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August into Winter

Written by: Guy Vanderhaeghe
Narrated by: R.H. Thomson, Kelley Jo Burke
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Publisher's Summary

National Best Seller

The first novel in nearly a decade from the three-time Governor General's Award‒winning author of The Last Crossing, August Into Winter is an epic story of crime and retribution, of war and its long shadow, and of the redemptive possibilities of love.

You carried the past into the future on your back, its knees and arms hugging you tighter with every step.

It is 1939, with the world on the brink of global war, when Constable Hotchkiss confronts the spoiled, narcissistic man-child Ernie Sickert about a rash of disturbing pranks in their small prairie town. Outraged and cornered, Ernie commits an act of unspeakable violence, setting in motion a course of events that will change forever the lives of all in his wake.

With Loretta Pipe — the scrappy 12-year-old he idealizes as the love of his life — in tow, Ernie flees town. In close pursuit is Corporal Cooper, who enlists the aid of two brothers, veterans of World War One: Jack, a sensitive, spiritual man with a potential for brutal violence; and angry, impetuous Dill, still recovering from the premature death of his wife who, while on her deathbed, developed an inexplicable obsession with the then-teenaged Ernie Sickert.

When a powerful storm floods the prairie roads, wreaking havoc, Ernie and Loretta take shelter in a one-room schoolhouse where they are discovered by the newly arrived teacher, Vidalia Taggart. Vidalia has her own haunted past, one that has driven her to this stark and isolated place with only the journals of her lover Dov, recently killed in the Spanish Civil War, for company. Dill, arriving at the schoolhouse on Ernie's trail, falls hard and fast for Vidalia — but questions whether he can compete with the impossible ideal of a dead man.

Guy Vanderhaeghe, writing at the height of his celebrated powers, has crafted a tale of unrelenting suspense against a backdrop of great moral searching and depth. His is a canvas of lavish, indelible detail: of character, of landscape, of history — in all their searing beauty but all their ugliness, too. Vanderhaeghe does not shrink from the corruption, cruelty, and treachery that pervade the world. Yet even in his clear-eyed depiction of evil — a depiction that frequently and delightfully turns darkly comic — he will not deny the possibility of love, of light. With August Into Winter, Guy Vanderhaeghe has given us a masterfully told, masterfully timed story for our own troubled hearts.

©2021 Guy Vanderhaeghe (P)2021 McClelland & Stewart
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What listeners say about August into Winter

Average Customer Ratings
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What a story!

Every character is elegantly portrayed, with flaws and ideals (some more heavily leaning in one direction). Enjoyed it immensely.

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Great storytelling

Really enjoyed this book - it was rather long but it was a good story with great characters. The ending was not what I expected. I will definitely get another book by this author.

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Amazing Read

Guy Vanderhaegue is one of the best living Canadian novelists. And this is arguably his best

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Wonderful story

I very much enjoyed this novel- much as I enjoyed the author’s previous books. Multifaceted characters and a suspenseful tale, set quite realistically in time and place. Also very interesting depictions of WW1 and the Spanish Civil War.
The only criticism I can offer is re: the performance. The singsong style of speaking, for me, diminished the import of the words and made the characters sound almost clownish.

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Vanderhaeghe goes just short of full speed

I read other reviews commenting on the narrator's singsong lilt thinking it really can't be that bad. His style persisted even in the most inopportune moments and took away some of the gravitas in certain scenes. It also made it difficult sometimes to tell that a new sentence started.

Regarding the story, I loved the character development, and I found the characters' personalities were an appropriate balance between realism and entertainment.

Vanderhaeghe's The Last Crossing had a scene that was fast-paced and had me truly invested in pursuing the story. I felt like the climax in August into Winter should have been a false summit, with an even grander encounter later. The plot certainly had room to expand to one more level of excitement. However, it was a wonderful novel to help me through the long commute.

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Close to home

Beautifully written book, I was born a few hours away from area referenced in “August into Winter” and Vanderhaeghe captured the feel of rural prairie life so well! Characters are well developed and ultimately so flawed. It has been quite a few years since I’ve read “The Englishman’s Boy” and “The Last Crossing” but during that time Guy Vanderhaeghe has developed his craft to the point that I would now consider him to be one of the best writers in Canada!

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great story with depth of character

excellent story without ridiculous embellishments. a real story about real people that kept you listening.

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1 person found this helpful