Tower

by Frances Boyle

The night the Mounties came, my sleep had already been disturbed by a small but insistent wail coming from the garden below my bedroom window.

There was a baby in my cabbage patch.

And so begins the tale of Arlys, who grows vegetables and roses, and Chicory, the baby she adopts and nurtures in a farmhouse on a small coastal island. Can she keep Chicory safe forever or will the girl eventually fall in love with a damaged prince, will the carefully constructed edifice of motherhood and care survive or collapse, taking the roses down with it? Is there a happy ending for Chicory, for Torque, the edgy street artist who makes dark and beautiful murals in chalk, only to see them wash away in rain? Tower is a modern fable, an intricate tapestry of longing and danger, is a pattern shifting over time and place, the tendrils ready to wrap us into its story.

181 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Author of Seeking Shade (stories), Tower (a novella) and This White Nest (poetry).

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engrossing and fast-paced book that I wanted to last longer. Evocative of deconstructed fairy tales. Is Chicory a modern-day bad ass Rapunzel? Is Torque a variation on the handsome prince, not so handsome and no fancy steed? Is Aryls a wicked stepmother who makes Chicory do chores a la Cinderella? So much to love about this novella: the believable relationship between mother and daughter, the way the daughter acts out and running throughout the theme of nurturing, even the most ornery and thorny plants, the wild, love and letting go. I hope the author writes more fiction.

[Sam Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming soon

[Nancy Schepers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely could not put this book down. The story was compelling and the poetic language really made the book pop for me. The only downside was that it was too short.

[Margo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entrancing, unexpected, wild. I loved the characters and was so caught up I finished this book in one read.

[Lori Greenstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this tangy novella in one lazy Sunday, with just a nap between readings, jumping across time and territory with this lyrical writer. The story elucidates some of the many complications of love and motherhood against a backdrop of Canada's western fringe, feeling only a little like a warning against holding on too tight-what we do for love. Fun surprises embedded in this fable-quick passes by Baba Yaga and Undines! Frances Boyle does not disappoint. Can't wait to read whatever she writes next.

[Frances Boyle]

I accidentally clicked a button -- I'm not going to rate or review since I'm the author!!