Frameworks

by David McConnell

Dash is a young man who is struggling with his identity. Growing up as Metis in the Canadian West, he faces his share of hardship and uncertainty. To sustain him, he has only his mother's love and guidance and a growing interest in art. One evening when Dash is 19 years old, his mother's support is abruptly taken from him and he is left alone. Sinking into drug and alcohol abuse, he makes a decision to travel east. His journey takes him along the Trans Canada Highway, making brief stops in Regina, Winnipeg, Kenora, White River and Sioux Ste. Marie, until he reaches his ultimate destination of Toronto. Here he fights with his demons, meets Jesse - a social worker and an artist herself - and they begin a more intimate relationship. Dash finds a job as a bicycle courier and, with Jesse's ongoing help, begins to recover a sense of who he is. But as they pursue their relationship, a darkness closes in on them that they must deal with before they can move on.




Told in both first and third person narration, the novel introduces a series of unique characters and settings as it unfolds and wends its way across parts of Canada's expansive yet interconnected landscapes. Frameworks moves fluidly from past to present and back again, blending together a story of loss, courage, resilience and hope.

310 pages, Paperback

Published August 24, 2020

Reviews

[A.A. Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Fragments the worlds of the past, present and mystical collide, building towards a climax that will haunt readers. David McConnell treats his characters with a tenderness that breathes hope into their seemingly hopeless circumstances. A great read for any Torontonian as McConnell immerses his readers in the vibrancy of the area.