Reading List - 9 Books Inspired by Newfoundland and Labrador

By Newfoundland & Labrador

At the most easterly point in North America, you'll find a treasure trove of talented writers. Some are local, some from abroad, and some from parts unknown. What brought them all here? There are a few theories kicking around out there: some say it’s the incredible sweeping landscapes that blanket this vast province. Others seem to think it's the first signs of life discovered at Mistaken Point. While others point to the Vikings, who much like the writers, found themselves on these ancient shores by chance so many years ago.

No one can be certain what brought them here; luckily for us, we can still enjoy the fruits of their labour. Below are some books to get lost in before finding yourself here:

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams

1. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, Wayne Johnston.

Although technically fiction, this is a mesmerizing tale of Canadian and Newfoundland and Labrador's history as well of its first Premier, Joey Smallwood. The writing captures a certain melancholy and nostalgia around the possibility for the future.

Sweetland

2. Sweetland, Michael Crummey.

This fictional story is set on a remote island somewhere in eastern Canada. It’s a painful personal tale of resilience and resettlement analogous to the organized resettlement programs of the 1950s and 1960s in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Eiriksdottir

3. Eiriksdottir, Joan Clark.

For the Vikings who crossed the ocean to Vinland, the place was part destination and part mythological. Their final voyage, led by Freydis Eiriksdottir, the enigmatic daughter of the renegade Eirik the Red, is shrouded in mystery. Of the two ships that set out from Greenland, why did only one return from the fabled new-found land?

As Near to Heaven by Sea

4. As Near to Heaven by Sea, Kevin Major.

The history of Newfoundland and Labrador is full of intrigue and disaster, courage, scandal, and imagination. The Viking landings, the exploits of Basque whalers, centuries of military and religious strife, confederation with Canada, and the collapse of the fisheries – all are brought to life in exciting, vivid prose.

Have you already devoured those four books? Fortunately, Newfoundland and Labrador is an endless source of inspiration for authors. We've added some additional favourites to this list to keep you busy reading for even longer.

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

5. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx.

After the death of his wife, Quoyle moves to his ancestral home in Newfoundland with his two daughters. As a colorful cast of characters helps him to adjust to this new world on the stark and beautiful coast, Quoyle learns to reclaim his life while confronting his demons. Proulx and her descriptive, quirky writing will carry you along for the ride.

6. Random Passage, Bernice Morgan.

What was it like to be one of the earliest European settlers in Newfoundland? In this book, Morgan recounts the (fictional) saga of the Andrews family. Forced to flee England, they find themselves getting a fresh start in a new world - and it’s all well documented in 17-year-old Lavinia’s journal. If you’ve ever been curious about the early lives of Newfoundland’s ancestors, this book will appeal to your imagination.

February by Lisa Moore

7. February, Lisa Moore.

In 1982, the Ocean Ranger oil rig sank off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador during a brutal storm. All eighty-four men onboard died, including Helen O’Mara’s husband. While told from the present-day, over 25 years after the tragedy, Helen’s mind is forever drifting back to that fateful night when she became widowed. This is a hauntingly written story about complex love and grief, and the universal need to imagine a future.

Kit's Law by Donna Morrissey

8. Kit's Law, Donna Morrissey.

It’s the 50’s in a small Newfoundland outport community as we follow three feisty women: Lizzy the pillar-of-strength grandmother, kooky redheaded Josie (the daughter of Lizzy), and Kit, the out-of-place 14-year-old granddaughter. The narrative weaves together their stories flawlessly while setting up a scene of pristine rural Newfoundland; you’ll practically be able to taste the partridgeberries and smell the moose stew.

The Lure of the Labrador Wild, by Dillon Wallace

9. The Lure of the Labrador Wild, Dillon Wallace.

If you love survival stories, this collaboration between a young writer named Leonidas Hubbard and a 40-year-old New York attorney named Dillon Wallace is for you. In the spring of 1903, they set off with Aborignal guide George Elson to explore the incompletely mapped Lake Michikamau area of Labrador’s interior. By the time they catch a glimpse of the lake’s waters, it’s already September and the trio is in trouble, now they must battle the elements as winter moves in.