The Smiling Land: All Around the Circle in My Newfoundland and Labrador

by Alan Doyle

From one of Canada's most beloved and celebrated Newfoundlanders comes a rollicking insider's guide to the province, told as only Alan Doyle can tell it.

Few Canadian musicians or authors are as synonymous with their home province as Alan Doyle is with Newfoundland. And now Alan wants to introduce the rest of the world to his home, taking readers on a freewheeling, eclectic trip through the province. From Fogo Island to the Southwest Coast, Labrador to Ferryland and everywhere in-between, Alan's Newfoundland awaits. 

There are plenty of stops along the way to admire the sites and take in the history and culture. Among the stops, a discussion of Newfoundland's eccentric place names, which include Horse Chops Island, Bread and Cheese Cove, and, the (in)famous, Dildo. There are visits to wind-swept coastlines and towering crags, former Beothuk, Viking and Basque settlements, as well as more recent settlements, such as Foley's Shed, a jaunty live-music pub that—as its name suggests—happens to be located in some guy named Foley's shed. There are savvy insider tips, such as how to score fish and chips and a free ride by hopping into the delivery person's car as they deliver your food to your desired destination. And what tour of Alan's Newfoundland could be complete without a short history of what can best be described as "icebergs that look like things," an illustrious history that includes an exact replica of the Virgin Mary that once washed into St. John's harbour, and the more recent—and far less holy—"Dickie Berg," which made international headlines for looking like . . . well, not the Virgin Mary.

Wildly entertaining, informative and brimming with Alan's classic brand of storytelling and romping good fun, The Smiling Land is sure to delight even the most travel-adverse reader among us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada, Audiobook, Travel

264 pages, Hardcover

Published November 4, 2025

About the author

ALAN DOYLE is a Canadian musician and actor, best known as a lead singer in the Canadian folk-rock band Great Big Sea. In 2012, Doyle released his first solo album, Boy on Bridge, which made the top twenty on the Canadian Albums chart. Alan lives in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Reviews

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I learned about this book, I knew I had to read it. Newfoundland is my absolute favourite place in the world. I have visited 40+ times, I’m married to a Newfoundlander. And, Alan Doyle (formerly of Great Big Sea) is one of my favourite Canadian singers. He is so full of life and joy, simply infectious. I've read and loved his previous books.

This book is a tour around a few parts of Newfoundland, the province Alan is from and lives in. It's not just a travelogue, it's a bit of history, a lot of culture and humorous anecdotes. Alan covers everything from the history of churches, the Vikings and alcohol smuggling. He is quick to laugh at himself, he is very humble. He writes just as he talks, I’m sure the audio version would be just like a conversation with him.

Alan takes us, the reader, through many places. And, he only covered a small portion of the province. He shows us that even though the population is relatively small, it is quite diverse: from customs to local accents.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I smiled quite a few times as Alan talked about The Smiling Land. Even though I have been to Newfoundland many times and seen many sights, I still have not seen it all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

[Brandon St. Croix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the reflection of the province and small stories from past and current day intertwined in this book. Great job and even more enjoyable in Audiobook

[Ellen McClure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 5 star read from the man who has made me laugh, cry and want to go to Newfoundland and Labrador since his first book came out. Such an amazing gathering of local sights, anecdotes and reasons to see all parts of your home, and other, provinces and territories. Honestly, I don't have anything bad to say about this. It was charming and well paced. If you haven't read an Alan Doyle book, what's your hold up? Do it, please. I promise you won't regret it.

[Lindsay B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to the day when I can finally visit « The Smiling Land » ❤️

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Smiling Land is Alan Doyle's fourth book and as always its a pleasent reading/listening experience. This time it is a love letter to Newfoundland and Labrador as he travels through out the island to various towns/communities and historical landmarks part of which he did the journey with his wife and son.

If you are familiar with Alan Doyle or even just Great Big Sea you know Alan is a natural storyteller and as always he puts his heart and soul in these stories. Honestly Newfoundland and Labrador tourism should be paying for the free advertising he's giving the province. And if you don't want to go after reading this what's wrongs with yous? Truly a delight to read/listen especially on audiobook. I loves it.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Smiling Land by Alan Doyle is a journey around Newfoundland, the author’s home, one with which he is totally in love. It is full of lyrical descriptions and wry observations about a place that has fascinated me for years. This is the man to read if you are interesting in this amazing part of the world. He has a way with words and will charm his way into your heart with his musings. For a very occasional non-fiction reader, this hit the mark.

I was invited to read The Smiling Land by Penguin Random House Canada. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #PenguinRandomHouseCanada #AlanDoyle #TheSmilingLand

[Darwin Froese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely exceptional.

[Reading_seas0n · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada (Adult) | Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book honestly. Here is my opinion on the book!

There is a special place in my heart for books that share personal experiences and journeys.

As someone who immigrated to Canada when I was in my mid teens, I missed a lot of Canadian moments many have or learn growing up and discovered them through my friends and by accident later in life. One of my goals is to explore Canada, so when I saw this book and the fact that I recognized Alan Doyle (From his play work, please don't be mad it wasn't from his music/band) I requested.
We are showed a map with cute drawing about certain spots at the beginning of the book and as we read we get small information about the backstory of the spots visited and traveled as well as personal moments between Alan & his family on the journey.

I think this will be a sweet book to gift those who love Alan Doyle, who love Canadian Travel/experiences and sweet books that show family travel and history.

Side note: I did wish there were some pictures that accompanied the book as I would have like to see if the descriptions matched in my head.

[Kelly (miss_kellysbookishcorner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Smiling Land: All Around the Circle in MY Newfoundland and Labrador
Author: Alan Doyle
Genre: Non Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: November 4, 2025

T H R E E • W O R D S

Savvy • Infectious • Comical

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Few Canadian musicians are as synonymous with their home province as Alan Doyle is to his—and even fewer once worked as tour guides. In The Smiling Land, Alan reprises his tour-guiding role to welcome the rest of Canada to his home and take readers on an adventure: a freewheeling road trip through Newfoundland, its history, and its culture. From Fogo Island to the Southwest Coast, Labrador to Ferryland, and everywhere in between, Alan's Newfoundland awaits you.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Growing up I listened to Great Big Sea regularly, so when I saw The Smiling Land announced I didn't bother reading the synopsis and simply added it to my TBR. I falsely expected this to be a memoir, but that's on me for not bothering to read the premise. However, I must say this was an absolute delight to listen to and I am so glad it came onto my radar.

Alan Doyle delivers an insider's guide to his beloved home province in his classic storytelling ability. He, along with his family, travel to a variety of different places around the province sharing humourous anecdotes along the way. This book allowed me to grasp the diversity of the landscape, people, and culture and appreciate the province a whole lot more. I was captivated by everything he had to share, both historically and modern.

The audiobook, read by Alan himself, was highly entertaining. I couldn't help but smile at his antics and side notes as he travels from one place to the next. He tells his stories in a simple and accessible manner making it feel as though I was simply sitting down to have a conversation with him about his travels. His love for his province shines through with such vivid descriptions.

Travelling to Newfoundland and Labrador has always been on my bucket list of travel destinations, yet after reading The Smiling Land it's save to say it has moved up said list. Alan Doyle has delivered a celebration of all that Newfoundland and Labrador is in this entertaining and compact journey. I didn't know until I'd finished that Doyle has released several other books and now I look forward to exploring them.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• travelogues
• Alan Doyle
• Canadian landscapes

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a fan of Great Big Sea and had seen them many times in concert over the years. Alan Doyle was one of the members in Great Big Sea and this is his fourth book (I enjoyed his first three).

This book is part travel guide/part homage to Doyle's home province of Newfoundland. He takes readers on a trip around Newfoundland and Labrador, sharing stories and history. He visits fishing towns, rugged coastlines and lively communities, mixing in local legends, music and humour. For example, he lets you know where to find the best fish and chips, how to spot puffins and tells tales about rumrunning and lighthouses.

It must have been fun for Doyle to embark on this project and to have his wife and son along with him on some of the adventures. I liked the writing style and found that his personality came through ... like we were sitting chatting and having a pint. I found the history of places for the most part interesting (it's obvious he did a ton of research) but I enjoyed his personal stories more of how they related to the places ... like one of his few experiences being in Port aux Basques years ago or his respect for Ron Hynes when visiting his house.

His descriptions of buildings and places were vivid but it would have been nice to have pictures included (it sounded like he did stop and take pictures along the way) ... I would pause and Google so I could see what he was talking about. I've been to some of the places he wrote about (like St. John's and Saint Pierre) so it was fun to relive them through his eyes.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2025/10...

[Mary J · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! It's equal parts travelogue, family adventure and memoir, and a love story to Alan's home province. It's also parts history and culture and some fun anecdotes. Very interesting and funny.

Having visited Newfoundland and Labrador in June 2025 for the first time, I concur that St John's & area is the highlight of the province. It's such a wonderful province filled with wonderful people, music and FOOD!

My husband (also Alan) and I took the ferry from North Sydney, NS to Port aux Basque, spent the night then drove the 10 hours to St John's. Alan describes the landscape and places perfectly. We then drove back across the province (with stops in Gander, Dildo!, Elliston, Bonavista and Deer Lake) and up the west coast to take the ferry from St Barbe to Blanc Sablon then drove home to ON through all of Labrador then Quebec.

Labrador is a vast vast part of the country, with hardly any services except for in Goose Bay-Happy Valley and Labrador City.

As Alan and family did, we saw amazing lighthouses, ice bergs and puffins!

I can't wait to go back and visit St John's again, and some of the places we didn't get to and that Alan so wonderfully describes in his book (St Pierre & Michelon, the Burin peninsula, Fogo Island, Burlington and Battle Harbour).

[Alison C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came across Great Big Sea shortly after moving to Montreal in 1996, saw the band three times over the following 8 months or so, and loved their music (still do). The front man, Alan Doyle, came across as friendly, amiable, interested in everything and, oh yeah, a talented singer and songwriter. “The Smiling Land” is Alan’s third (I think) book about his travels, here focusing on his home province of Newfoundland and Labrador. I’m pleased to report that he comes across in exactly the same way in writing as he did in music - he’s a very genial guide, full of little (and not so little) stories about the places he highlights and clearly exulting in the beauty and quirkiness of his homeland. Certainly this makes the reader want to travel to the province to see all the sights; I have only been to St. John’s, which is a shame but unavoidable if one is a non-driving visitor like me (I remember St. John’s as indeed being very friendly and welcoming, too). If *you* are a driver, read this book and plan a road trip, you clearly won’t be sorry! And if you’re lucky, you may run into Alan Doyle himself; if you do, tell him “hi” for me, will you? Highly recommended!

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I feel my feet on this land, and I smile. Newfoundland and Labrador. Welcome”
I enjoyed this book immensely. Doyle combined humour, factual information, seriousness, and beauty, into one book and captivated me every page.
I loved following him on his travels with his family, and the way he described the environment, the food, and even the people, it was beautiful. He brought the people to life, and I’ve visited many of those towns myself and I was able to picture in my own head, those areas which filled me with pure joy. I felt like I was back in Newfoundland. The history was incredible to read on, and I felt like I learnt a lot. And even when Doyle admitted he didn’t know things, it was quite funny what he came up with. Doyle’s own reflection on certain things were touching to read, I found him to be very reflective and truthful, and it was like he put my own feelings about St John’s into his book.

[LP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Once again, Alan Doyle nails it. I've been a fan for close to 30 years and as much as I love his music, at the heart of it he's a natural storyteller. If you know his voice, you can absolutely hear it when you read his books. I found this one to be particularly funny with lots of laugh out loud moments. Was I reading into it when I found parts of lyrics scattered innocuously throughout? Yes indeed, "everything shines" in The Smiling Land. You don't need to be a GBS fan or even know who Alan Doyle is to enjoy this Newfoundland and Labrador travelogue. You'll feel like you're there with him as your personal tour guide.

[Mara Reich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully narrated journey through Newfoundland & Labrador. I listened to the audiobook, and hearing the author himself made the experience even more engaging and personal. His voice brings the stories to life in a way that feels authentic.
The vivid descriptions made me want to pack my bags and explore this stunning part of Canada. It’s a quick, effortless read with a great pace and captivating stories from places most of us rarely think about - the Canada we don’t usually see.
If you’re looking for something refreshing, away from fiction or self-help, this book is a perfect choice. Highly recommended for anyone who loves travel writing and wants to discover hidden corners of our majestic country.

[Kiersten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so obviously I love Alan Doyle and that makes me biased as hell, but I enjoyed this book. He is so clearly passionate about his home province and it just shines through in his writing. It genuinely made me want to hop on a plane to Newfoundland.

My biggest grievance was that I wanted to see pictures of the places and things he was talking about in real time. A few glossy snaps in the middle was not enough. Embed the pictures, publishers! Even if they are low res or black and white. I spent a ton of time searching for pictures while I was reading this and had to try hard not to lose the thread of his writing.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I have not had the opportunity as of yet to undertake a trip to "the Rock" I feel like I just returned home, after reading Doyle's delightful travelogue of his various journeys around his home province. Doyle's voice is entertaining and he weaves in history, humour, personal life stories with vivid descriptions of the places and people he encounters in his travels. This was a fitting choice for a personal Read the North challenge I am undertaking this year and I would recommend it to any Canadian with an interest in the history and culture of our great eastern coast.

[Dave Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Had a chance to see him live on a press tour promoting it, and he speaks like he writes. Which is with a great flare for wit and storytelling and grace.

This is for those who love travel, who love music, and especially for those who have any interest in this part of Canada. The Smiling Land without a doubt will put a smile on your face, and leave you with some wonderful new information and insights at the same time.

[David Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read about one of my favourite places. The writing style is authentic Newfoundland, and perfectly reflects the utterly charming character of the place and its inhabitants. I've often said that if someone could only visit one place in Canada, it should be Newfoundland and Labrador. I've visited St. John's a number of times, but have not seen the rest of the province. This book has rekindled my desire to see as much of it as I can.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan Doyle is one busy guy! Between starring in Tell Tale Harbour, (which I saw last month and thoroughly enjoyed), touring with his band, and now he has his 4th book out. Needs a vacation I'd say. We follow Alan, his family, and his RV on a humorous trip around Newfoundland. Perfect bedtime reading, did a leisurely couple of chapters a night. Have never been to Newfoundland, always wanted to go and now I really really want to go.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t connect with this one quite as much as his others, as a few parts felt a bit too much like a travel guide. That said, I absolutely love Alan Doyle, and I really appreciated hearing a nostalgic voice from home during this dreary November in Ontario. The sprinkles of stories from his past were my favourite, those are the moments when his voice really shines, or maybe it’s just when I become totally engrossed.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Imay be a bit biased as huge fan of Alan Doyle's music, I loved this book. I have the paper copy, but decided to get the audio version from the library so I could hear it read by Alan himself. He is such a great story teller and made the places he visited and shared come alive. I have always wanted to see the East coast, maritime and Newfound & Labrador, this book just made me more eager to do so!
If you haven't, I highly reccomend you read this and all of his other books!

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is obvious how much Alan loves his home province!d this book provided a lovely tour or Newfoundland and its history. It is written just like Alan is speaking to you about his beloved Newfoundland, which makes it even more endearing. I can only imagine the fun he must have had with his family by his side as he made his way through this beautiful province.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book as I have the other three by Alan Doyle. This one was a great tour of the island and I really enjoyed learning about many places there that I hadn't heard of and all the historical facts the went along with the visits. I have been a few times for short visits to Newfoundland and would recommend this book to anyone who has NL on their bucket list. Great job!!

[Marie-France Leclerc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I am a big fan of Alan Doyle. However, even if you’re not, this is a must audiobook. He is such a fantastic storyteller. This book didn’t disappoint. You feel you’re visiting Newfoundland and Labrador with Alan as your personal guide.
I visited Newfoundland many years ago and now I want to go back to see the places Alan describes so well!

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newfoundland has a very special place in my heart, as an “honourary Newfoundlander” I truly loved this book. Doyle is undoubtedly a great storyteller and gives readers a peek into The Smiling Land.
Highly recommended. If you haven’t been yet, this book will make you book your tickets.
Thank you NetGalley, and Penguin Random House Canada (Adult)/Doubleday Canada for this ARC!

[Amy Hueston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read! As expected, Alan Doyle tells a good story, adding humour and emotion throughout. I kept having to stop and search places on Google, all of which look amazing. I think I just gave 4 stars because I prefer his own personal stories, but it was great to hear some background from the history of our eastern-most province :)

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a true love letter to Alan Doyle’s home province, Newfoundland and Labrador
It’s full of humour and pride and fascinating facts about the island province
Now I need to return and see some of his hidden gems.

[Toula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just came back from a trip to Newfoundland and then I discovered this book. I travelled around the island with him again through this book and now I want to go back even more. Doyle’s writing style made ME smile! His love of Newfoundland is contagious.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

My attachment to @alanthomasdoyle has matured over the years.

From a teen flailing ‘round the dance floor to a near 50 yo, listening to him recount stories of his life, his home, and his family, I’ve loved it all.