Still by Joann Cockerline
Reviewed by Ian Colford
Joanna Cockerline’s Giller Prize-long listed novel, Still, tells the harrowing story of 19-year-old Kayla, living on the streets of Kelowna after fleeing an abusive and dangerous situation in her hometown of Guelph, Ontario.
Kayla’s journey west was an act of desperation, driven by a need to put distance between herself and the inevitable consequences of resorting to violence to protect herself. With her father dead and her neglectful mother distracted by grief and the men she invites into the home, Kayla is used to fending for herself. But in Kelowna, where she knows nobody, it’s obvious she’ll need help settling into a new and unfamiliar life. Soon after arriving she meets Little Zoe, a young sex worker, who introduces Kayla to that life as well as to the homeless community on Leon Avenue, in the city’s downtown. This is where Kayla finds the support, comfort and solidarity that her life, to this point, has lacked.
“An ensemble cast supports this story of human resilience and survival. But front and centre is the precarious nature of life on the street.”
When we initially meet Kayla in the novel’s opening chapter, she’s been living and working in Kelowna for about six months. She and Little Zoe have become fast friends, watching out for each other, sharing secrets, and spending leisure time in each other’s company. But on a cold Friday night in February, the two go out on the street to work as usual, and Zoe doesn’t return. It’s okay, Kayla’s friends tell her over the days that follow. Zoe often stays away for long periods. She’s making the most of a trick that’s turned lucrative, or she’s just off somewhere, clearing her head. Despite these assurances, Kayla’s doubts remain. Zoe is not answering her phone, and everyone knows that women in the sex trade have been going missing. But Kayla has also witnessed Zoe’s resourcefulness first-hand. She’s seen the tough-as-nails persona that circumstance and her diminutive stature have forced Zoe to adopt. She knows her friend can take care of herself. Given all that, along with Zoe’s drug addiction, her impulsive nature, and the fact that everyone else seems to regard Zoe’s absence as no big deal, Kayla is reluctant to sound the alarm. But as the days, weeks, and then months pass, Kayla’s hopes fade and her community is finally forced to accept a brutal reality.
Cockerline’s narrative takes place in present day Kelowna but occasionally flashes back to the recent past to flesh out Kayla’s background, describing her love of horses, her efforts to escape the unwanted attentions of her mother’s boyfriends, and the distressing events that ultimately led to her flight from her hometown.
An ensemble cast supports this story of human resilience and survival. But front and centre is the precarious nature of life on the street. Repeatedly, the author reminds us of the vulnerability of those who exist from one day to the next with no security, no guarantees, and who rely on social support systems that are frequently under attack. To her credit, in her debut novel Joanna Cockerline does not lecture us about fairness and equity or the responsibilities of government to alleviate suffering. She allows the gripping drama of Kayla’s story to unfold naturally from within circumstances that from the first page hold a potential for tragedy. In the end, the reader cannot help but be moved and, to some degree, shaken.
About the Author
Joanna Cockerline is a CBC Literary Awards prizewinner who has been published in national and international journals and magazines such as Room, The Fiddlehead, En Route, and International Human Rights Arts. She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2022. Joanna lives with her family in the traditional, unceded Syilx Okanagan Territory of Kelowna, BC, where she teaches literature, communications, and creative writing at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan.
About the Reviewer
Ian Colford was born, raised, and educated in Halifax. His reviews and stories have appeared in many print and online publications. He is the author of two collections of short fiction and two novels, and is the recipient of the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award for Evidence.
Book Details
Publisher : Porcupine’s Quill
Publication date : Sept. 1 2025
Language : English
ISBN-10 : 1774221705
ISBN-13 : 978-1774221709