at all. I had to tell myself to listen to the author's lines and not how they sounded. He made good prose sound corny. There are French characters and their French is just laughable. Let me put it this way, it sounds like I am reading the French, not a native French person. The narration is extremely unprofessional. When he sings you want to laugh. Read the book instead until it is available by another, better narrator.

[Antonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an accomplished and beautifully written novel, quality historical fiction with memorable characters, passion, devastation, and beauty. The chapters alternate between the fishing village of Snag Harbor, Nova Scotia, and the French Front during WWI. The point of view shifts between Angus McGrath, a coastal trade skipper and amateur artist and his 13-year-old son, Simon Peter. When Angus’s beloved brother-in-law is reported missing in action in France, Angus enlists — against his father’s wishes — with the hope of finding him. Though assured of a job in a London office as a cartographer, Angus is instead shipped to the Front and finds himself leading his men through battle after battle — trench warfare with all of its horrors: shells, howitzers, mustard gas, flamethrowers, blood and gore, and futility. Despite the senseless brutality of war, there are moments of tenderness and brotherhood among Angus and his comrades. Humanity in the midst of numbing inhumanity.

On the home front in Snag Harbor, Simon Peter negotiates his own world of complex emotions and relationships. He terribly misses his father and fears that Angus will never come home. Meanwhile he helps his mother, tolerates his grandfather, befriends and tries to defend a favorite teacher, meets a girl, and helps various others in need. He learns that the world as he thought he knew it can change at any moment, and that people are not always what they seem. There are enough plot twists and surprises in both story lines to keep the reader turning pages. And there are stunning moments of gentleness and beauty — the beauties of nature and of the human spirit — that can take your breath away.

Map, compass, North Star, lifeline. A sense of direction. These guides recur throughout the book, a book that uses the metaphors of maritime navigation to speak of a deeper, interior journey, a navigation of the inner life — the delicate balance of truth and lies, the swells and troughs of human emotion, the many sides of human nature, its kindness and its cruelty. It’s a book about love, duty, honor, bigotry, manhood. But it’s also about holding steady in the face of natural disasters and human error, keeping faith in the face of the unknown, holding on to one’s integrity, sanity, and moral compass in the midst of war, loss, and disappointment.

[Amy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And I wonder why I do not care for the things that are like the things that were...Does half my heart lie buried there..."

4.5 stars

Above is a poem recited during a hospital scene in this book. The atmosphere of this time period is created well. Characters are written thoroughly and woven into your heart without you realizing it, so that the loss of any of them is felt terribly.

Angus McGrath leaves Nova Scotia Canada to find his brother-in-law. He signs up to fight for Canada in The Great War, being promised a safe job as a cartographer in London using his art skills. Unfortunately, reality hits when he reaches England. The last thing the Allies need is another cartographer. What they desperately need are bodies, especially since it is almost time for the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France.

The book jumps back in forth between the viewpoint of Angus in France, and his son and family in Nova Scotia. It touches many issues of the time and for the most part kept my interest going.

It is not a book that wraps up all the loose threads, which normally would drive me nuts. But here I felt peaceful and hopeful, and that was enough. I would have liked to know more about his relationship with his wife, and more about Juliette and Paul. There were a couple lulls in the action of the book that thankfully got back on track. That was maybe the only frustrating thing for me. I would say 4.5 stars, showing it as five because it kept me thinking about it for a while when I finished reading.

I enjoyed the book. Which is good since I hit three disappointments in a row previously. Honestly, I think this is a book that one person will give a five and another a three. Very subjective.

For sensitive readers: The book is obviously set during WW1 and one of the most bloody and decisive battles in France. It does deal with the effects of war and battle, but is not presented in a graphic way. It is straight-forward without being in your face. Much is left to your imagination. There is a handful of curse words, mostly in the middle of battle. They were not frequent enough to keep me from reading.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It doesn't get any more flat or colourless than this. One would think, with all the inherent drama of WWI that this would ring with rage or pathos; instead, we are bored into insensibility for 366 pages. This is only a good representation of the horrors of World War I if the Allies won the war by boring their enemy to death.

I should have been in full alert by page 73: "... Hanson and Tanner sat solemnly popping lice eggs off their uniforms with lit matches. Two others beyond them were hunched over, staring dumbly at the ground in a waking sleep." I'm not sure if I'm the one popping lice eggs or whether I'm one of those who sits in a stupor, but either way, I related to these lines. When you hit this page, you've reached the zenith of excitement in this novel.

Father, son, grand-son, brother-in-law are cardboard cut-outs: archetypal, platitudinous characters who spew mundane (and moth-eaten) truisms, fulfilling their respective destinies as the nonsense characters that they are. Nonsense, in its true form, being of "no sense" at all.

The ephemeral Hettie, who is presumably meant to portray a romantic feminine figure whose spirit is too good for this world, comes across simply as a blithering idiot. Ebbin isn't far behind, so perhaps this is merely a family trait.

I found the historical setting to be exotic and yet precise -- so precise, in fact, that it reads like someone is copying it straight out of an encyclopedia. Dates, numbers of fallen warriors, weather, number of rats in the trenches, and depth of mud: all items gleaned and reproduced, almost in list-fashion, from the pages of Britannica. (Many have spoken of Duffy's "exhaustive research" but I can't find anything more in-depth than I would find in any encyclopedia.)

I predict great things for this novel: it's just the sort of thing that will end up on Canada Reads as the exhaustive, quintessential Exemplar of Canadian Literature -- and it makes me shudder for the future of CanLit. We are all too afraid to call a spade a shovel in this country.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This tale of the Great War is lyrical, lovely and still suitably horrifying. Unbelievable that this is the first novel by P.S. Duffy.

Her sure hand brings to life Angus, wife Hettie, pacifist father Duncan and son Simon Peter. Angus's background as a Nova Scotia sailor helps him make his way through the trenches in France. Ostensibly signing up to locate his missing brother-in-law Ebbin Hant, kilt-clad Angus finds his plans are subject to illogical orders from above and happenstance.

At home Simon Peter is dealing with anti-German sentiment especially against his beloved teacher.

I slowed down to savour this story. Remarkable in its scope and imagery. Unforgettable.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short review posted on Book Likes:

http://jeanettetherefugee.booklikes.c...

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Excited! My review made it onto Library Reads November 2013 list. http://libraryreads.org/november-2013...

"Angus walked down to the end of the wharf and felt a release that filled the sky. Beauty had not abandoned him. He'd abandoned it. On the battlefield he'd risked life in the midst of death. And he had not risked it since. He closed his eyes and let the stars fall around him."

Angus MacGrath is caught between the artist he longs to be and the sailor his father believes is more fitting for a man supporting a family on the coast of Nova Scotia. When Angus’ brother-in-law Ebbin disappears during World War I and his wife mentally begins to disappear he enlists with the promise of a safe cartographer’s job in London. Away from any actual fighting, he will be able to search for Ebbin. Instead, Angus is thrust into the front lines of battle in France. He finds himself an officer and changing in ways he never imagined in a world where death is expected and surviving is a surprise.

On the home front, Angus’ son Simon Peter also struggles to find who he will become as he tries to understand his pacifist grandfather, emotionally vacant mother and a country caught in the patriotic fever that only something as unknown and distant as a war across the sea could create. The cost of loyalty, the ugly face of prejudice and the hell war brings to both the soldiers on the front line and those who wait anxiously back home weaves a never sentimental but very soulful story.

I have been struggling to write this annotation not trusting how to put the experience of this book into words. The research done is incredible. To say the words are beautiful seems wrong to say in a book that gives you vivid descriptions of war, the life in the trenches experienced and also the juxtaposition of the beauty of Nova Scotia. The emotional havoc is palpable but the story line rarely goes where you expect it. The characters are well-drawn and so flawed that they linger in your head after finishing. Life changes in the blink of an eye and Duffy does a masterful job of letting the reader watch everyone desperately trying to catch up.

All these words to say, I did not want this book to end.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent work of historical fiction about World War I. Since my grandfather served in the infantry in this war, I always think of him when I read books on the subject. He never talked about it, and I wonder what he saw and felt. This book brought all of the horrors of war to its pages. Nova Scotia fisherman and artist Angus McGrath enlisted in the Canadian army because he hoped to go to Europe as a cartographer and find his brother-in-law, Ebbin, who was missing in action. Since there were already more than enough cartographers in London, Angus was sent to the front lines in France. Meanwhile, his young son, Simon Peter, had to do a lot of growing up while his dad was away. I give it four stars instead of five because I thought that some of the battle scenes were a bit long, but the writing is exquisite and the characters memorable as we see the effects that war has on soldiers, their families, and their communities.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich and sensitive novel about war, home, love, and family. While slow, it was worth taking my time. An incredible debut by an "older" writer, it gives us all hope!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story begins in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia. We see a father and son sailing together in a tiny boat, the father-&-son bond strong, the scene is one of tranquility and beauty. It forms one bookend of this story that serves as a strong foundation for the trials ahead.

It is WWI. The father in the boat is Angus MacGrath, and his son is 13 year old Simon Peter. Angus is a troubled man, trying to do his duty as a husband, father and son. In 1915 his brother-in-law and best friend, Ebbin Hant signs up to fight. After a few months of correspondence there is silence and they are worried about what has happened to Ebbin. Assured that he can work as a military cartographer in London, Angus signs up in the hopes that he can then search for Ebbin from the safety well away from the front lines. However, when he arrives in London, the assurances he had received all but vanished and he is sent to the front lines.

The story alternates between Angus in the midst of the fighting, and Simon back home trying to understand the effects of the war as changes take place in their village.

This is a beautifully written story. The scenes at the front lines are harrowing and they remind me of the ones I read in Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. I felt I knew the characters and watching many of the die just made me hold my head and weep. Angus does find Ebbin and the story the author dreamt up did surprise me and made me think - how many times has this scenario happened in real life?

I am amazed that this is a debut novel. I hope to read more of this writer in the future. The emotional resonance I felt was similar to when I read The Light Between the Oceans by M.L. Stedman. The closing scene of the novel is perfect as it really served as the other bookend to this story.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Wonderfully descriptive, the images are vivid and at times beautiful like a painting and the emotions are tangible and relatable. However, the violence and horror are subdued (I read more graphic stuff) and the story that takes place in home front at Snag Harbour felt bit nostalgic, like an ideal small town, where everyone knows each other plus some familiar character types like ones I’ve seen in TV, movies or other books brought down my rating. (e.g. Rich, vociferous lady)
How the story is told is not new, half set in front line and other half at home front, since all are affected by war. But I found author choice to use father and son as the narrators quiet interesting since we usually get the lovers/ husband and wife as narrators in this type of set up. I also fell in love with the protagonists, Angus, in his thirties and Simon Peter, in his early teens because they were intelligent, sensitive, emphatic, and strong characters.
However the story lull a bit in half way point to 3/4 point and the
author never goes into detail about Angus and Hettie’s relationship. What happened to them? Did they even love each other or did they just marry out of obligation? There were some hints at possible affection but not expressed physically or verbally to each other. I wish the author did take the time to delve into their relationship and let us learn more about them.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book! The parts in France on the battlefields were vivid and heartbreaking. So much to talk about in this book, can't wait to meet the author at Booktopia 2014!

[Ron and Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moves seamlessly between home and the front giving fresh insights to both.
A good read for all sexes and ages.

[Heather McCloud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this book--and was interested in the Canadian perspectives on WWI.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

storyline and setting is incredible but there are certain parts where i am right and the author is wrong

[Debbie Willer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the Canadians in WW1. Though this is fiction, Penny did amazing research with a great story line.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took passing the first half of the book before I was hooked. Some parts required reading slowly to savor the words.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Set on the front lines of World War I Europe and also in a small Nova Scotia fishing village, P.S. Duffy's The Cartographer of No Man's Land is a engaging novel of life during war. The narrative shifts between the stories of Angus MacGrath, an officer with the Canadian Army stationed in France, and that of his young son Simon Peter, who must get through life back at home in Nova Scotia without his father to guide him.

Duffy does an excellent job developing the novel's principal characters, especially Angus. When Angus joined the Army he was under the impression that he would serve as a cartographer in London, a position that would allow him to safely search for information on his best friend and brother-in-law, Ebbin, who has been reported as missing in action. Angus, however, ends up as an infantry officer in France, serving in the trenches with his battalion. While this turn of events provides Angus with ample opportunity to uncover Ebbin's fate, it is a situation in which he is uncomfortable as he doesn't feel he has what it takes to adequately lead the men under his command. As the novel progresses, however, it becomes evident that Angus is a good officer, one who is committed to the welfare of those who serve under him.

I've read a number of novels set during WWI, many of which do an excellent job of conveying the horrors of life in the trenches. The Cartographer of No Man's Land is no exception to this, but what distinguishes it from the other novels I've read is that it also showcases the guilt many injured soldiers felt about being out of harms way while their comrades were still fighting, and how they yearned to get back to the front lines to help them (even in cases where they were medically discharged from the military). I also enjoyed how Duffy characterized the various men who served with Angus. Another aspect of this novel I particularly like is the fact that it focuses on the war efforts from the Canadian perspective. A good portion of this novel takes place in the lead up to the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which was won by the Canadians and is considered the most significant battle in Canadian history, and its aftermath. When the narrative shifts back to Nova Scotia the reader is able to gain an appreciation for life in wartime Canada, including how Canadians of German descent were treated, how little understanding or sympathy there was for those soldiers who returned home with less than sound minds, and how difficult it was for soldiers to readjust to life away from the front lines.

While I enjoyed both Angus and Simon Peter's stories, I think it is Angus' tale that makes The Cartographer of No Man's Land such an engaging book. There is a lot going on in this novel, but it never feels as if it is too much as Duffy does a good job of tying everything together. I do think more could have been done with respect to Angus' wife, Hettie, especially given Duffy alludes to certain aspects of Hettie's life that the reader may wish were explored further. Ultimately, however, this novel isn't about Hettie and as a result the fact that her character didn't receive more attention did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Well-written, with interesting story lines and characters, The Cartographer of No Man's Land is highly recommended to anyone looking to read a great work of World War I-era historical fiction.

Source: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Cartographer of No Man's Land" which I won from Goodreads Giveaways is a poignant and chilling story set in 1916 when the horrors of the first world war ravaged Europe. In Nova Scotia far from the battlefield, Angus MacGrath and his wife Hettie learn that her impulsive and inconsiderate brother Ebbin is missing in action. Torn by his wife's despair and the mystery of his friend's disappearance, Angus enlists. His plan is to develop his skill in London as a cartographer while searching for the elusive Ebbin. What he finds instead is that he's being shipped to the Frontlines. This is a story that juxtaposes a horrific war with its trenches , barbed wire and ravaged tracts of land separating the combatants against the beauty of the sea around peaceful Snag Harbour with its idealistic patriotic spirit.

This well-researched historically - based fictional novel is written with an emotional intensity that grips the reader from the first page to the last. With dramatic intensity it portrays the inner struggle of men sworn to fight, and dying in renowned battles like Vimy Ridge and Passachendale. The story is brimming full of notable characters; their personalities realistic, and complex as they shift with the tide of war. Angus MacGrath, the sensitive,creative artist is already struggling with his passion for art and his responsibility to earn a living at sea. Troubled by the estrangement of his wife and a need to find his friend, he puts his life on hold and suddenly this mature, sensible man finds himself entangled in a fight that shatters his expectations and optimism. Ebbin Hant's reckless, adventuresome, and thoughtless but transformed by war from a coward into a hero.

In this book there are strong contrasts between the characters Hettie MacGrath is a conundrum; remote, and detached from reality on one hand and a practical businesswoman on the other. She's starkly contrasted with Juliette, supportive, kind, and struggling to survive in a war ravaged country. Likewise Juliette's son Paul, quick-witted and war-hardened is opposite to Simon Peter, who's imaginative, amiable and unspoiled by war. Yet even far from the war Simon Peter quickly matures learning the injustice of being despised and segregated because of one's nationality.

P.J. Duffy not only takes the reader on one man's emotional journey through the travesty that's war, but she weaves in the abrupt coming-of-age of children touched by the conflict, as well as the division and healing of a family. I found the story captivating and emotionally touching. I highly recommend it.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good hearted book about an important topic, World War I, seen from the point of view of a Canadian soldier named Angus. Unfortunately, it is a bit too overwhelming in its desire to tell everything about its characters and the events it portrays. Many of the subtopics would have made slim novels in their own right, but they are all crammed together, with characters picked up and abandoned at will. Duffy tells us a lot of facts about a lot of fields. Lacking a sense of direction, I could not appreciate the scene where the hero's cartographical skills were displayed. I liked his idyll with a French woman and her son, but these characters are dropped. The author seems ambivalent about the pacificism of the hero's father, and in trying to show how he keeps losing comrades and lovers, she loses track of them and they slip out of her grasp. A persecuted German, falsely believed to be a spy and jailed, suddenly becomes a communist and loses his right to our sympathies and the author's attentions. Some good descriptions of a stormy sea, of horses in stables...
The narrative structure of switching back and forth between the hero's Canadian home and the European battlefields is confusing rather than suspenseful. An attempt is made at a comparison to the Iliad (the battlefield) and the Odyssey (Angus's return home) The comparison is underscored by having Angus's commander show him his well-worn Homer and by having Angus's son read it as well. The ending, where the narrative threads are combined and the surviving characters are reunited is the best part of the book. It hints at other possible narrative strategies, and promises that Duffy may yet paint a more successful canvas using her skills on a cleaner and better prepared canvas.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the proper dictionary definition of "No Man's Land" is "the terrain between front lines of entrenched armies", it is most commonly associated with the First World War in which neither side wished to move openly or to seize due to fear of being attacked by the enemy in the process (Wikipedia). Flamethrowers, gas, mortar shells, bombs, and gunshots would be flung back and forth for hours or days. There were occasional scheduled ceasefires for a few hours, say, until 6:30, so that each side could retrieve all their dead and wounded from this middle ground before resuming the carnage.

This WWI novel centered around Angus McGrath, fighting with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1917 to wrestle Vimy Ridge (in France) from the Germans. Meanwhile, Angus's son Simon Peter, pacifist father Duncan, and wife Hettie Ellen remained home in Snag Harbor, Nova Scotia. PS Duffy navigated smoothly between the atrocities of trench warfare tactics and mass casualties of the Front to Simon's struggle to deal with coming of age in the absence of his father and the general upheaval of war. The author's strengths included excellent research, heartbreaking battle descriptions, the brotherhood and guilt felt by solider's, and glimpses into the unimaginable process of returning to "normal" life after being in constant active combat on the front lines. Interwoven in all of this were the passionate hobbies that anchored the two main characters- sailing and drawing. I liked the simple message in trying to find beauty in life and those around you when life is at its hardest.

[Jean Riescher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this engrossing story and it did what all wonderful books do, it made me a bit philosophical, it planted the seeds of ideas.

I went into reading this expecting great things as I have a soft spot for Canadian maritime fiction and for fiction set in times of tumult that explore family connections. I wasn't disappointed.

The narrative is driven by two members of a family divided by war and an ocean but the ocean doesn't separate the tumult each endures. War is an awful thing.

The author brings parallels between the power of the ocean and the power of war to expose our vulnerability in their face. On smooth seas or in times of peace, the vessel of our lives isn't challenged but when the forces of nature or of unseen political gamesmanship throw us about it matters more that the vessel that we craft be built strong enough to survive the buffeting. Knowing ourselves, making human connections, allowing ourselves to feel humbled and afraid, can sometimes be enough to help us through. Sometimes it isn't enough and we fail. There are no guarantees that being brave, or good will get us to the shore. Neither do shortcuts, ideologies or relying on others guarantee either success or failure. We need to learn to accept and own the boat of our own lives, patching it when it fails, taking the help of fellow voyagers and appreciating the calm seas after the storm.

A beautiful book, very well done.

[Buck Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times "The Cartographer of No Man's Land" shines, swelling with lyrical beauty and thoughtful imagery, giving the reader both the beauty of life on Snag Harbor, and the paradoxical lack of beauty of the trenches. But P.S. Duffy's book is not without flaws, and a want of deeper knowledge into some characters.
We are hung up on men, who the reader immediately deems major, only to have them disappear into minor window dressing. Even the protagonist, Angus, lacked some flesh and bone as the story turned some corners, making it hard to love or sympathize with him. His crusty father, Duncan, is far more real in his constant protestations against the war, right or wrong.
But the scope of Duffy's undertaking deserves the fairness of 4 stars, as at times her writing reaches a level of brilliance. Some of her conversational skills are mesmerizing, and for a short ride you believe you are there with them.
But she also has valleys where things seem contrived. All in all though, I certainly recommend it if it is your first leap into WWI literature. But if one has already read Sebastian Faulk's "Birdsong", or Pat Barker's "Regeneration", "The Cartographer" will seem a little lacking.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set against the backdrop of World War I, the story alternates between a town in Nova Scotia and the trenches of France. It is the story of the impact of the war on a family, but also the townspeople. Angus MacGrath had spent much of his life on the water sailing up and down the coast. When his brother-in-law enlists and then goes missing, Angus enlists with the idea of trying to find Ebbin. Angus' navigational skills are in need and he assumes he will have a "safe" job as a cartographer in London, but is instead sent to the front. Back home in Nova Scotia, his 13 yr old son tries to find his own way amid opposing viewpoints on the war.
Excellent! Over the last year or so, I've been on quite a historical fiction run with a number of books set during WWI. While the characters and actions are fictional, the references to battle sequences is historic. The fact that this book alternates between the two fronts - home and battle - is different and gives a good perspective on struggles and sentiments of the time. It's not just a story about the war, it's about family relationships as everyone tries to find their place and acceptance of the events that happened.

[Brooke Waite · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written sweeping story! This one gets all the stars!! The writing is just that good that I would actually go back to reread passages just to enjoy them again. I wonder how this book isn't more well known with more acclaim attached to it.

A very morally complicated theme as it takes place in the thick of WW1 in two different settings: The Front and the 'home front' of Nova Scotia. The characters are complex and memorable. Angus is a quiet, self-reflective man of the sea who makes his living as a coastal trader but his real passion is art, specifically painting. Simon, his son, is a compassionate and perceptive 13-year old with a heart of gold. Duncan, Angus's father is a man who has lost much in life and is vehemently against his son serving in a war that to him is pointless and self serving to those at the top profiting from the gross loss of life.


A haunting story of loss, heartbreak, courage, sacrifice and of coming to terms with who you are and who you are not. Many beautiful life themes here and parallels to the things you love that make a person whole. I loved it! A beautiful 5 stars.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angus McGrath has always lived for other people. In Snag Harbor, Nova Scotia, he plies a coastal trader boat for his father. He keeps his wife on an even keep. He cares for a wayward cousin's child. And when his brother-in-law, Ebbin, disappears after the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, Angus signs up with the Canadian Expeditionary Force to go looking for him. His recruiter promises that he will be assigned safely behind the lines as a cartographer—but that plan goes awry immediately. As P.S. Duffy's The Cartographer of No Man's Land opens, McGrath has been promoted to lieutenant to replace the hundred of dead officers and shipped of to the front...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.

[Elizabeth Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this Canadian mariner's perspective on WWI--nuanced, broken, full of affection. Here's a sample passage, an exchange between the soldier's son and his teacher:

"Do you believe it? That people can get messages from the dead?"

Mr. Heist considered this. "'Belief' is the word, isn't it, Simon? We believe in many things that are unseen and for which we have no evidence...I think of it this way. Suppose you had a collection of metal filings on a piece of paper. Under it a magnet. What would happen to the filings?"

"They'd all collect to where the magnet was, I guess."

"Just so. I believe while we are here, our spirits collect, like the filings, into the shape of our beings. When death comes, the magnet is removed and the spirit scatters back out. Just like the filings--the shape is gone, our individual beings, but the filings remain--part of the greater whole."