The Trail to Assumption: A Story from the Peace River Country

by David W. Leonard

A village tavern is the main setting for this profile of life in rural western Canada following World War II. It tells of a generation who grew up during the 1910s, expanded horizons during the 1920s, endured the deprivations of the 1930s, and were part of the heroic war effort of the 1940s.

George Hansen was of that generation. A bachelor addicted to the bottle, he was full of optimism after the war, but, along with his companions, found himself increasingly at odds with the trends of the day and became regarded as increasingly eccentric. For these men, the village tavern became not only a retreat, but a refuge.

Always a loner, George floundered in his quest for female companionship until he discovered a communality with a Native woman from a nearby reserve. His association with Mary Abraham however marked the culmination of his descent within the society of his home town. It also formed the conclusion of his search for personal fulfillment.

The Trail to Assumption is also a story of small town Canada in the 1950s and 1960s. Set in the Peace River Country, it depicts the agonies of a decaying main street against the backdrop of economic prosperity, especially with the baby-boom generation. Interwoven among condemnations of modern times are themes of declining self-esteem, religious disparity, racial conflict, and a quest for home.

219 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Ronald Kelland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hesitated to review this book, as I know the author. He is a former co-worker and I consider him a friend and a mentor. David Leonard is an excellent historian. His concern about the details is what makes his books the valuable resource they are. However, I wondered if this pedantic, but valuable, attention to detail would translate well to a novel. I need not have worried. The novel tells the slow decline of a small northern Alberta town through the voices of a number of men during their daily meetings at the local beer parlor. Their conversations, often filled with the usual gripes of old men who see the world passing them by, are also interspersed with moments of wisdom about the place they, and their community have as each decade goes by. The main character, a Scandinavian immigrant, war veteran, failed farmer, jack-of-all trades and alcoholic is an irascible, crotchety man that becomes oddly likeable and endearing as the chapters progress. I will say that Dave Leonard's foray into fiction is a successful one. I salute his courage for writing it and I admire his sensitivity that enables him to make it a success.