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The Cure for Drowning
Evocative, magical and luminously written, The Cure for Drowning is not only a brilliant, boundary-pushing love story but a Canadian historical novel that boldly centres queer and non-binary characters in unprecedented ways.
Born Kathleen to an immigrant Irish farming family in southern Ontario, Kit McNair has been a troublesome changeling since, at ten, they fell through the river ice and drowned—only to be nursed back to life by their mother's Celtic magic. A daredevil in boy's clothes, Kit chafes at every aspect of a farmgirl's life, driving that same mother to distraction with worry about where Kit will ever fit in. When Rebekah Kromer, an elegant German-Canadian doctor's daughter, moves to town with her parents in April 1939, Rebekah has no doubt as to who 19-year-old Kit is. Soon she and Kit, and Kit's older brother, Landon, are drawn tight in a love triangle that will tear them and their families apart, and send each of them off on a separate path to war.
Landon signs up for the Navy.
Born Kathleen to an immigrant Irish farming family in southern Ontario, Kit McNair has been a troublesome changeling since, at ten, they fell through the river ice and drowned—only to be nursed back to life by their mother's Celtic magic. A daredevil in boy's clothes, Kit chafes at every aspect of a farmgirl's life, driving that same mother to distraction with worry about where Kit will ever fit in. When Rebekah Kromer, an elegant German-Canadian doctor's daughter, moves to town with her parents in April 1939, Rebekah has no doubt as to who 19-year-old Kit is. Soon she and Kit, and Kit's older brother, Landon, are drawn tight in a love triangle that will tear them and their families apart, and send each of them off on a separate path to war.
Landon signs up for the Navy.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2024
141 people are currently reading
4998 people want to read
About the author
Loghan Paylor
1 book47 followersLoghan Paylor is a queer, trans author who lives in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Their short fiction and essays have previously appeared in Room and prairiefire, among others. A graduate of The Writer’s Studio program at Simon Fraser University, Paylor has a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, and a day job as a professional geek. Their first novel, The Cure for Drowning, was longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize, named a Globe and Mail Best Book of 2024, and shortlisted for the 2025 Jim Deva Prize for Writing That Provokes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews
March 11, 2024
Heartbreaking and brilliant.
A deeply moving sapphic/queer love story set against the backdrop of WW2, told from the point-of-view of two Canadians struggling to find a place in the world and finding solace in each other.
The prose in this book was vivid and engrossing and the subject matter was often frustrating and sad. This author has a talent for writing deeply descriptive passages, action and emotion without superfluous language or detail.
The magical elements were sprinkled throughout and sometimes I wondered if they were truth, legend or it was an after affect of Kit’s almost drowning as a child. You will have to decide this for yourself, and I haven’t come to any conclusions of my own either. Perhaps Kit is a changeling descended from Selkies and there are fairies in the water, perhaps her oxygen deprived brain and imaginative mother merely convinced themselves of it. Regardless I found it fascinating.
I won’t do any plot summary here as the blurb is amazingly comprehensive and completely accurate.
Don’t go into this thinking it’s a romance though, it’s not, it’s a story of struggle, survival and finally, hope.
Thank you to NetGalley for the copy and congratulations to Loghan Paylor for a brilliant debut novel.
January 7, 2024
Emergence and Coming Out
Review of the upcoming Penguin Random House Canada paperback/audiobook/eBook (January 30, 2024) via the NetGalley Kindle ARC (downloaded December 11, 2023).
I found The Cure for Drowning to be completely engrossing as a coming-of-age story, an endurance during war story, and as a survivors coming home story. It is told in the alternating voices of Katheen (Kit) McNair and Rebekah Kromer. In the years prior to World War 2, Kit is growing up in a farming community near Orangeville, Ontario with her older brother Landon and younger brother Jep. Coming from Montreal, Rebekah moves onto a neighbouring property when her father is hired as the local doctor. In her childhood, Kit survived a drowning incident after which her personality changed, turning her into somewhat of a tomboy (there is a small magic-realism element to her ‘resurrection’). A love triangle develops with Kit and Landon both falling in love with Rebekah. The looming World War and various incidents cause everything to break apart with Rebekah forced to move back to Montreal, for Kit to run away to a vagabond life and for Landon to go to war.
In further dramatic turns, Rebekah and Kit also join the Allied Armed Forces. Rebekah becomes a signals clerk and Kit becomes Christopher (through a rather neat trick which avoids an entry medical physical), a navigator in a bomber crew flying perilous missions over Germany. Landon is meanwhile a sailor in the North Atlantic. A passionate encounter occurs when Landon again meets Rebekah, which brings about her expulsion from military service. Those who survive will meet again after the war back in Orangeville where events take various shocking turns, but where love triumphs in the end in a very satisfying and poetic conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward its official release and to further books from its author.
This is the first novel by author Loghan Paylor, who has previously published short fiction in magazines and online. They grew up in Ontario and later lived in Montreal, Quebec and currently live in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
My thanks to publisher Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this preview ARC, in exchange for which I provide this honest review.
Review of the upcoming Penguin Random House Canada paperback/audiobook/eBook (January 30, 2024) via the NetGalley Kindle ARC (downloaded December 11, 2023).
I found The Cure for Drowning to be completely engrossing as a coming-of-age story, an endurance during war story, and as a survivors coming home story. It is told in the alternating voices of Katheen (Kit) McNair and Rebekah Kromer. In the years prior to World War 2, Kit is growing up in a farming community near Orangeville, Ontario with her older brother Landon and younger brother Jep. Coming from Montreal, Rebekah moves onto a neighbouring property when her father is hired as the local doctor. In her childhood, Kit survived a drowning incident after which her personality changed, turning her into somewhat of a tomboy (there is a small magic-realism element to her ‘resurrection’). A love triangle develops with Kit and Landon both falling in love with Rebekah. The looming World War and various incidents cause everything to break apart with Rebekah forced to move back to Montreal, for Kit to run away to a vagabond life and for Landon to go to war.
In further dramatic turns, Rebekah and Kit also join the Allied Armed Forces. Rebekah becomes a signals clerk and Kit becomes Christopher (through a rather neat trick which avoids an entry medical physical), a navigator in a bomber crew flying perilous missions over Germany. Landon is meanwhile a sailor in the North Atlantic. A passionate encounter occurs when Landon again meets Rebekah, which brings about her expulsion from military service. Those who survive will meet again after the war back in Orangeville where events take various shocking turns, but where love triumphs in the end in a very satisfying and poetic conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward its official release and to further books from its author.
This is the first novel by author Loghan Paylor, who has previously published short fiction in magazines and online. They grew up in Ontario and later lived in Montreal, Quebec and currently live in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
My thanks to publisher Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this preview ARC, in exchange for which I provide this honest review.
January 12, 2024
The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor is a beautifully written coming-of-age romance and historical fiction novel set in Canada centering non-binary and trans characters spanning the years 1939 to ‘53. Most of the story takes place in the fictional town of Harrichford, a small farming community in Southern Ontario. When Kit McNair was ten, on a walk with her brothers, Landon and Jep, she fell through the ice and drowned. Her Irish Canadian mother is able to save her using Celtic magic but she is never the same. She is reckless, prefers boy’s clothes to dresses, and chafes at farm life. When the family of Dr Kromer, a German doctor, move to town from Montreal, both Kit and Landon fall in love with his daughter, Rebekah. She likes both but it is Kit who wins her heart while her parents encourage a match between her and Landon.
However, as the war approaches and anti-German sentiment grows, the family returns to Montreal and, after a fight with Landon, Kit leaves home. When war starts, Landon joins the navy, Rebekah becomes a signal clerk in Halifax, and Kit joins the Air Force under the name, Christopher. During leave in Halifax, Landon encounters Rebekah and the ensuing night together results in a pregnancy and her forced exit from her job.
After the war, Rebekah, unable to return to her home in Montreal moves in with the McNairs and eventually Kit and Landon also return at least for a while. But again events intervene and again the family is split up. Despite it all, though, the story ends on a satisfactory and happy note.
When I first saw The Cure for Drowning on Netgalley, I’m not sure what attracted me to the story. Although I don’t mind historical fiction, romance is my least favourite genre. Perhaps, in the end, it was the Canadian setting and author. Whatever the reason, I am so glad I did because I can honestly say I loved this book.
There's a lot going on in the story and it could have become overwhelming but it never does.it’s told from varying viewpoints, mainly Rebekah and Kit, and I found both of them very likable. There’s a touch of magical realism in the tale and a story about selkies runs throughout, told by different characters, each changing the story just a little to express their own feelings. The section that takes place during the war was fascinating , especially one section that combined the strafing of Kit’s plane with the pain of childbirth that had my eyes glued to the page and my heart racing.
Paylor has published short stories before but this is their debut novel and what an impressive debut it is. I can’t wait to see what they do in the future. But now I will end this review by repeating I loved this book, even the romance.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
However, as the war approaches and anti-German sentiment grows, the family returns to Montreal and, after a fight with Landon, Kit leaves home. When war starts, Landon joins the navy, Rebekah becomes a signal clerk in Halifax, and Kit joins the Air Force under the name, Christopher. During leave in Halifax, Landon encounters Rebekah and the ensuing night together results in a pregnancy and her forced exit from her job.
After the war, Rebekah, unable to return to her home in Montreal moves in with the McNairs and eventually Kit and Landon also return at least for a while. But again events intervene and again the family is split up. Despite it all, though, the story ends on a satisfactory and happy note.
When I first saw The Cure for Drowning on Netgalley, I’m not sure what attracted me to the story. Although I don’t mind historical fiction, romance is my least favourite genre. Perhaps, in the end, it was the Canadian setting and author. Whatever the reason, I am so glad I did because I can honestly say I loved this book.
There's a lot going on in the story and it could have become overwhelming but it never does.it’s told from varying viewpoints, mainly Rebekah and Kit, and I found both of them very likable. There’s a touch of magical realism in the tale and a story about selkies runs throughout, told by different characters, each changing the story just a little to express their own feelings. The section that takes place during the war was fascinating , especially one section that combined the strafing of Kit’s plane with the pain of childbirth that had my eyes glued to the page and my heart racing.
Paylor has published short stories before but this is their debut novel and what an impressive debut it is. I can’t wait to see what they do in the future. But now I will end this review by repeating I loved this book, even the romance.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
May 19, 2025
A Beautiful, Bold Canadian Coming-of-Age Story
Set in WWII-era Canada, The Cure for Drowning is a quiet, emotionally layered novel that explores gender, queer love, and the struggle to live authentically in a world that often doesn’t allow it.
The story follows Kit—born Kathleen—who survives a near-drowning and begins to question her identity, her place in the world, and how love fits into all of it. Spanning two decades, the story centres on Kit’s relationships with Rebekah, the daughter of a German-Canadian doctor, and Landon, Kit’s brother. At its core is a complex love triangle that challenges personal loyalty and emotional truth in a time when queer lives were often silenced or erased.
Queer Identity, Folklore, and Personal Change
What sets this apart is how Paylor handles complexity without flinching. They explore prejudice, isolation, fear—while also making space for quiet acts of resistance, resilience, and moments of connection. Celtic folklore weaves through the narrative, echoing Kit’s inner world and the novel’s larger themes of identity and transformation.
A Deeply Canadian Story
The book is rooted in place. The Canadian landscape and cultural backdrop give the novel quiet power. History, myth, and identity all converge to create a story that feels grounded and personal.
If you’re drawn to historical fiction with emotional weight, queer themes, and a touch of myth, this may be worth a spot on your list.
Brew something warm. Let the story unfold.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
Set in WWII-era Canada, The Cure for Drowning is a quiet, emotionally layered novel that explores gender, queer love, and the struggle to live authentically in a world that often doesn’t allow it.
The story follows Kit—born Kathleen—who survives a near-drowning and begins to question her identity, her place in the world, and how love fits into all of it. Spanning two decades, the story centres on Kit’s relationships with Rebekah, the daughter of a German-Canadian doctor, and Landon, Kit’s brother. At its core is a complex love triangle that challenges personal loyalty and emotional truth in a time when queer lives were often silenced or erased.
Queer Identity, Folklore, and Personal Change
What sets this apart is how Paylor handles complexity without flinching. They explore prejudice, isolation, fear—while also making space for quiet acts of resistance, resilience, and moments of connection. Celtic folklore weaves through the narrative, echoing Kit’s inner world and the novel’s larger themes of identity and transformation.
A Deeply Canadian Story
The book is rooted in place. The Canadian landscape and cultural backdrop give the novel quiet power. History, myth, and identity all converge to create a story that feels grounded and personal.
If you’re drawn to historical fiction with emotional weight, queer themes, and a touch of myth, this may be worth a spot on your list.
Brew something warm. Let the story unfold.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
May 1, 2025
A lovely queer Canadian historical novel with just a touch of magical realism! Set just before, during, and after WW2, this book made the extremely overdone time period fresh and interesting. I loved how it centred a nonbinary bi character and a sapphic woman, straddling a difficult line between celebrating them and being realistic about homo/transphobia / misogyny in the 30s and 40s. Queer historical happy ending!! Fuck that Landon guy though.
September 15, 2024
Longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize
In a Nutshell:
I loved this very beautiful Canadian story! It was incredibly engaging, with several really interesting characters "coming of age" at the start of WWII. I'm unable to explain it well in a few short sentences, though, so I'll simply say "Highly Recommended"! This is NOT your run-of-the-mill story. It includes some very intriguing, surprising episodes - things you definitely won't see coming. It's a great book and totally worthy of your time!
4.5 (rounded to 5) “Oh-Canada🍁My-home-and-native-land” stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In a Nutshell:
I loved this very beautiful Canadian story! It was incredibly engaging, with several really interesting characters "coming of age" at the start of WWII. I'm unable to explain it well in a few short sentences, though, so I'll simply say "Highly Recommended"! This is NOT your run-of-the-mill story. It includes some very intriguing, surprising episodes - things you definitely won't see coming. It's a great book and totally worthy of your time!
4.5 (rounded to 5) “Oh-Canada🍁My-home-and-native-land” stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
December 16, 2023
This book was brought to me from NetGalley, so thanks!
An event occurs in Kit's childhood that leads their family to believe them a changeling and thus differentiates Kit from the rest of the McNairs; Rebekah leaves her childhood in Montreal for the rural landscape of Harrichford. With the story told in two distinct perspectives, and then a third, A Cure for Drowning tells a story of truth, one that hinges on possibility.
The span of time in which the story takes place, from 1931 to 1953, stretches the march of narration. It does not necessarily slow it down; the expansion recreates historical Canada in which the characters move. Even as the shadow of the second world war looming in the forefront of the narrative, the tension resides in the love triangle between Landon, Kit, and Rebekah. Masterfully done, with tasteful contrast between how the two McNairs approach their courtship with Rebekah.
The characters are so well written—Rebekah's socialite persona, Kit's vigour, and Landon's cocky, self-assured manner—that the conflict feels real. There is no issue of attachment because of this.
While the expansive descriptions of the rural landscape at first impresses and offers comfort and the ability to view the town of Harrichford in the way Kit sees it in all its lushness, it becomes repetitive after a certain point.
In all, it's part Whiskey When We're Dry but with the emotional resolution that one craves, and part Backwards to Oregon for the gender-based turnabouts that never fail to excite me.
...anyway that's my stiff NetGalley review cross-posted here. Here's my non-review-like feelings.
My favourite part of this book has to be the contrast in how Landon and Kit approach their courtship to Rebekah. Landon with his front-door approach, social, public, and upfront. Compares with Kit's subtextual approach that Rebekah reads and knows. When Landon makes gestures and is able to joke about however his relationship with Rebekah may turn out, how he can make offers, he is allowed to utter things for others to hear. But when it comes to Kit, things are most nebulous, but it does not lessen their intent whatsoever. Their intent is clear to Rebekah, even though they do not say the words for it.
And so Rebekah's relation with Landon was easy and scripted, afforded to her by the literature she has read, which is heteronormative, yet her words for Kit run difficult.
I'm a sucker for endings that don't necessarily end happy (Mrs. S), but the relief I felt with the way A Cure for Drowning ended was out of this world.
Super tasty read. Will read again when it's released.
An event occurs in Kit's childhood that leads their family to believe them a changeling and thus differentiates Kit from the rest of the McNairs; Rebekah leaves her childhood in Montreal for the rural landscape of Harrichford. With the story told in two distinct perspectives, and then a third, A Cure for Drowning tells a story of truth, one that hinges on possibility.
The span of time in which the story takes place, from 1931 to 1953, stretches the march of narration. It does not necessarily slow it down; the expansion recreates historical Canada in which the characters move. Even as the shadow of the second world war looming in the forefront of the narrative, the tension resides in the love triangle between Landon, Kit, and Rebekah. Masterfully done, with tasteful contrast between how the two McNairs approach their courtship with Rebekah.
The characters are so well written—Rebekah's socialite persona, Kit's vigour, and Landon's cocky, self-assured manner—that the conflict feels real. There is no issue of attachment because of this.
While the expansive descriptions of the rural landscape at first impresses and offers comfort and the ability to view the town of Harrichford in the way Kit sees it in all its lushness, it becomes repetitive after a certain point.
In all, it's part Whiskey When We're Dry but with the emotional resolution that one craves, and part Backwards to Oregon for the gender-based turnabouts that never fail to excite me.
...anyway that's my stiff NetGalley review cross-posted here. Here's my non-review-like feelings.
My favourite part of this book has to be the contrast in how Landon and Kit approach their courtship to Rebekah. Landon with his front-door approach, social, public, and upfront. Compares with Kit's subtextual approach that Rebekah reads and knows. When Landon makes gestures and is able to joke about however his relationship with Rebekah may turn out, how he can make offers, he is allowed to utter things for others to hear. But when it comes to Kit, things are most nebulous, but it does not lessen their intent whatsoever. Their intent is clear to Rebekah, even though they do not say the words for it.
And so Rebekah's relation with Landon was easy and scripted, afforded to her by the literature she has read, which is heteronormative, yet her words for Kit run difficult.
I'm a sucker for endings that don't necessarily end happy (Mrs. S), but the relief I felt with the way A Cure for Drowning ended was out of this world.
Super tasty read. Will read again when it's released.
September 12, 2024
Oops, I forgot to review this back when I read it a few months ago. I wanted some more time to sit with it and then it kinda slipped my mind. Unfortunately, that kind of sums up how I feel about this, and this book just wasn't really for me. I thought it would be! I love a book about water and identity, but this one fell flat.
Some things are definitely just personal preference: I don't particularly care for love triangles (especially with siblings involved), and historical fiction isn't always my jam. That said, the historical aspect of this book works pretty well and I think queer historical fiction is so important. My main gripe with this was the scope just felt too broad. The story spans years and years and years (decades, maybe? truly cannot remember) and too much happens. This sort of messes with the character development. The book's ambition brings about its downfall, and it just keeps going and going and going. The book feels longer than it is, and somehow both a bit over and under developed, with too much explanation and also not enough. This is especially prominent with the folklore/magic realism aspects of the novel, which should have either been explored more or omitted.
Some things are definitely just personal preference: I don't particularly care for love triangles (especially with siblings involved), and historical fiction isn't always my jam. That said, the historical aspect of this book works pretty well and I think queer historical fiction is so important. My main gripe with this was the scope just felt too broad. The story spans years and years and years (decades, maybe? truly cannot remember) and too much happens. This sort of messes with the character development. The book's ambition brings about its downfall, and it just keeps going and going and going. The book feels longer than it is, and somehow both a bit over and under developed, with too much explanation and also not enough. This is especially prominent with the folklore/magic realism aspects of the novel, which should have either been explored more or omitted.
March 13, 2024
The only thing I am disappointed about is that this is the author's first novel. I want more!
The McNairs are an Irish immigrant family who have settled on a farm in Southern Ontario. While still very young, Kit falls through the ice while exploring the woods with her two brothers. She drowns but is nursed back to health by her mother.
After the accident, Kit bristles against the expectations of her as a farm girl. She often steals her brother's clothes to wear while doing boy's chores -- and then the cooking and cleaning when her mother makes her.
In 1939, Rebekah Kromer moves to town with her parents from Quebec. Her father is facing increasing difficulty finding work as a German immigrant in the lead up to World War II.
Soon both Kit and her brother Landon are jostling for Rebekah's attention and affection. This love triangle rips their families apart and sends them all on their own paths to war.
While using borrowed identification papers, Kit joins the Air Force as a young man. Landon joins the Navy. Rebekah joins naval intelligence efforts at home in Canada.
Kit goes by different names/pronouns throughout the book, but I will use the name Kit and they/them pronouns for the rest of the review.
Trans magic
One could argue that all the events in this story could happen in real life, but there is a hint of magic to many of the scenes involving Kit. It starts with their drowning and unlikely recovery as a young child. This motif returns several times throughout the novel. There is also frequent repetition of a story for children about selkies, or Ireland's version of mermaids.
It is implied that Kit's gender non-conforming and rebellious nature is due to them being a magical creature, perhaps a selkie or changeling. In Irish folklore, changelings are faeries who are left in the place of stolen human children.
Of course we modern readers know that trans and non-binary genders naturally exists from birth, as do queer people. When queer and trans people are forced into straight and cisgender roles against our nature, it can make us rebel as we suffer under the weight of these expectations.
I love that this book allows us to imagine Kit as something supernatural, rather than defective or deviant. By extension, it allows us queer and trans readers to imagine ourselves in this way. It is difficult for a magic creature to live among us mere mortals!
Dealing with difference
This books portrays homophobia, anti-German discrimination and sexism in a way that is likely true to its time. Rebekah being a queer, German woman faces some of the worst of it. Kit living as a man for a large part of the book gets off a bit easier in some but not all ways.
As I write in my Queer Book Reviews.
The McNairs are an Irish immigrant family who have settled on a farm in Southern Ontario. While still very young, Kit falls through the ice while exploring the woods with her two brothers. She drowns but is nursed back to health by her mother.
After the accident, Kit bristles against the expectations of her as a farm girl. She often steals her brother's clothes to wear while doing boy's chores -- and then the cooking and cleaning when her mother makes her.
In 1939, Rebekah Kromer moves to town with her parents from Quebec. Her father is facing increasing difficulty finding work as a German immigrant in the lead up to World War II.
Soon both Kit and her brother Landon are jostling for Rebekah's attention and affection. This love triangle rips their families apart and sends them all on their own paths to war.
While using borrowed identification papers, Kit joins the Air Force as a young man. Landon joins the Navy. Rebekah joins naval intelligence efforts at home in Canada.
Kit goes by different names/pronouns throughout the book, but I will use the name Kit and they/them pronouns for the rest of the review.
Trans magic
One could argue that all the events in this story could happen in real life, but there is a hint of magic to many of the scenes involving Kit. It starts with their drowning and unlikely recovery as a young child. This motif returns several times throughout the novel. There is also frequent repetition of a story for children about selkies, or Ireland's version of mermaids.
It is implied that Kit's gender non-conforming and rebellious nature is due to them being a magical creature, perhaps a selkie or changeling. In Irish folklore, changelings are faeries who are left in the place of stolen human children.
Of course we modern readers know that trans and non-binary genders naturally exists from birth, as do queer people. When queer and trans people are forced into straight and cisgender roles against our nature, it can make us rebel as we suffer under the weight of these expectations.
I love that this book allows us to imagine Kit as something supernatural, rather than defective or deviant. By extension, it allows us queer and trans readers to imagine ourselves in this way. It is difficult for a magic creature to live among us mere mortals!
Dealing with difference
This books portrays homophobia, anti-German discrimination and sexism in a way that is likely true to its time. Rebekah being a queer, German woman faces some of the worst of it. Kit living as a man for a large part of the book gets off a bit easier in some but not all ways.
As I write in my Queer Book Reviews.
December 27, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and it was hard to put down! I love the way the characters are written and how we get to see all their flaws (also the queer rep was amazing!)! Thank to NetGalley for the ARC, I can’t wait to see what other readers think when the book comes out :)
March 1, 2024
I had high expectations seeing the book described as a “boundary-pushing love story… that boldly centres queer and non-binary characters” (GoogleBooks). However, it delivered the heteronormative fem-falls-in-love-with-charming-masc trope. The Cure for Drowning ignored the complexities, struggles, and conversations that come with the reality of gender diversity, queerness, and non-traditional families. For a “boundary-pushing” queer love story I expected something more than a war story that was somewhat fruity but had straight sex scenes. The novel mutes many of the features it’s marketed with. Paylor limited their mention of Kit’s gender expression and gender identity. I take this as their attempt to normalize gender diversity. Ultimately it felt like the subject was taboo though.
The fantasy and magic in the novel had big potential but ultimately felt messy and confusing. I felt teased! I would’ve loved more development and involvement with the blood of the lamb, blue & green creatures, Selkies, voices, spirits as butterflies... These didn't seem to connected and their relevance to the story was fuzzy. For instance, I thought the blue-green spirits were helpful but then they wanted to take the child?!
I appreciated the nature imagery and calming farm life tales in this novel. The writing was rich and beautiful. Paylor knows how to make you feel engulfed by nature with words on a page!
The fantasy and magic in the novel had big potential but ultimately felt messy and confusing. I felt teased! I would’ve loved more development and involvement with the blood of the lamb, blue & green creatures, Selkies, voices, spirits as butterflies... These didn't seem to connected and their relevance to the story was fuzzy. For instance, I thought the blue-green spirits were helpful but then they wanted to take the child?!
I appreciated the nature imagery and calming farm life tales in this novel. The writing was rich and beautiful. Paylor knows how to make you feel engulfed by nature with words on a page!
March 13, 2024
Rounding up to five stars. This was an excellent debut and a great example of the kind of litfic I love (i.e., queer, mostly likable people working their way through the challenges of life, and a hint of magical realism). It was also so quintessentially CanLit in a familiar and comforting way. I was worried it might be a slog and instead I blew through it in just a couple of days.
I think the blurb is a bit misleading. Luckily, while I guess there is technically a love triangle - it's doesn't weigh on the story the way that I feared it would. Kit's trans narrative is so smoothly and carefully weaved into the story in a way that makes sense for someone who would not have had access to the language and resources we have today around gender identity and I thought the subtle magic served as a lovely device to add depth to that part of the story.
Also, I feel like I have read sooo many novels set during WW2 and tend to shy away from them these days as a result, but I thought this was a fresh take and perspective that touched on some nuances around war that I have not seen before.
While there is an underlying central relationship story with a HEA, I'd be inclined to classify this as litfic vs romance. Either way, it was a great read and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.
I think the blurb is a bit misleading. Luckily, while I guess there is technically a love triangle - it's doesn't weigh on the story the way that I feared it would. Kit's trans narrative is so smoothly and carefully weaved into the story in a way that makes sense for someone who would not have had access to the language and resources we have today around gender identity and I thought the subtle magic served as a lovely device to add depth to that part of the story.
Also, I feel like I have read sooo many novels set during WW2 and tend to shy away from them these days as a result, but I thought this was a fresh take and perspective that touched on some nuances around war that I have not seen before.
While there is an underlying central relationship story with a HEA, I'd be inclined to classify this as litfic vs romance. Either way, it was a great read and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2023
I read this through NetGalley and didn't really know what to expect. Well, I devoured it in a single day, soaking in all the Canadian details and loving every bit of French. Motherhood, queerness, etc.....wow. Beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful.
February 1, 2026
As Canada Reads begins, I start my mission to read the shortlist. Excepting, Foe, which I read when it was published, this was my first Canada Reads novel of 2026 and it did not disappoint. It was a complex tale of a family, challenging relationships, a bit of magic (with the selkies) and characters who struggle to be themselves within the family unit.
I loved the storyline of Kit, who had fell into icy water as a child, but won't elaborate so as not to add a spoiler. I will say that Kit was brave in so many ways.
The story was full of difficult relationships, resilience, bravery, acceptance and love. It was a slow start but was hard to put down towards the end. it will be an interesting discussion for Canada Reads!
I loved the storyline of Kit, who had fell into icy water as a child, but won't elaborate so as not to add a spoiler. I will say that Kit was brave in so many ways.
The story was full of difficult relationships, resilience, bravery, acceptance and love. It was a slow start but was hard to put down towards the end. it will be an interesting discussion for Canada Reads!
February 5, 2024
The story start with Kathleen (Kit) McNair who was with both her brothers, Landon and Jep, into the woods. It didn’t go as planned, and, on their way back home, Kit fell in the water. Even as her older brother managed to get her out, something had changed. Kathleen isn’t the same, so is the McNair family. As they grew up, Kit remained marginal, and her family treated her that way.
Rebekah moved in a house not far from the McNair’s, with her German heritage from her father. Considering the WW2, their life isn’t easy wherever they go. But as she befriends Kit, then Landon and Jep, she finally feels like home, until a new event came out.
First, I did enjoy my reading. The dual POV was a great addition, allowing me to understand better each character.
The story was great as well. There’s the war, and the sacrifices everyone has to do for it. Every young people of the story enlist on one way or another, and the war scenes were realistic and I loved it.
There is also a love triangle in the story. Rebekah is a girl everyone seems to appreciate. I liked how the relationships were portrayed, but also how it could be complicated for people in those years, especially for someone who wasn’t only heterosexual. It can be hard to chose between what your heart wants and what would be good for you 🩵
« In years to come, I would clutch that moment to my heart like a talisman, tracing every detail. The gold light pouring through the cracks between the barn boards, landing on Kit’s hair like a beacon. The warm, close air of the loft, the rich smell of dried grasses and warm fur. Our knees just touching, our eyes on the kittens, but how aware I was of Kit’s ribs rising and falling beneath the shirt, of the deft fingers delicately stroking the kittens’ heads. Even then, I wanted the moment to last forever. » p.60
The only reason I didn’t give the book 5⭐ is because the beginning was so intriguing, but I couldn’t relate those events to the present in the story. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my reading and the author’s writing. I will reading from them again 🩵
Rebekah moved in a house not far from the McNair’s, with her German heritage from her father. Considering the WW2, their life isn’t easy wherever they go. But as she befriends Kit, then Landon and Jep, she finally feels like home, until a new event came out.
First, I did enjoy my reading. The dual POV was a great addition, allowing me to understand better each character.
The story was great as well. There’s the war, and the sacrifices everyone has to do for it. Every young people of the story enlist on one way or another, and the war scenes were realistic and I loved it.
There is also a love triangle in the story. Rebekah is a girl everyone seems to appreciate. I liked how the relationships were portrayed, but also how it could be complicated for people in those years, especially for someone who wasn’t only heterosexual. It can be hard to chose between what your heart wants and what would be good for you 🩵
« In years to come, I would clutch that moment to my heart like a talisman, tracing every detail. The gold light pouring through the cracks between the barn boards, landing on Kit’s hair like a beacon. The warm, close air of the loft, the rich smell of dried grasses and warm fur. Our knees just touching, our eyes on the kittens, but how aware I was of Kit’s ribs rising and falling beneath the shirt, of the deft fingers delicately stroking the kittens’ heads. Even then, I wanted the moment to last forever. » p.60
The only reason I didn’t give the book 5⭐ is because the beginning was so intriguing, but I couldn’t relate those events to the present in the story. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my reading and the author’s writing. I will reading from them again 🩵
February 5, 2024
Incredibly well written and entertaining, this debut historical fiction book was a pure joy to read (and listen to)! I love how the author has written a moving Canadian history romance/family drama/WWII story that centers nonbinary and trans characters in a way that we've rarely seen before. It was refreshing and much overdue! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @Librofm for a complimentary ALC. I really enjoyed this on audio narrated by Landon Doak, Victoria Carr and Belinda Corpuz and will be eagerly awaiting the author's next book!
December 9, 2024
SO GOOD! 10/10 ✨️
June 23, 2025
An easy 5 star read! Such a beautiful telling of queer and trans magic in the context of suspenseful Canadian historical fiction. We need more queer authors in the world who can move through the transformation of someone’s identity or pronoun changes without it needing to be a huge deal in the greater context of their love, loss, growth, and resilience. I’ll be recommending this one for a long time!
January 25, 2024
Right from the first chapter this book had me in it’s grip. The little sprinkle of magical realism made this story extra special, but at its core this is an extremely compelling coming of age story that you won’t want to put down until you finish it.
I read this book in two sittings (and only because I started it right before bed the first night) then the next day read right through until the end. That’s not something I usually do, but I truly could not put it down. The author does such a brilliant job of bringing you back in time and immersing you in the setting.
The book is so beautifully written, the characters are so interesting and complex, and the relationship dynamics that are built along the way are intricate and interwoven so carefully that when I got to the end of the book I had been so deep into it that it felt wrong coming back to reality.
I loved this book, and I thoroughly recommend giving it a read if you’re at all interested in queer historical fiction overlaid with elements of Celtic mythology. It's rare for me to love historical fiction this much, and rarer still to find historical stories that focus on non-binary main characters and queer romances, so this is quite the gem and I truly hope that it won't be a hidden one. This deserves endless amounts of praise, and I expect it'll be one of my top reads of 2024.
p.s. for those of you who love a (semi?)-niche “if you loved this then…” type recommendation, this book gave me serious 2000 cinematic masterpiece “Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story” energy, except WW2 instead of WW1 of course, and definitely not just in a Canadian setting kind of way, I promise. If you know me (which of course, you don’t), you’d know this is the absolute highest compliment I can imagine.
I received this book as an e-arc from Random House Canada via Netgalley
I read this book in two sittings (and only because I started it right before bed the first night) then the next day read right through until the end. That’s not something I usually do, but I truly could not put it down. The author does such a brilliant job of bringing you back in time and immersing you in the setting.
The book is so beautifully written, the characters are so interesting and complex, and the relationship dynamics that are built along the way are intricate and interwoven so carefully that when I got to the end of the book I had been so deep into it that it felt wrong coming back to reality.
I loved this book, and I thoroughly recommend giving it a read if you’re at all interested in queer historical fiction overlaid with elements of Celtic mythology. It's rare for me to love historical fiction this much, and rarer still to find historical stories that focus on non-binary main characters and queer romances, so this is quite the gem and I truly hope that it won't be a hidden one. This deserves endless amounts of praise, and I expect it'll be one of my top reads of 2024.
p.s. for those of you who love a (semi?)-niche “if you loved this then…” type recommendation, this book gave me serious 2000 cinematic masterpiece “Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story” energy, except WW2 instead of WW1 of course, and definitely not just in a Canadian setting kind of way, I promise. If you know me (which of course, you don’t), you’d know this is the absolute highest compliment I can imagine.
I received this book as an e-arc from Random House Canada via Netgalley
January 13, 2025
Oh this book will be staying with my for a long time. I had a hard time reading the last 100 pages through my tears. Both Kit and Rebekah as protagonists of this novel have a special place in my heart now.
Also, Landon can come catch these hands!!!
Also, Landon can come catch these hands!!!
February 25, 2024
What an excellent book. I decided to read it because the description ticked so many boxes of things I love to read. Can-lit historical fiction in a rural setting - check. A queer love story - check. The barest hint of something supernatural and fantastical - check. Partly set in the city I now call home, Halifax - check! Thankfully, the book wasn't simply a mere mishmash of tropes but a page-turning story with multi-dimensional, lovable characters. I highly recommend it. More like this, please!
January 8, 2024
Book review of The Cure For Drowning, by Loghan Paylor.
The novel follows a trajectory and intersection of Kit, her brother Langdon and Rebecca, the doctor’s daughter, from the late 1930s until after the Second World War. Kathleen was drowned when she was 10 years old, only to be revived by her mother, rehabilitated, but was never the same. Kit was anything but girlie and acted and dressed as a tomboy and later a man. The war kept people apart causing untold misfortune for many. Kit was wildly adventurous and at one with the land surrounding the farm.
I loved the story and the characters. The first third of the book is very idilic and nostalgically reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables or Dickinson, a love triangle, separate trajectories during the war, and then a thrilling conclusion.
Toronto, Halifax and other familiar locations were an exciting backdrop that weave throughout the book.
I could not put this book down once I started! A modern classic!
5 out of 5 stars!
The novel follows a trajectory and intersection of Kit, her brother Langdon and Rebecca, the doctor’s daughter, from the late 1930s until after the Second World War. Kathleen was drowned when she was 10 years old, only to be revived by her mother, rehabilitated, but was never the same. Kit was anything but girlie and acted and dressed as a tomboy and later a man. The war kept people apart causing untold misfortune for many. Kit was wildly adventurous and at one with the land surrounding the farm.
I loved the story and the characters. The first third of the book is very idilic and nostalgically reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables or Dickinson, a love triangle, separate trajectories during the war, and then a thrilling conclusion.
Toronto, Halifax and other familiar locations were an exciting backdrop that weave throughout the book.
I could not put this book down once I started! A modern classic!
5 out of 5 stars!
January 5, 2024
I want to say thank you to Penquin Random House for the ARC to review!
This book was amazing. It had just enough mystical/supernatural elements to keep me interested. I usually don't like war/historical fiction as I find a lot of it depressing (maybe I just haven't found the right books yet) but I really enjoyed this one. It has multiple representations of LGBTQIA+ which I also loved, as again I don't find too many with the genre.
The ending was a feel good ending, that also stayed realistic. I can understand the motivations of all the characters and you came to care for them!
I would highly recommend this book!
This book was amazing. It had just enough mystical/supernatural elements to keep me interested. I usually don't like war/historical fiction as I find a lot of it depressing (maybe I just haven't found the right books yet) but I really enjoyed this one. It has multiple representations of LGBTQIA+ which I also loved, as again I don't find too many with the genre.
The ending was a feel good ending, that also stayed realistic. I can understand the motivations of all the characters and you came to care for them!
I would highly recommend this book!
January 25, 2024
I read this as an ARC from NetGalley. I loved the characters in this book, they were all well developed, nuanced and interesting. The switches between Kit and Rebekah’s perspective are seamless. It brings about the feeling that they are intertwined through the whole story even though they are often far apart. The writing is flowing and beautiful. I am definitely interested to read other work by Logan Paylor.
July 26, 2024
This is Loghan Paylor’s debut novel and I think that they did an exceptional job of capturing the audience. Seeing as Paylor lives in Canada, it was only expected (by me, at least) that the story takes place in the country, and for the most part, it did. I was overjoyed to read about Toronto and Montreal and its people during the war, but sceptical and slightly disappointed that Paylor chose to invent the town of Harrichford as well as other locations, though this is of course my personal opinion. In fact, they acknowledged that this book is a work of fiction with “shifted” timelines and blurred history in order to not “risk overwhelming the narrative with detail.”
The story follows Rebekah and her friendship with Landon, Kit (born Kathleen) and Jep. It is a love story (see: love triangle) that grows and matures over 20 years, prior to, during and post-WWII. It dives into family dynamics, gender identity, homophobia and transphobia, discrimination, motherhood and more. There is also the concept of magic and Celtic folklore sprinkled throughout.
I did find it a bit long, and at times confusing, especially as I did not truly understand the need for the magic / folklore in the story. I just think that it was an unnecessary addition, sadly. Also, I don’t care much for action-filled books, and it got too concentrated on the war towards the middle. Finally, I just wish that I got to know the characters better—it felt like their personalities were not deep enough.
Overall, I enjoyed this historical fiction, queer romance book as it was based in Canada, with characters who are not portrayed enough in literature. I do think that I would read Loghan Paylor’s future work.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Canada for a copy of an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows Rebekah and her friendship with Landon, Kit (born Kathleen) and Jep. It is a love story (see: love triangle) that grows and matures over 20 years, prior to, during and post-WWII. It dives into family dynamics, gender identity, homophobia and transphobia, discrimination, motherhood and more. There is also the concept of magic and Celtic folklore sprinkled throughout.
I did find it a bit long, and at times confusing, especially as I did not truly understand the need for the magic / folklore in the story. I just think that it was an unnecessary addition, sadly. Also, I don’t care much for action-filled books, and it got too concentrated on the war towards the middle. Finally, I just wish that I got to know the characters better—it felt like their personalities were not deep enough.
Overall, I enjoyed this historical fiction, queer romance book as it was based in Canada, with characters who are not portrayed enough in literature. I do think that I would read Loghan Paylor’s future work.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Canada for a copy of an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 19, 2023
I loved the characters in this book especially, I thought they were well developed and interesting, if not always relatable. Amazing non-binary protagonist who felt real and relatable (although I wished their identity didn't feel like it came from the supernatural source). The language was beautiful and I really enjoyed reading a character focused family epic with just a little bit of supernatural. I will say I felt the pacing flagged towards the end of the book and that some of the more unlikeable characters lost some nuance, but I really loved the experience of reading it and am looking forward to whatever this author puts out next.
March 29, 2025
Read first in August 2024 (ebook from library)
Fav read of 2024!!
Reread March 2025 for book club (audiobook from Spotify + paperback)
The audiobook narrators are really great and I love that they cast a non-binary person to voice Kit. There’s a particular scene I was interested to see play out with different narrators, as perspectives blend on the page, even within the same paragraph. It did not disappoint!!
There was a lot more magical realism elements I noticed the second time through - I definitely read it more slowly this time. Cried at different points than last time, and although I would still punch Landon in the face if given a chance, his character seems to have more layers now.
There’s a particular most-hated trope that is a significant plot point in this book (iykyk) but I think it wouldn’t make sense not to include - it would just be an entirely different story without it.
Fav read of 2024!!
Reread March 2025 for book club (audiobook from Spotify + paperback)
The audiobook narrators are really great and I love that they cast a non-binary person to voice Kit. There’s a particular scene I was interested to see play out with different narrators, as perspectives blend on the page, even within the same paragraph. It did not disappoint!!
There was a lot more magical realism elements I noticed the second time through - I definitely read it more slowly this time. Cried at different points than last time, and although I would still punch Landon in the face if given a chance, his character seems to have more layers now.
There’s a particular most-hated trope that is a significant plot point in this book (iykyk) but I think it wouldn’t make sense not to include - it would just be an entirely different story without it.
December 14, 2023
The writing as vivid and the characters jump off the page at you.
The journeys they take and the paths life leads them on are well written and impossible to stop reading.
The story went in directions I wasn’t expecting but it was still so well paced that it was hard to stop reading and at the end I wanted more.
I received an eARC from the publisher and NetGallery but the opinion is my own.
The journeys they take and the paths life leads them on are well written and impossible to stop reading.
The story went in directions I wasn’t expecting but it was still so well paced that it was hard to stop reading and at the end I wanted more.
I received an eARC from the publisher and NetGallery but the opinion is my own.
July 19, 2024
I don’t often write book reviews, but this book touched my heart in a way that I can’t really put into words. I found it on a very small shelf labelled 2SLGBTQ+ fiction in a small independent bookstore and the cover grabbed me first. Beautiful artwork in soothing blue green tones. Then the blurb had a small magical element, queer love and rural Ontario in the past and I was sold. I thought it had potential to be a good book, but in the end this is going on my list of favourites - a very precious list that hasn’t seen many additions since my teens.
I don’t really want or need to analyze it, I just loved this book. I hope you read it and love it too.
I don’t really want or need to analyze it, I just loved this book. I hope you read it and love it too.
January 30, 2024
4.5 stars rounding up to 5. This is a story I can see myself reading again.
The Cure for Drowning is a dual-POV story that is, at its heart, a love story with queer and non-binary characters taking centre stage. Kit McNair, born Kathleen, is considered a rebellious changeling by parents that expect them to behave as a proper farmgirl. Rebekah is daughter to a German-Canadian doctor and French-Canadian mother in a pre-WWII world where her last name makes her family a target of prejudice. The pair, as well as Kit’s brother Landon, are drawn into a love triangle when Rebekah’s family move to rural Ontario and become the McNair’s neighbours. The three are pulled onto separate paths by WWII, only to be brought together again in the aftermath of the war.
This story pulled me along, I wanted to know what would happen next, and I ended up reading it in every spare moment I could find once I started. The pacing and dual-POV narrative were very well done and made this an easy read. Paylor’s settings were lush and their descriptions brought the time period to life.
To say I enjoyed our two main characters is an understatement. Rebekah and Kit, the relationship between them and with the other characters presented in the story, were compelling. The writing keeps them at arm’s-length from the reader, and I felt we did not truly get inside their heads, which may not suit some reader’s tastes, but still works for the story being told. We see these characters experience love, heartbreak, and loss, and face challenges as they try to find their way through this WWII era world.
The way the story is split up, and the way the time skips were used, worked wonderfully for me. The innocence and youth of the first part combined with the buildup to and inevitability of WWII. The different realities of WWII in Canada and for Canadians overlaid by the loss of innocence and finding a way to survive during wartime. And, finally, coming to terms with the loss post-WWII and finding a way forward and building a new life. All of which is deftly tied together by the romantic plotline between Kit, Rebekah, and Landon.
I do have mixed feelings about the mythology and fantastical elements. They were not a major part of the story, and I’m not sure the story would change at all if they were removed. On the other hand, these elements added to the atmosphere of the story, and it’s interesting to consider whether these explanations were the characters’ way of coming to terms with their own stories and world rather than being literal happenings.
As for the ending, again, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, it feels very fitting. On the other hand, I feel like it left loose strings that I’m not entirely satisfied with. Those strings being Kit’s relationship with their mother and the farm, and both Kit and Rebekah’s relationships with Landon, particularly Kit’s and the conflict there. And yet a resolution to these things may also have felt unrealistic.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for making the DRC available to me. All opinions are my own.
The Cure for Drowning is a dual-POV story that is, at its heart, a love story with queer and non-binary characters taking centre stage. Kit McNair, born Kathleen, is considered a rebellious changeling by parents that expect them to behave as a proper farmgirl. Rebekah is daughter to a German-Canadian doctor and French-Canadian mother in a pre-WWII world where her last name makes her family a target of prejudice. The pair, as well as Kit’s brother Landon, are drawn into a love triangle when Rebekah’s family move to rural Ontario and become the McNair’s neighbours. The three are pulled onto separate paths by WWII, only to be brought together again in the aftermath of the war.
This story pulled me along, I wanted to know what would happen next, and I ended up reading it in every spare moment I could find once I started. The pacing and dual-POV narrative were very well done and made this an easy read. Paylor’s settings were lush and their descriptions brought the time period to life.
To say I enjoyed our two main characters is an understatement. Rebekah and Kit, the relationship between them and with the other characters presented in the story, were compelling. The writing keeps them at arm’s-length from the reader, and I felt we did not truly get inside their heads, which may not suit some reader’s tastes, but still works for the story being told. We see these characters experience love, heartbreak, and loss, and face challenges as they try to find their way through this WWII era world.
The way the story is split up, and the way the time skips were used, worked wonderfully for me. The innocence and youth of the first part combined with the buildup to and inevitability of WWII. The different realities of WWII in Canada and for Canadians overlaid by the loss of innocence and finding a way to survive during wartime. And, finally, coming to terms with the loss post-WWII and finding a way forward and building a new life. All of which is deftly tied together by the romantic plotline between Kit, Rebekah, and Landon.
I do have mixed feelings about the mythology and fantastical elements. They were not a major part of the story, and I’m not sure the story would change at all if they were removed. On the other hand, these elements added to the atmosphere of the story, and it’s interesting to consider whether these explanations were the characters’ way of coming to terms with their own stories and world rather than being literal happenings.
As for the ending, again, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, it feels very fitting. On the other hand, I feel like it left loose strings that I’m not entirely satisfied with. Those strings being Kit’s relationship with their mother and the farm, and both Kit and Rebekah’s relationships with Landon, particularly Kit’s and the conflict there. And yet a resolution to these things may also have felt unrealistic.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for making the DRC available to me. All opinions are my own.
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