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The Nowhere Places
An incisive, skilful debut historical novel tracing the lives of a middle-aged woman and a teenaged girl through one pivotal year (1979-80) in North End Halifax.
It's 1979, and June has raised her son, Gerald, into adulthood as an unwed mother. She is in middle life now, sandwiched between Gerald—who is developmentally disabled and still lives in the family Hydrostone rowhouse—and her aging mother, Margie. When Gerald goes missing, it throws the family into chaos, leaving June shaken and open to the advances of a long-ago ex who's back in Halifax and looking to reunite.
Teenaged Lulu, too, worries about Gerald's absence from the pharmacy where she works. Lulu is reckoning with life as a girl transitioning into womanhood in this buttoned-up, patriarchal city. Her parents' marriage is on the rocks, as is her relationship with her best friend now that they've started high school. Lulu will never be cool, will always be threatened by the rough boys who live in her neighbourhood, will always live in a body that feels unwieldy and undesirable.
The Nowhere Places puts the secret stories of girlhood and womanhood—sexual violence, accidental pregnancy, shame, ambition, and yearning—centre stage, as they occur in the wild insecurity and shifting sands of Lulu's teenage life, and the powerful, decisive growth of June's middle age.
Lulu and June, though divided by decades, are both learning who they are and who they belong to—and what they might be capable of in a world still deeply unfair to women. And both find their solid foundations in their patched-together families, and the safe joy of female friends.
Moving, incisive, and set in a palpably real slice of Halifax, The Nowhere Places is a startlingly skilful debut novel—"a made-in-Halifax Lives of Girls and Women" (Carol Bruneau).
It's 1979, and June has raised her son, Gerald, into adulthood as an unwed mother. She is in middle life now, sandwiched between Gerald—who is developmentally disabled and still lives in the family Hydrostone rowhouse—and her aging mother, Margie. When Gerald goes missing, it throws the family into chaos, leaving June shaken and open to the advances of a long-ago ex who's back in Halifax and looking to reunite.
Teenaged Lulu, too, worries about Gerald's absence from the pharmacy where she works. Lulu is reckoning with life as a girl transitioning into womanhood in this buttoned-up, patriarchal city. Her parents' marriage is on the rocks, as is her relationship with her best friend now that they've started high school. Lulu will never be cool, will always be threatened by the rough boys who live in her neighbourhood, will always live in a body that feels unwieldy and undesirable.
The Nowhere Places puts the secret stories of girlhood and womanhood—sexual violence, accidental pregnancy, shame, ambition, and yearning—centre stage, as they occur in the wild insecurity and shifting sands of Lulu's teenage life, and the powerful, decisive growth of June's middle age.
Lulu and June, though divided by decades, are both learning who they are and who they belong to—and what they might be capable of in a world still deeply unfair to women. And both find their solid foundations in their patched-together families, and the safe joy of female friends.
Moving, incisive, and set in a palpably real slice of Halifax, The Nowhere Places is a startlingly skilful debut novel—"a made-in-Halifax Lives of Girls and Women" (Carol Bruneau).
306 pages, Paperback
Published September 24, 2024
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235 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 26, 2024
4.5 Stars rounded up to 5
I was drawn to the cover photo- an aerial view of clusters of homes in the North End of Halifax, Canada. I often wonder about the everyday lives of people living in those homes, and such was the appeal of this book. The story takes place during the year of 1979 leading into 1980, tracking the parallel lives of June and Lulu. June is a single mother in her forties to Gerald, in his late twenties and mentally challenged. She's a hairdresser and she and Gerald live with her mother in a modest home. Lulu is a teenager who works part-time at the local drugstore, navigating life in school with a cross section of different kinds of kids, and also the turbulent married life of her parents.
This was a snapshot of small-town life where everyone knew everyone and it was hard to keep a secret. When the book begins there is upheaval in the town when Gerald goes missing. Both main characters (June, Lulu) were well-crafted, likeable, and authentic. This was a pleasurable, "quiet read"- a term I use for books that depict everyday life that you can relate to. I was a teenager growing up in the seventies and working a part-time job, dealing with first boyfriends and good and bad types of friends of varying financial situations- so this was nostalgic and relatable. In the case of June, I admired how she dealt with major life crises like having a special needs man-child, financially supporting herself, handling a mother on the cusp of dementia, weighing romantic prospects, and surviving a shocking violation as a teenager. This was a very promising debut from this author and I would love to read anything she writes in the future.
Thank you to Nimbus Publishing / Vagrant Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I was drawn to the cover photo- an aerial view of clusters of homes in the North End of Halifax, Canada. I often wonder about the everyday lives of people living in those homes, and such was the appeal of this book. The story takes place during the year of 1979 leading into 1980, tracking the parallel lives of June and Lulu. June is a single mother in her forties to Gerald, in his late twenties and mentally challenged. She's a hairdresser and she and Gerald live with her mother in a modest home. Lulu is a teenager who works part-time at the local drugstore, navigating life in school with a cross section of different kinds of kids, and also the turbulent married life of her parents.
This was a snapshot of small-town life where everyone knew everyone and it was hard to keep a secret. When the book begins there is upheaval in the town when Gerald goes missing. Both main characters (June, Lulu) were well-crafted, likeable, and authentic. This was a pleasurable, "quiet read"- a term I use for books that depict everyday life that you can relate to. I was a teenager growing up in the seventies and working a part-time job, dealing with first boyfriends and good and bad types of friends of varying financial situations- so this was nostalgic and relatable. In the case of June, I admired how she dealt with major life crises like having a special needs man-child, financially supporting herself, handling a mother on the cusp of dementia, weighing romantic prospects, and surviving a shocking violation as a teenager. This was a very promising debut from this author and I would love to read anything she writes in the future.
Thank you to Nimbus Publishing / Vagrant Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
May 14, 2025
An engrossing story of a year in the lives of a girl and a woman. Strangers, their lives intersect in Halifax of the late 1970s, highlighting their struggles, fears, hopes, and disappointments. LeBlanc writes with tenderness and specificity, pulling the reader into the 'day to day' lives of a community of people, each drawn in realistic detail as she covers an array of complex topics. I especially appreciated the nuanced and subtle comments on class and gender.
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November 19, 2024 This is a slice of life novel, slices of several lives, most of the characters living in the north end of Halifax in the 1980. It is the kind of novel I like, ordinary people living ordinary lives and therefore being relatable to most readers. It intrigued me in particular because north end Halifax is where I spent my childhood, but thirty years earlier, and it seems much had changed between the fifties and the eighties. But much stayed the same too: the sixteen year old girl raped into a shameful pregnancy; the man who will not acknowledge his son; the grown boy who cannot get past grade six and is well known by most people in the neighbourhood as harmless, friendly, and good hearted; the hoodlums who drink and cause trouble and live in relative poverty; the teens struggling with part-time jobs and high school; the woman living with her grown children because she cannot look after herself; the young man who left the small town for the big city of Toronto; the two girls who were best friends forever until they found different friends once they started high school--the school blending the working class north end teens with the wealthy south enders. Halifax is not a large city but as it was when I was young, most of the book's north enders did not venture often, if ever, to the south end, and perhaps the younger characters did not even realize there was a class divide.
It was easy to read this novel, and those who know the city will find comfort in the familiarity of the places mentioned: the shops, houses, and locations can easily be pictured or imagined. Those from elsewhere will find themselves caught easily in the time and place. Readers will recognize most of the characters as people we all know, perhaps even will see themselves and their own lives. It is a book as much about place as it is about people, a book that pulls the reader easily along to the end.
It was easy to read this novel, and those who know the city will find comfort in the familiarity of the places mentioned: the shops, houses, and locations can easily be pictured or imagined. Those from elsewhere will find themselves caught easily in the time and place. Readers will recognize most of the characters as people we all know, perhaps even will see themselves and their own lives. It is a book as much about place as it is about people, a book that pulls the reader easily along to the end.
November 23, 2024
Susan LeBlanc's debut novel The Nowhere Places is set in 1979, Halifax. It's about the struggles of single mother June raising her developmentally delayed adult son, Gerald, and teenage Lulu as she navigates high school, friendships, and family.
The Nowhere Places was a quick and engaging read. It's just a good story about people and their lives. I look forward to LeBlanc's future novels!
The Nowhere Places was a quick and engaging read. It's just a good story about people and their lives. I look forward to LeBlanc's future novels!
October 20, 2024
I was so engrossed in this story, the neighborhood (still standing today in Halifax), the characters… the moment in time (even though I’d not yet been born).
I know it’s common to reflect on the “good old days”, and this book does a great job at showing the simplicity of life (for some) back then, but also the difficulties and prejudices for some (women) back then.
I read this book over two evenings, easy flow, great writing, I definitely recommend.
I know it’s common to reflect on the “good old days”, and this book does a great job at showing the simplicity of life (for some) back then, but also the difficulties and prejudices for some (women) back then.
I read this book over two evenings, easy flow, great writing, I definitely recommend.
November 26, 2024
The Nowhere Places by Susan LeBlanc is a historical fiction set in North End Halifax from 1979 to 1980. It is a realistic account of a single mom, June, and a teenager Lulu, with alternating chapters told from each person’s point of view. We follow June’s difficulties looking after an adult son with special needs and her mother with oncoming dementia. While we watch Lulu’s adjustment to high school and her struggles to make friends and fit in while dealing with the arguments at home and her parent's deteriorating marriage.
As a “come from away” I enjoyed learning about the area across the harbour from my home the decade before I relocated to the area. Also, as a former respite and intervention professional, I found LeBlanc’s description of June’s son right on the mark. He reminds me of one of my old clients and I was relieved when his bus misadventure ended early in the story and I didn’t have to worry about him for the duration of the novel. This engaging book was presented at my last book club meeting and it was mentioned that The Nowhere Places is like a time capsule of Halifax’s North End, a very fitting description.
As a “come from away” I enjoyed learning about the area across the harbour from my home the decade before I relocated to the area. Also, as a former respite and intervention professional, I found LeBlanc’s description of June’s son right on the mark. He reminds me of one of my old clients and I was relieved when his bus misadventure ended early in the story and I didn’t have to worry about him for the duration of the novel. This engaging book was presented at my last book club meeting and it was mentioned that The Nowhere Places is like a time capsule of Halifax’s North End, a very fitting description.
October 21, 2024
3.5 rounded up.
"The Nowhere Places" by Canadian author Susan Leblanc is set in North End Halifax and as someone who lived there for 9 years and am now just across the harbour, it is fun to read about your own places, everyone likes that! Set in 1979 we get two different narrators, Lulu, a young girl struggling to fit in as she comes of age, and Nora, a middle aged unwed woman struggling to raise her adult son who is delayed and take care of her mother, who is starting to show signs of dementia. A quiet and easy read about some slices of life and a ponder on how the choices you make, or those you don't can affect everything.
"The Nowhere Places" by Canadian author Susan Leblanc is set in North End Halifax and as someone who lived there for 9 years and am now just across the harbour, it is fun to read about your own places, everyone likes that! Set in 1979 we get two different narrators, Lulu, a young girl struggling to fit in as she comes of age, and Nora, a middle aged unwed woman struggling to raise her adult son who is delayed and take care of her mother, who is starting to show signs of dementia. A quiet and easy read about some slices of life and a ponder on how the choices you make, or those you don't can affect everything.
February 21, 2025
Ah, a nice people and place heavy book.
The pace was a bit too slow for me. But I loved diving deep into each character and how they navigated two very different eras of their lives. I could picture the cold and wet Halifax city and its small town vibes.
The author’s description of the late 70s early 80s was perfection.
The pace was a bit too slow for me. But I loved diving deep into each character and how they navigated two very different eras of their lives. I could picture the cold and wet Halifax city and its small town vibes.
The author’s description of the late 70s early 80s was perfection.
November 25, 2024
This was probably the best book I've read in 2024. I cried, I laughed, and I kept reminiscing about my own existence in the 1970s and 1980s in Halifax. LeBlanc's style of writing is simple and yet you can easily see in your mind's eye everything that she describes. She nailed it. And, best of all, there was only one proofing mistake in the entire book!
October 18, 2024
Great characters and interesting to read about growing up in the North End of Halifax in 1979.
It pretty much reinforces that the choices we make dictate the path we take and how innocence can be snatched away so quickly…..sometimes by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It pretty much reinforces that the choices we make dictate the path we take and how innocence can be snatched away so quickly…..sometimes by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
December 9, 2024
Big congrats to Susan for producing such a beautifully written debut novel. I loved it and hope to see more of the characters in the future!
March 25, 2025
Susan LeBlanc, write more books
April 5, 2025
I loved this book. It brought me back to Halifax so deeply, having had a family history in the north end. It felt so true, the characters were flawed but honest. The author has created such a gem of a book. My favourite book this year.
March 31, 2025
Beautifully written, with characters so vivid you cannot imagine they are alive and well and living in Halifax! A stunning debut!
March 4, 2025
Some books are simply perfect for me. This is one of them. Please read it.
November 12, 2024
A thoroughly enjoyable slice of working class life in Halifax circa 1979 focussing on two women. June is entering middle-age, not sure where to go next, caring for her aging mother and her special needs son; her pregnancy in her teens derailed her life, but she loves her son desperately. Lulu is entering high school, with all the difficulties that entails. Two women at different ages, both trying to figure out how to move into the next phase of their lives, dealing with changing bodies, family dynamics, possibilities and limitations. A really good debut novel.
April 29, 2025
This was a really well written book that kept me interested through the whole story. June and Lulu were truly interesting to follow through their year. The two, at different turning points in their lives, navigate their days in such a believable way. This is a worthwhile book that has a great Canadian voice to it.
April 11, 2025
A moving story of ordinary people living ordinary lives and finding a way to do more than just survive.
March 24, 2025
Took me a bit to get into it, not sure if that was me or the pace of the book. Really loved the book overall though. Felt incredible to see the outcome June came to at the end, very satisfying and cathartic. I appreciated the insight into Halifax in the late 70s.
February 10, 2025
Being born and raised in the north end of Halifax, this book was a flash back to my life in the 70’s. The storylines were very relatable to my experiences. Loved this book.
July 4, 2025
Brilliantly written in a way that made me feel like I was part of the story, whether it was June who lived for her son and her mother with a loyalty to be admired, or Lulu who was struggling to fit into a place in school where she felt seen and heard, and desired as a friend. The author placed the story in the locale of Dartmouth and Halifax at a time in history where things, ideas and cultures were different, and yet, not so much. People gossiped, condemned and looked the other way instead of standing up for those who were being bullied or mistreated.
A story that will stick in your mind and leave you contemplating.
A story that will stick in your mind and leave you contemplating.
October 9, 2024
A quiet novel about the everyday lives of a teenager and a middle-aged woman in a small town and how their choices affect them over an eventful year in their lives. Both struggle with finding who they are in a world that is often unkind and difficult for females no matter their age. It is a thoughtful novel with well-developed characters and the plot is believable, tragic, and ultimately uplifting. I enjoyed this debut novel and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a character driven plot. My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Nimbus Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this novel.
February 9, 2025
A story based at the end of the 70’s in the working-class neighborhood of North End, Halifax.
This story tells of the lives of two main characters. June, a middle aged, single mother struggling to make ends meet, and meet the needs of her young adult son who has a developmental disability, and a mother who is beginning to show signs of dementia.
Lola is a young teenager trying to navigate the challenges of high school. A lovely portrayal of the lives of ordinary women and girls as they deal with shame, ambition and yearning.
This story tells of the lives of two main characters. June, a middle aged, single mother struggling to make ends meet, and meet the needs of her young adult son who has a developmental disability, and a mother who is beginning to show signs of dementia.
Lola is a young teenager trying to navigate the challenges of high school. A lovely portrayal of the lives of ordinary women and girls as they deal with shame, ambition and yearning.
March 22, 2025
That this is a debut novel is gobsmacking. It's close to perfect in structure, the storytelling rich and satisfying. A treasure for anyone of a certain age (the novel is set in 1979-80) and particularly for anyone who grew up or lives in Halifax, NS, though it could be enjoyed by anyone who relishes stories about community, about family, about the pains of adolescence and the challenges of parenthood, the heartache of parenting one's parents, and especially the inherent difficulties of being or becoming a woman. Highly, highly recommended.
September 16, 2025
Absolutely transported to North End Halifax at the turn of the 1980s and into the lives of June and Lulu, who are just trying to get by and do the right thing. Campbell's tomato soup plopping into a pot and mixed with milk. Searching for metal reflectors for those old Christmas tree lights - absolutely nostalgic. Just loved this read!
October 12, 2024
Great read, loved the 2 main characters June and Lulu...and wonderful descriptions of Halifax. Looking forward to this new author's next book 📖
January 26, 2025
3.75 stars
February 4, 2025
4.5 stars. If “The Lives of Women and Girls” took place in Halifax, but by someone who didn’t defend a predator
March 3, 2025
Such a great read - especially if you are from NS. So well written, gave me all the feels of growing up in NS. Well done Susan !
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews