No One Knows about Us

by Bridget Canning

***ALISTAIR MACLEOD PRIZE FOR SHORT SHORTLIST*** Award-winning author Bridget Canning returns with an incisive and unsettling collection that considers what it means to be good—or to be a villain—in our relationships with others. No One Knows about Us is a collection of short fiction about how we find connection in a disconnected world. Relationships exist under the wire, and conversations and revelations occur in secret pockets, both literally and physically. The characters conduct secret acts of vengeance, kindness, and vigilantism motivated by their hidden yearnings, grudges, losses, fears, and fixations.

Genres: Canada, Short Stories

224 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2022

About the author

Bridget Canning's debut novel, The Greatest Hits of Wanda Jaynes (Breakwater Books, 2017), was a finalist for the BMO Winterset Award, the Margaret and John Savage First Book (Fiction) Award, the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Award (fiction), and long-listed for the Dublin International Book Award. In 2018, it won a bronze IPPY award for Best Fiction, Canada East. It is currently being adapted for film.

Bridget's second novel, Some People's Children, was published in March of 2020. It has been named a finalist for the Thomas Raddell Award, the BMO Winterset Award and a winner in the fiction category of The Miramichi Reader's The Very Best Book Awards, 2020.

Her third book and first short story collection, No One Knows about Us was published with Breakwater Books in the fall of 2022.

Bridget grew up in Highlands, NL and currently lives in St. John's where she writes and teaches.

Reviews

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

So underwhelming. Some stories are interesting and nice, the others seems incomplete and sloppy. The lack of quotation marks are infuriating to read. The last story seems to be from a whole different genre and doesn't make sense to be included in this book. The writing style is a bit choppy and lacks description, felt like I was reading a very confusing play.

[Rod Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writeups of this collection seemed interesting so I added it to my list to read. But after reading it, it felt underwhelming. Some of the short stories were interesting and provided a commentary of sorts regarding relationships. Some of the short stories seemed incomplete and just ended. And then there's the last story (a novella) that seemed to be from a different genre. It really felt out of place with the rest of the short stories. Also what’s with not having quotation marks when someone’s speaking. Is this a new literary style or are we just getting lazy? I’m leaning towards lazy writing.
2.5 stars

[Kayla Rumbolt Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I found frustrating about this book, is that Bridget Channing’s writing style makes you want to know more about each short story. I liked each story, but I felt like I wasn’t getting closure each time.

[Erica Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and easy read. There are some short stories in here that are golden and I loved some much! There was also a good capture of the dampness and struggles of Atlantic Canadians. Finally, a bit of Canadian dystopian futuristic sci-fi romance in the final story. Loved it!
It was a bit distracting not have quotations in the text. My brain just couldn´t follow the narration and the speech as well and some stories did flop for me. I will be happy to read some of the authors other works in the future!

[Evan Arsenault · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories was fantastic, maybe the best thing I read/started in 2022. The author did a brilliant job intertwining some of the different stories together.