The Great Lunenburglary by Bryn Pottie

My review copy of The Great Lunenburglary arrived with a handwritten note from the author, “Please enjoy this silly book.” Clearly, author Bryn Pottie has no literary illusions. In fact, on a recent podcast he describes his target reader for his debut novel as anyone who’s “read less than a handful of books since high school.”

Set on the South Shore of Nova Scotia in 1922, The Great Lunenburglary chronicles the hare-brained adventures of two teenage boys who, with the help of a capable young girl, steal the Bluenose, the famous fishing and racing schooner built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia (depicted on the present-day Canadian dime). In 1922, Bluenose was considered the fastest ship in the world and dominated international racing.

Blending historical fiction (emphasis on fiction) with absurdist comedy, Pottie delivers a lively caper with plenty of East Coast references, a heap of sarcasm, and winking nods to current events. Pottie plays fast and loose with historical details and cultural references, including colloquial language.

Pottie delivers a lively caper with plenty of East Coast references, a heap of sarcasm, and winking nods to current events.

The colourful graphic cover might suggest this book is one for YA audiences (after all, it is about teenagers) but with casual drug use peppered throughout, and the occasional crude sexual reference, it’s definitely not.

Pottie is a committed storyteller and clearly cares about pacing and plot. The 200+ page novel is organized into 26 short chapters and is a fast-paced, joke-a-page read. There is a strong storyline, albeit a wacky one. The two main characters are aspiring musicians with big ambitions; the chance to land a record deal motivates stealing the schooner. Strained father-son relationships, lonely widows, and corrupt politicians serve as minor plot points.

Despite the abundance of broad humour (the author was a sketch comedy writer for more than a decade), and occasional lapses in tact (particularly towards fishermen lost at sea), Pottie does try to craft meaningful relationships between several of the characters.

This kind of relentless in-your-face humour requires readers to suspend disbelief and literary sensitivities and just go with the flow. Humour can be a subjective beast. But as writer and showrunner Jeff Biederman said in the book’s blurbs, “If you love books that mix high-stakes adventure with low-stakes decision-making by teenagers, if you enjoy stories where small-town legends get out of hand, or if you simply need a reason to believe in the sheer power of fiddle-driven anarchy—The Great Lunenburglary is the book for you.”

Impressively, this debut novel was long listed for the 2026 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Pretty good recognition for what the author himself calls “a goofy book!”

Bryn Pottie grew up in rural Nova Scotia, then moved to Toronto in his late teens and joined the local sketch comedy community. He wrote and performed for sold out crowds and travelled across North America, appearing in festivals such as Austin Sketchfest, Toronto Fringe and Just for Laughs. He wrote on the TV series Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs for two seasons, directed several plays, and wrote and starred in several experimental web series, short films and the occasional commercial. In the mid 2020s, Pottie returned to Nova Scotia’s South Shore, where he currently resides. The Great Lunenburglary is Pottie’s debut novel. He considers it a love letter to his hometown.

Publisher: Moose House Publications (June 12, 2025)
Paperback: 9” x 6” | 224 pages
ISBN: 1998149730

Catherine Walker

Catherine Walkeris a writer/editor living on the South Shore of Miꞌkmaꞌki (Nova Scotia). A founding member of the Little Books Collective, a community-building micropress in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Catherine is the author of two chapbooks: Short Takes: My seven-week career in the film biz (2024) and the call of many sorrows: fourteen poems (2023).