The Healer’s Journey by Jeanette Winsor

I was fortunate to read and review Jeanette Winsor’s prequel to The Healer’s Journey, The Apprenticeship of Molly Chant, and I experienced the same joy in reading the sequel.

Once more Winsor takes us back to the outport of Silver Cape Cove in her home province of Newfoundland. This time our protagonist is Thomas Morely, the son of Joshua (Fodder) and Anna. Fodder is at odds with no fish in his traps and blames his son Tom, who due to his “fits” is labelled a “jinker”. Not only by his father but by the other fishermen. There are no secrets in the tightly knit community.

Voices came from the other stages as he walked away. ‘What happened to Tom?’ ‘Is he all right?’

“All right? You knows he is. Like a youngster in the boat fer gawd’s sake. Hoppin’ around. Can’t keep his balance.” Fodder’s answer, barked out with shame, left him cold.

Through subterfuge and an injury, Thomas is left ashore and the traps are full. What makes him different? And herein lies the story of Thomas Morley.

If you read my earlier review of The Apprenticeship of Molly Chant, I extend the same praise for Winsor’s talent for creating explicit scenes in the novel. You can feel the excitement of a large catch of cod, the disappointment of empty nets, the heart-breaking distress of lost love, the fear experienced by soldiers, the emotional loss of loved ones, the love of family and the calling of the sea. You’ll visualize the rocky cliffs battered by sweeping waves, the raging storms, the horror of war, the unique attributes of her characters.

Fodder’s expression changed. He stood still, feet planted firmly in the skiff, arms straight at his sides, eyes cold as the underbelly of a cod.

Winsor has done an admirable job with The Healer’s Journey. She ties in the previous novel neatly; eye-opening surprises await you. You can’t help becoming emotionally involved with her protagonist. Not an easy task for an author, but one Jeanette Winsor excels at.

Jeanette Winsor is a proud Newfoundlander, a writer of novels, short stories, and memoirs. Lover of books and Newfoundland music.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (June 23 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 319 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8525705050

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Allan Hudson

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Growing up in South Branch, Allan Hudson was encouraged to read from an early age by his mother who was a schoolteacher. He lives in Dieppe, NB, with his wife Gloria. He has enjoyed a lifetime of adventure, and travel and uses the many experiences as ideas for his writing. He is an author of action/adventure novels, historical fiction and a short story collection. His short stories – The Ship Breakers & In the Abyss – received Honourable Mention in the New Brunswick Writer’s Federation competition. He has stories published oncommuterlit.com, The Golden Ratio and his blog - South Branch Scribbler.