Gemma Marr

Gemma Marr (she/her) was born and raised in rural New Brunswick. After over a decade away, she is excited to return to the province to teach in the Department of Humanities and Languages at the University of New Brunswick Saint John. Her research focuses on the intersections of place, gender, and sexuality in Atlantic Canadian literature and culture. She is an avid reader and writer who enjoys books from a range of genres and styles. 

Just the Usual Work: The Social Worlds of Ida Martin, Working-Class Diarist by Michael Boudreau and Bonnie Huskins

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Just the Usual Work: The Social Worlds of Ida Martin, Working-Class Diarist offers a historical narrative of Saint John, New Brunswick in the post-war period. Built from short diary entries penned by Ida Martin, grandmother of co-author Bonnie Huskins, the book follows the Martin family and their larger community from 1945 to 1992

We, Jane by Aimee Wall

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There is so much to say about Aimee Wall’s debut novel We, Jane. In a tight 200 pages, Wall’s poetic prose chronicles the complicated relationships between women of different generations and life experiences. Through these connections, readers are exposed to the complex geography of reproductive rights and to legacies of local knowledge.

The Good German by Dennis Bock

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Dennis Bock’s newest novel, The Good German, offers an unexpected revision of the Second World War and its aftermath. In this world, Germany has defeated the allied forces and London has been decimated. Refugees from London, and immigrants from Germany, stream into Canada, and the tensions between these various groups become the central focus of the narrative.

Must-Have New Brunswick Books of 2020*

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The books in this “Must Have New Brunswick Books of 2020” list cover all ages and tastes and will give you an idea of the diversity of voices – both young and old – that emanate from here. This list includes fiction for young readers as well as mature ones, and non-fiction titles concerning New Brunswick, and its history, people, and geography.

Annaka by Andre Fenton

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The narrative follows 16-year-old Annaka Brooks as she returns home to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia for her Grampy’s funeral. Though much of her adolescence has been tarnished by feelings of loneliness and difference, her homecoming provides opportunities to rebuild connections with family and friends and to figure out key secrets from her past.

The Talking Drum by Lisa Braxton

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It is 1971. The fictional city of Bellport, Massachusetts, is in decline with an urban redevelopment project on the horizon expected to transform this dying factory town into a thriving economic center. This planned transformation has a profound effect on the residents who live in Bellport as their own personal transformations take place.

Cod Collapse: The Rise and Fall of Newfoundland’s Saltwater Cowboys by Jenn Thornhill Verma

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Jenn Thornhill Verma’s Cod Collapse: The Rise and Fall of Newfoundland’s Saltwater Cowboys is a tricky text to categorize. Part memoir, part historical overview, and part reckoning, Cod Collapse traces the development and decline of the ground fishing industry in … Continue reading

Messenger 93 by Barbara Radecki

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Barbara Radecki’s sophomore novel, Messenger 93, opens with a flutter of information. A mind-bending conversation with a crow kicks off the absorbing thriller, and cryptic messages, hidden clues, and uncertain instructions become the norm in M, the narrator’s, life. … Continue reading