The Summer Between

by Andrew Binks

Like his attempts to swim over the dark water of the river that lies between him and the object of his affections, twelve-year-old Dougaldo Montmigny struggles against oppression, homophobia and racism to realise his love for Tomahawk Clark, a thirteen-year-old Metis boy, during a summer destined to become a painful lesson on love and desire.
Like sailors becalmed on idyllic ships, this story is a subtle revelation of the emotional turmoil that lies beneath a bewitchingly deceptive picture of perfection. "The Summer Between" is a metaphor for the struggles and rewards of living where origins, tempests and landscape inform our collective soul.
In the spirit of Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha" and Edmund White's "A Boy's Own Story," readers will be moved by the touching circumstances of this innocent narrative.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Young Adult

201 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

I was born and raised in Ottawa. Via a circuitous route of Kingston, Winnipeg, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto and Vancouver, where I studied, danced, acted and taught, I finally became a graduate of the University of British Columbia's Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing. In 2007 I returned to Ontario –– after fifteen years on Canada’s west coast –– and love being back in the heat, the snow and the tempests.


My work has been published in Prism international, Prairie Fire, Joyland, Galleon, Fugue, Harrington Gay Men's Literary Quarterly (U.S.), Bent-magazine, The Globe and Mail, Xtra and Xtra West, among others. I am a past honourable mention of the Writer's Union of Canada's short prose contest, and finalist in the Queen's Alumni Review poetry contest, as well as This Magazine’s Great Canadian Literary Hunt. My poetry has also appeared in Quill's ‘Lust’ issue and Velvet Avalanche Anthology.


In summer of 2013 my personal essay, The Short Goodbye, was published in Prairie Fire, where the piece placed second in their non-fiction category. My first novel, The Summer Between, was published in May 2009, by Nightwood Editions. My second novel, STRIP was published in October of 2013.


Please feel free to contact me with feedback, or if you would like a helping hand with your own writing, I will give a free initial consultation of a sample of your work.

Reviews

[Gillian D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart warming story that beautifully depicts the life of a young boy in Ontario cottage country.

[Indie Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his first novel, The Summer Between, author Andrew Binks has written a beautiful and introspective novel that is set in an eastern Ontario rural community on the shores of the Ottawa River during the late 1960s. It is the moving story of a twelve year old Dougaldo Montmigny who is of Anglo and French descent and lives with his family year-round in the cottage community of Baird’s Landing.

Dougaldo inhabits a narrow world that is conservative and insular with a disdain of differences. He struggles with the realisation that he is in love with his friend Tomahawk, a Métis boy, a difficult family life and a community that is racist and homophobic. The story is told through the eyes of Dougaldo and his narrative voice is most precious as it is both innocent and untouched and hauntingly perceptive and wise in reaction to the world around him. In The Summer Between Mr. Binks offers the reader an incredibly thoughtful, thought-provoking and bittersweet story of a boy coming of age and at the same time a distinct slice of period Canadiana.

The review of The Summer Between by Andrew Binks was originally published at Three Dollar Bill Reviews and is available in its entirety at Indie Reviews.

[George Ilsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique portrayal of innocence. Not really a coming of age story, but rather a portrait of events that set the stage for the future coming of age. The scope of the book, just one summer, is such that "Doug" does not have a chance to be anything but a 12-year old.

[Pooker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this gentle meander through young Dougaldo's 12th summer.

---to be continued---

[Kingston WritersFest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Binks joined us at Kingston WritersFest 2009. You can read more about Andrew and the Festival here: www.kingstonwritersfest.ca