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The Republic of Nothing
The Republic of Nothing opens in the 1950s on Whalebone Island at the moment Everett McQuade decides to commemorate the birth of his son by declaring the island's independence. In this world of deliberate eccentricity, almost anything can happen. A treasure?trove of objects wash up on shore -- including a circus elephant, a ship's cargo of exotic furniture and a mysterious raven?haired woman adrift in a lifeboat -- and refugees from the outside world find a place where they can cultivate their eccentricities in peace. By the mid?1960s, Whalebone Island begins to succumb to the influences of the outside world. Children attend school on the mainland. Everett McQuade is drawn into provincial politics. Electricity arrives. But even the Vietnam War, the peace movement, and the discovery of uranium mining on the island, cannot destroy the anarchic spirit of Everett McQuade and the citizens of the Republic of Nothing. Drawing upon historical incident and the major political and philosophical currents of the 1960s, Lesley Choyce has created a novel about resilience, independence and cultivated anarchy in which everything is nothing and nothing is everything.
364 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1994
6 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Lesley Choyce
131 books122 followersLesley Choyce is a novelist and poet living at Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia. He is the author of more than 80 books for adults, teens and children. He teaches in the English Department and Transition Year Program at Dalhousie University. He is a year-round surfer and founding member of the 1990s spoken word rock band, The SurfPoets. Choyce also runs Pottersfield Press, a small literary publishing house and hosted the national TV show, Off The Page, for many years. His books have been translated into Spanish, French, German and Danish and he has been awarded the Dartmouth Book Award and the Ann Connor Brimer Award.
Lesley Choyce was born in New Jersey in 1951 and moved to Canada in 1978 and became a citizen.
His YA novels concern things like skateboarding, surfing, racism, environmental issues, organ transplants, and rock bands.
Lesley Choyce was born in New Jersey in 1951 and moved to Canada in 1978 and became a citizen.
His YA novels concern things like skateboarding, surfing, racism, environmental issues, organ transplants, and rock bands.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 22, 2024
I enjoyed we this delightful and poignant book with its touches of magic realism. At times sad, but also contains passages to cause smiles and laughter. There are wise and witty thoughts to ponder and clever, quotable sentences and dialogue.
The story is narrated from the point of view of a young boy as he grows into manhood. The site is the tiny, idyllic Whalebone Island, situated off the southeastern shore of Nova Scotia. It is populated by quirky characters and is joined to the mainland by a bridge. The story spans the time from the 1950s to the early 1970s.
Ian’s father, Everett McQuade, met his wife, Dorothy, while fishing and rescued her from a tiny boat floating on the open sea. Dorothy was 15 years old at the time, and he placed her in a good home until she was old enough to marry. They had two children. Dorothy had no memory of anything that happened before being lost at sea. She spends time studying books on the occult and communicating with spirit guides, developing some paranormal abilities.
Everett fancied himself an anarchist. His strongly held belief was that his fellow eccentric islanders should live free of outside influences and government rules and restraints. He sends a document to the UN declaring the island, now called the Republic of Nothing, to be now independent from Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada. Not waiting for a response, he unsuccessfully dynamites the bridge. In a startling turn of events, Everett eventually becomes Conservative Premier of Nova Scotia, which means spending most of his political life in Halifax and away from his family.
Some refugees have settled on the island. One is a man who claims to be a doctor. It was discovered while he was fraudulently practicing in New York that he had no medical degree, and he fled the country. A family arrived from New Mexico. The father was a nuclear physicist who had worked on the development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs and was hiding from both the Americans and Russians because of his participation and his knowledge. Young Ian was dazzled by their beautiful young daughter, Gwen, which was the beginning of an uneasy love story. A kindly islander gave both newcomers free land.
Too much happens to summarize the story which contains much that is strange and unexpected. It begins with a dead elephant being washed ashore along with exotic costumes and fancy furniture, and the discovery of a dead Viking. Ian endures a school bully who lives with his brutal father, and a dozen mistreated and ravenous dogs. There is a homeless man taken from the streets of NYC to impersonate Gwen’s dead grandfather. There is the drama of an unwanted pregnancy. Along with the involvement some sleazy politicians, an American/German conglomerate finds uranium on the island which would destroy the land and way of life. Can Everett use his political influence to stop their drilling? We visit anti-war demonstrations in Boston, and soon American draft dodgers and deserters from the army sent to Viet Nam are seeking refuge in the Republic of Nothing. Added to this mixture is an assassination attempt, and Dorothy's mystical ability grows in power.
This story held my attention and I will remember the unusual events and intriguing characters.
The story is narrated from the point of view of a young boy as he grows into manhood. The site is the tiny, idyllic Whalebone Island, situated off the southeastern shore of Nova Scotia. It is populated by quirky characters and is joined to the mainland by a bridge. The story spans the time from the 1950s to the early 1970s.
Ian’s father, Everett McQuade, met his wife, Dorothy, while fishing and rescued her from a tiny boat floating on the open sea. Dorothy was 15 years old at the time, and he placed her in a good home until she was old enough to marry. They had two children. Dorothy had no memory of anything that happened before being lost at sea. She spends time studying books on the occult and communicating with spirit guides, developing some paranormal abilities.
Everett fancied himself an anarchist. His strongly held belief was that his fellow eccentric islanders should live free of outside influences and government rules and restraints. He sends a document to the UN declaring the island, now called the Republic of Nothing, to be now independent from Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada. Not waiting for a response, he unsuccessfully dynamites the bridge. In a startling turn of events, Everett eventually becomes Conservative Premier of Nova Scotia, which means spending most of his political life in Halifax and away from his family.
Some refugees have settled on the island. One is a man who claims to be a doctor. It was discovered while he was fraudulently practicing in New York that he had no medical degree, and he fled the country. A family arrived from New Mexico. The father was a nuclear physicist who had worked on the development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs and was hiding from both the Americans and Russians because of his participation and his knowledge. Young Ian was dazzled by their beautiful young daughter, Gwen, which was the beginning of an uneasy love story. A kindly islander gave both newcomers free land.
Too much happens to summarize the story which contains much that is strange and unexpected. It begins with a dead elephant being washed ashore along with exotic costumes and fancy furniture, and the discovery of a dead Viking. Ian endures a school bully who lives with his brutal father, and a dozen mistreated and ravenous dogs. There is a homeless man taken from the streets of NYC to impersonate Gwen’s dead grandfather. There is the drama of an unwanted pregnancy. Along with the involvement some sleazy politicians, an American/German conglomerate finds uranium on the island which would destroy the land and way of life. Can Everett use his political influence to stop their drilling? We visit anti-war demonstrations in Boston, and soon American draft dodgers and deserters from the army sent to Viet Nam are seeking refuge in the Republic of Nothing. Added to this mixture is an assassination attempt, and Dorothy's mystical ability grows in power.
This story held my attention and I will remember the unusual events and intriguing characters.
January 19, 2012
This book is on the recommended reading list for English 30-1 in Alberta, and although her class didn't study it, my daughter decided to read it anyway. I had never heard if it, so was curious and read it too. Most of the books that English students read are either very old, very depressing, or both. This one is most definitely an exception. It is one of those delightfully quirky books about very eccentric characters that seem to periodically come out of Canada's maritime provinces. Maritimers seem to have a unique outlook on life that has resulted in some very unusual novels. At first I thought it was work of political satire, but it really isn't. It is a touching coming of age novel set against the political issues that defined the 50's, 60's and 70's - the Cold War and Vietnam, and the peace movement that sprung out of these issues. Add to this a touch of fantasy, the occult, a bit of anarchy and and unlikely political career and you get a highly entertaining story. Given the overlap between this story and the Grade 12 social studies curriculum, it is somewhat surprising that this novel is not used very much in schools. My daughter's school has obviously never used it - they only have one copy. It does have a fair bit of sexual content, and addresses the issue of abortion, which I think makes some teachers shy away from it. This is unfortunate because I think it is a book that students might enjoy and possibly relate to.
September 20, 2010
There is a whole sub-genre of Canadian novels that celebrate lovable eccentrics, and while Choyce certainly embraces the form, Republic quickly expands as the story crosses years and decades, transforming from the tale of a young man into the chronicle of an age. The upbeat fifties give way to the turbulent sixties as Choyce brings the world to Whalebone's shore and broadens the narrative with Dickensian twists of plot that delight and astonish. Ian's father becomes swept up in the power of politics, becoming a major play in the Nova Scotia conservative party. The Vietnam War makes itself felt, threatening to destroy Ian's romance with Gwen, the daughter of the atomic physicist. Republic has at its heart a deeply personal story, but its mixture of tiny moments and personal triumphs with grand themes and the expanse of time make it the equal of the best of John Irving.
Read the rest of the review here.
Read the rest of the review here.
December 25, 2018
I have only recently become familiar with Lesley Choyce, and I am amazed he is not better known. He has a way with words - expressing the deepest emotions with minimal numbers of words - it is amazing, touching, moving. He is a superlative storyteller. This is now my third Choyce book, and I can’t put it down.
Except I do put it down, only to think of the characters in my mind....
Except I do put it down, only to think of the characters in my mind....
September 24, 2025
His stage may be set on Whalebone Island, Nova Scotia, but the major issues of the times all play their role: Vietnam, draft resistance, student protests, nuclear proliferation, political assassination, environmentalism (and environmental activism), abortion, feminism, marijuana, homelessness, spiritualism, and more than anything, the innocence and ideals that were inevitably sacrificed on the altar of human nature.
May 25, 2017
Pretty good story and well written there was just something about it that didn't impress. It felt like the story was trying too hard. It was by no means a dud, it just felt like it was trying to push the right buttons, but I wasn't totally buying it. It is not a waste of time, but it's a cover band rather than the real thing.
August 24, 2019
This is a tremendous book that was not at all what I expected. I expected magical realism, and it sure starts that way when an elephant washes ashore in Nova Scotia.
But, no. This is a rare IMPORTANT book. It’s a socially-conscious, cleverly-crafted, well-plotted book that is well-written to the point of being quotable on every second page.
My hero Neil Peart likes it.
Read this book.
But, no. This is a rare IMPORTANT book. It’s a socially-conscious, cleverly-crafted, well-plotted book that is well-written to the point of being quotable on every second page.
My hero Neil Peart likes it.
Read this book.
February 8, 2024
This novel takes place in the 1960s' and to me brought back echoes of Tom Robbins unconventional writing genre....fiction intertwined with a little fantasy.
This was a very entertaining read for me and I found myself a little sad when it ended.
"Everything is Nothing...and Nothing is Everything."
This was a very entertaining read for me and I found myself a little sad when it ended.
"Everything is Nothing...and Nothing is Everything."
March 9, 2018
A fun story painted on a background of familiar places.
January 10, 2019
So, so odd. Why does this book exist
March 29, 2022
Canada
Neil Peart
Neil Peart
August 31, 2015
Everett McQuade leaves Halifax and the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia to live his life on a small island off the coast. He renames the island and calls it The Republic of Nothing, a place where people are free to live the life they choose, free from government restraints and outside interference. There are very few residents on the island, all of them a little unusual and each with their own distinct vision of what freedom means.
Everett marries Dorothy, a woman he rescues from the sea and has two children, Ian and Casey who both grow up on the island. But Everett is lured back to Halifax by the Conservative Party who are interested in some of his unique ideas and he leaves the island, promising to return. But, seduced by his political pals in the city, he stays away, confounding his son Ian who cannot understand why his father would want to be any other place than in his Republic.
As Ian grows up and befriends a young American girl, the winds of change hover in the near future. The Sixties are upon them and their relative isolation and idyllic existence is at risk. And it seems their fate is sealed when miners discover uranium on the island.
This book draws heavily on major political and philosophical events from the sixties.
There are a number of confusing events in the first pages including a washed up elephant and a mummified Viking, but these are all seen through the eyes of five year old Ian, so this accounts somewhat for their unusual nature. I was not sure what to make of them.
This is a book in which “everything is nothing and nothing is everything”; a coming of age story with a bit of politics and a bit of fantasy thrown in.
I found it to be an enjoyable read.
Everett marries Dorothy, a woman he rescues from the sea and has two children, Ian and Casey who both grow up on the island. But Everett is lured back to Halifax by the Conservative Party who are interested in some of his unique ideas and he leaves the island, promising to return. But, seduced by his political pals in the city, he stays away, confounding his son Ian who cannot understand why his father would want to be any other place than in his Republic.
As Ian grows up and befriends a young American girl, the winds of change hover in the near future. The Sixties are upon them and their relative isolation and idyllic existence is at risk. And it seems their fate is sealed when miners discover uranium on the island.
This book draws heavily on major political and philosophical events from the sixties.
There are a number of confusing events in the first pages including a washed up elephant and a mummified Viking, but these are all seen through the eyes of five year old Ian, so this accounts somewhat for their unusual nature. I was not sure what to make of them.
This is a book in which “everything is nothing and nothing is everything”; a coming of age story with a bit of politics and a bit of fantasy thrown in.
I found it to be an enjoyable read.
August 18, 2016
I loved a lot of the characters and the stories of this book but found it was hard to keep my attention. It reads more like a series of vignettes than an actual novel for most of its duration. However Choyce writes beautifully and poignantly. I grew up on a small island in the Maritimes that wasn't quite it's own republic but often felt like it. The father abandoning the island and his family for politics on the mainland hit closer to home than expected but was beautifully done. Ultimately though it was the inclusion of outside American history that kept me here until the end. I hear this is a book that is often taught in high school. It is much heavier than anything I covered in school subject wise but definitely an appropriate read I believe
October 5, 2013
Fabulous! Lesley Choyce hit a home run with this one, neatly capturing the life and geography of the Nova Scotia seashore, the times of the 60's and early 70's, and the exquisite and vivid tenderness and confusion of childhood growing through adolescence to adulthood. More than just another hippie-times novel, more than a regional memoir, more than a coming-of-age story. Republic Of Nothing stands out as a perfect retelling of the achingly beautiful awakening we all remember, set in the place where we all wish we'd grown up.
Read it.
Read it.
June 30, 2013
A wonderfully Canadian story that takes us back to the politics of the 1960s & '70s, in a remote Atlantic community. Filled with strong characters, including the very unusual family of the narrator, Ian McQuade. I admired Ian, and even though he frustrated me at times, I wish I had a friend like him when I was growing up.
June 29, 2010
This is another of my all-time favourite books. People speculate that the island is Cape Breton, or is at least representative of it, but I hesitate to think so. I first read this in high school and love it still 10 years on.
November 28, 2013
It's like a bit of Maritime magical realism. It's got anarchists, conservative party hacks, mind readers, a dead viking, a love story, draft dodgers, protests, fake resurrected grandpas, bombed bridges, the list goes on. Picked it up because it was on the Canada Reads long list. A sleeper hit.
January 11, 2012
This book had a little bit of everything. Part coming of age story, fantasy, politics, great character developement, all wrapped into this great novel.
August 27, 2012
Magical and lovely.
June 8, 2013
A magical, moving, and joyful (at times, hilarious) coming of age tale.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews