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A Newfoundlander in Canada

Always Going Somewhere, Always Coming Home

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A Newfoundlander in Canada

Written by: Alan Doyle
Narrated by: Alan Doyle
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About this listen

Following the fantastic success of his best-selling memoir, Where I Belong, Great Big Sea front man Alan Doyle returns with a hilarious, heartwarming account of leaving Newfoundland and discovering Canada for the first time.

Armed with the same personable, candid style found in his first book, Alan Doyle turns his perspective outward from Petty Harbour toward mainland Canada, reflecting on what it was like to venture away from the comforts of home and the familiarity of the island.

Often in a van, sometimes in a bus, occasionally in a car with broken wipers "using Bob's belt and a rope found by Paddy's Pond" to pull them back and forth, Alan and his bandmates charted new territory, and he constantly measured what he saw of the vast country against what his forefathers once called the Daemon Canada. In a period punctuated by triumphant leaps forward for the band, deflating steps backward, and everything in between - opening for Barney the Dinosaur at an outdoor music festival, being propositioned at a gas station mail-order bride service in Alberta, drinking moonshine with an elderly churchgoer on a Sunday morning in PEI - Alan's few established notions about Canada were often debunked, and his own identity as a Newfoundlander was constantly challenged. Touring the country, he also discovered how others view Newfoundlanders and how skewed these images can sometimes be. Asked to play in front of the queen at a massive Canada Day festival on Parliament Hill, the concert organizers assured Alan and his bandmates that the best way to showcase Newfoundland culture was for them to be towed onto stage in a dory and introduced not as Newfoundlanders but as "Newfies". The boys were not amused.

Heartfelt, funny, and always insightful, these stories tap in to the complexities of community and Canadianness, forming the portrait of a young man from a tiny fishing village trying to define and hold on to his sense of home while navigating a vast and diverse and wonder-filled country.

©2017 Alan Doyle (P)2017 Penguin Random House Canada
Biographies & Memoirs Canada Music Funny Witty Heartfelt Feel-Good Outdoor
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What listeners say about A Newfoundlander in Canada

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Very good

T'was a good audiobook,
indeed it was,
A good audiobook it was,
I'd buy it again.

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Wonderful Storyteller

Alan Doyle just made me laugh. I loved the way he can tell a story of his life adventures. Also , I learned a little about Newfoundland and it’s language. Great audible book for my workout walk

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Loved and laughed

Having spent two weeks in Newfoundland this summer, driving the island and chatting with the locals, this book was a true joy to listen to. So many of the stories had me laughing as I was out on my walks, I’m certain some people wondered what I was listening to. If you’ve been to Newfoundland or have it on your list of places to visit, listen to Alan’s stories, they will make you laugh out loud and warm your heart.

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Phenomenal

Amazing book by a fellow East Coaster! Great story and was nice to hear it read by Mr. Doyle himself.

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Alan Doyle is a fabulous storyteller

I listen to audiobooks on the regular and I was excited that Alan Doyle’s first book, Where I Belong, was available in that format. In 2014, when it came out, not a lot of Canadian publishers had yet hopped on the audiobook bandwagon. The topic of audiobooks is important here for a few reasons. To start, Doyle writes his books in a conversational tone. This isn’t to say they wouldn’t make great books to read as well, but they work fantastically in audio. What’s more, Doyle narrates himself. I often shy away from audiobooks read by the author, as not everyone has what it takes to narrate. Doyle, thankfully, is an anomaly in this regard. These factors combine to create something magical, like you have Alan Doyle sitting right there in the passenger seat, as you drive along listening intently.

Where I Belong tells the story of Doyle’s childhood and young adult years, right up to the formation of Great Big Sea. His second book picks up right where the first left off. It’s the story of Great Big Sea from the early years touring Newfoundland to bigger and better gigs right across Canada. It’s clever how he intersperses his tales from across the country with tidbits from around the island. Alan Doyle is a wonderful ambassador of Newfoundland to the rest of the country and beyond. His books truly are a delight. #Audible1

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Fantastic!

What an awesome book! Very interesting, funny, and even educational. Really enjoyed listening to Alan tell his story. Big high fives from Manitoba!

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Wow, so sad I finished. I truely want more

Great stories, could not stop listening. Funny and heartwarming. Truely Canadian, Maritime, Newfoundland. Thanks Alan!

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Storytelling at its Best

I so enjoyed Alan’s storytelling just a great journey. I was a bit disappointed that Calgary’s story was just a blip of getting lost in downtown Calgary and that the hotel he mentioned doesn’t and has never existed in Calgary. I only know this as I have worked in Calgary’s tourism industry from the early 90s till the late 2010s. I was also working the front desk at the Westward Hotel,now Hotel Arts, when GBS checked in for their gig at the Republic.
But that aside this was wonderful to listen too!!!

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Truly inspiring

Love the way Alan Doyle writes as if we are having a conversation. It is the people like Alan who make Canada such a marvellous to call home. Amazing!

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A Great Tour of Canada..especially Newfoundland

Loved it! Great narration that was warm and genuine. Lovedthe dialectics accept. Looking forward to other books by Alan Doyle.

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1 person found this helpful