A remarkable debut from a truly promising young writer. In twelve rich short stories that move from small-town life to old-time Hollywood, from devotion in a tiny Irish parish to the three-ring piety of Lourdes, Stephen Finucan makes a startling appearance in American literature. His vibrant characters face poignant battles with religion, courage and daily life. In these worlds, subtle gestures and minor events can suddenly turn lives in exactly the opposite direction of where they were supposed to lead. Stephen Finucan's short stories and essays have appeared in numerous magazines, including Saturday Night, This Magazine and The New Quarterly. He lives in Toronto and is a frequent contributor to The Toronto Star daily newspaper. Happy Pilgrims is Finucan's first book. In twelve rich stories that move from smalltown Ontario to old-time Hollywood, from devotion in a tiny Irish parish to the three-ring piety of Lourdes, Stephen Finucan makes a startling appearance on the CanLit frontier. Finucan's vibrant characters face poignant battles with religion, courage, and daily life. In'On Angel's Wings'an apparition of the Virgin Mary is run down by a drunken Rotarian's El Camino on Founder's Day, and an eight-year-old boy struggles to understand the meaning of faith. In'The Honeymooners'an elderly man decides it's finally time to take his Alzheimer's-stricken wife on the vacation he's been promising her for sixty years. And in'Windows'a recent divorcee empowers herself through home renovation. In these worlds, subtle gestures and minor events can suddenly turn lives in exactly the opposite direction of where they were supposed to lead. This is a remarkable debut from a truly promising young writer. In twelve rich stories that move from smalltown Ontario to old-time Hollywood, from devotion in a tiny Irish parish to the three-ring piety of Lourdes, Stephen Finucan makes a startling appearance on the CanLit frontier. Finucan's vibrant characters face poignant battles with religion, courage, and daily life. In "On Angel's Wings" an apparition of the Virgin Mary is run down by a drunken Rotarian's El Camino on Founder's Day, and an eight-year-old boy struggles to understand the meaning of faith. In "The Honeymooners" an elderly man decides it's finally time to take his Alzheimer's-stricken wife on the vacation he's been promising her for sixty years. And in "Windows" a recent divorcee empowers herself through home renovation. In these worlds, subtle gestures and minor events can suddenly turn lives in exactly the opposite direction of where they were supposed to lead. Contents......Page 10 On Angel's Wings......Page 12 A Talk......Page 36 Greater Powers......Page 46 The Whispering Lady......Page 60 Hollywood, Here We Come......Page 90 The Honeymooners......Page 124 Pineapples and Alaska......Page 144 Could Be Rainin'......Page 154 The Long Weekend......Page 168 Windows......Page 188 The Happy Pilgrim......Page 196
nominated For The 2000 Upper Canada Writer's Craft Award, This Collection Of Short Stories That Explores Characters' Battles With Religion, Courage And Daily Life.
