The Landing »

John Ibbitson is the author of Jeremy's War 1812 and other novels. He is the Washington correspondent for The Globe and Mail. His novel The Landing won the Governor General's Literary Award in 2008. John grew up in the area depicted in the The Landing.

John Ibbitson’s compelling novel tells the story of a talented young violin player who yearns to escape his rural home and discover his calling.

VOYA

Fifteen year-old Ben lives a hardscrabble life during the Great Depression with his mother and uncle on a remote island in Canada. His only respite from the backbreaking work of survival is his violin. Ben has something of a genius for music, practicing on his own in their tool shed. When a sophisticated widow, Ruth Chapman from New York, rents one of the nearby cottages for the summer, she hires Ben to do house repairs. She even has him play his violin at a dinner party, where he charms the guests with his lively fiddle tunes. Could Ruth, with her big life and multitude of friends, provide the golden opportunity for Ben to escape his lonely island? With lovely prose, Ibbitson brings to life the rugged beauty and the devastating poverty of the Lake Muskoka region. His characters are as strong and remote as their surroundings. Ben's Uncle Henry barely stops working (or complaining) for a minute of each busy day, despite the pain of an injured leg. When Ruth Chapman breezes into their lives, wearing trousers and smoking like a fiend, she seems a different species. Ben's attraction to the freedom she represents, as well as his deep love for the natural surroundings of his home, create a tension that speaks to all young people on the verge of leaving their nests. It is a quiet, thoughtful story that might require a little pushing to find receptive readers. Nevertheless it rings so true that readers will savor every page. Reviewer: Diane Colson