Hazard Zones: A Novel

by Keith Maillard

Larry Cameron is a veteran of hazard zones. As a native of Raysburg, West Virginia, a flood plain development on the Ohio River, he grew up in one; as a geography student who researched hazard zones on the Ohio River, he became an expert on them; and now, in the throes of mid-life, Larry is facing another hazard zone - the unfinished business of his past.
After a long, self-imposed absence, Larry returns to Raysburg to care for his ailing mother. As he rediscovers his home town, memories of his troubled childhood surface and he is forced to come to terms with the people and events that shaped his adult life - the father he never knew, the alcoholic stepfather who raised him, and the reckless, doomed stepbrother who was his closest companion.

217 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 1996

About the author

Keith Maillard is the author of fifteen novels, one book of poetry, and two memoirs. He has won the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Literary Prize and the Governor General's Literary Awards. The Clarinet Polka was awarded the Creative Arts Prize by the Polish American Historical Association. Dementia Americana won the Gerald Lampert Award in 1995 for the Best First Book of Poetry Published in Canada.

Keith was born and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia, the inspiration for the fictional town of Raysburg which serves as the setting for many of his novels. He has been a musician, a contributor for CBC Radio, a freelance photographer, and a journalist. He teaches in the School of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia.

Reviews

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Larry Cameron, who goes home to West Virginia - near the Ohio River - to deal with his mother's death. As he deals with this, we learn of his entire life and watch him come to terms with his life now and the death of his stepbrother at only 17.

Maillard books are hard to find and after reading Gloria, I was anxious to find another. This was a very well-crafted book, showcasing his character development ability, as action and even movement are minimal. The story was less familiar, but captivating nonetheless. As old as Larry was (50), he was interesting and endearing, as was his wife Cynthia.

[Magdelanye · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly straightforward tale of grief and how it can echo throughout a life until it is experienced and let go.

[Justin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unimpressed.