Imprint:
Breakwater Books - St. John'sISBN:
9781550818840Product Form:
PaperbackForm detail:
TradeAudience:
General TradeDimensions:
8.5in x 5.5 x 1.1 in | 0.5 kgPage Count:
312 pages***IPPY AWARDS: LITERARY FICTION – BRONZE***
An audacious tale of murder, privilege, and servitude - of both humans and nature.
A stunning work of imaginative fiction, Last Hummingbird West of Chile spins a tale of adventure that is in turn comedic, violent, poignant and thoughtful. Through the exploits of a young sailor born in questionable circumstance and a pair of murderous servants, as well as an assortment of other 19th century regulars, the vital subjects of today—race, religion, sexuality, environment—are framed in history and human culture.
Through narration by human protagonists, a tree, a hummingbird, various beasts, and the landscape itself, Ruddock tells a story of colonialism and environment, brutality and privilege, and the best and worst of human nature.
Nicholas Ruddock is a Canadian physician and writer. He has won numerous international prizes and was shortlisted for the Moth International Poetry Award (Ireland) in 2020.
His first novel, The Parabolist (2010), was shortlisted for the Toronto Book Award and the Arthur Ellis Award. His second novel, Night Ambulance (2016), was a Next Generation Indie Book Awards finalist.
Nicholas has been published in numerous international publications in Canada, England, Northern Ireland, and Ireland. He lives in Guelph, Ontario.
“Boldly conceived, richly imagined, wondrously multi-vocal and unexpectedly comic… the perfect historical novel for a world just waking up to the realization that every living and non-living thing is vitally connected. - Padma Visvanathan, author of The Toss of a Lemon
"Without a doubt, Last Hummingbird West of Chile was one of the best books I’ve read this year. It was absolutely delightful and I was gripped to the very last line (which came too soon)."
- Alison Manley, Atlantic Books Today
“[W]ith the Last Hummingbird West Of Chile Nicholas has indeed lured us into strange lands in what is at once an enthralling adventure and a chillingly poignant morality tale about the impossibility of escaping from one’s self.”
- John Jantunen, Cannery Row“[Experience] the burgeoning imagination of Nicholas, coupled with his wide range of knowledge and his lyrical understanding of flow in language. Really it’s a wonder to behold.” - Barb Minett, Guelph Today
“Last Hummingbird West of Chile is blocked out in a nimble, resourceful, kaleidoscopic format. […] In each section, the tone and vocabulary has been tweaked and honed to reflect and fit its speaker, sailor or craft, servant or master, hummingbird or novitiate. Across the pages they converge and interconnect even as they pursue their individual goals, avowals and sensibilities. Last Hummingbird West of Chile is an ambitious tale, uniquely told."
- Joan Sullivan, The Telegram"...each point of view brought something new and interesting to the story. This novel felt so alive and well rounded, making it such an engaging experience to read." - Oliver Hallett, Digitally Lit