The Seaboard Review of Books September 22, 2025
Volume 2, Issue 38 of The Seaboard Review of Books, September 22, 2025
In this issue:
The Spirit of Scaterie by Lesley Crewe
The Tudor Prophecy by Julie Strong
Birch and Jay by Allister Thompson
The Writing on the Wind’s Wall by Kevin Andrew Heslop
A Perfect Day for a Walk by the Water by Bill Arnott
Fiction
The Spirit of Scaterie by Lesley Crewe
Lesley Crewe’s latest book, The Spirit of Scaterie is “part ghost story, part romance, part history, and a stirring tribute to young soldiers, their brave war brides” (back cover, ARC), and follows the lives of three babies born on Christmas Day 1922 on a small island off Cape Breton called Scaterie Island. The story is told through the eyes of Cara, a …
The Tudor Prophecy by Julie Strong
A real treat for historical fiction and Tudor era fans, The Tudor Prophecy tells the compelling story of two young cousins, Hester Vaughn and Alice Grantmire, during a time of great violence and turmoil when Henry VIII was purging England of the old religion; anyone who did not reform was hung for treason. Many citizens either reformed or outwardly appe…
Birch and Jay by Allister Thompson
Birch and Jay by Allister Thompson is a post-apocalyptic novel framed in a future present in which a new group of Seekers is graduating in the community of Norbay decades after a climate crisis has left the world in ruins.
Non-Fiction
The Writing on the Wind’s Wall by Kevin Andrew Heslop
Some books are designed to persuade readers to adopt a certain viewpoint. The Writing on the Wind’s Wall: Dialogues about ‘Medical Assistance in Dying’, edited by Kevin Andrew Heslop, is not one of them.
A Perfect Day for a Walk by the Water by Bill Arnott
“Sunset horizon Softly sparkles as journeys Return to the sea” —Bill Arnott
Hot Takes: Brief Notes on Books Present & Past
(Note: clicking on the underlined link takes you to the book’s publisher page or Amazon.ca for more information or for purchasing purposes. Support your local bookseller or independent publisher if you can.)
I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music & Medicine
Except for the tone-deaf, just about everyone loves music. It connects with us both emotionally and physically. Hearing a tune you love will likely get your head nodding, toes tapping, and make you feel a familiar comfort. But can music and music-making do more than just make one feel good? Daniel J. Levitin is perhaps uniquely positioned to answer that question, as he's both a neuroscientist and a composer and musician. A follow-up to his bestseller This Is Your Brain on Music, his latest book summarizes some fascinating research done on the benefits of music and music lessons for everyone from autistic children to victims of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, as well as those battling cognitive impairment, depression, and pain. Levitin writes clearly about complex subjects such as the science behind music therapy, and tells some great anecdotes along the way. Music for your brain? Read and find out. (Contributed by John Oughton)
News:
More Drunk Fiction info at Emily Weedon’s website: https://emilyweedon.com/drunk-fiction (We sponsor the Drunk Fiction event at the Caledonian Pub in Toronto)
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James M. Fisher, editor-in-chief
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