Morrissey, Donna. Sylvanus Now, a novel.

MORRISSEY, Donna. Sylvanus Now, a novel. Norton. 326p. c2005. 0-395-32869-4. $14.95. SA *

This is a perfectly lovely novel, written in a style and language that evoke the atmosphere of Newfoundland, Canada from 1947 to the early '60s. When the novel begins, young Sylvanus Now is beginning to fish in the tradition of his father and ancestors in a small boat, using a jig line, bringing up each fish by the strength of his own arms. It is a hard life, but one he loves, in spite of the fact that his father and brother drowned in the sea that gave them sustenance. When Sylvanus sees a beautiful young girl at a local dance, he falls in love. Adelaide is not interested in marrying a fisherman. She had high hopes for her own future, but instead was pulled out of school to work salting fish and taking care of her mother's ever-increasing brood. With her reputation for standoffishness, she and Sylvanus make an odd pair and when three pregnancies and three dead babies occur, she becomes even more reclusive. Meanwhile, bigger and more boats, often foreign, and large fish processing plants are quickly changing their way of life.

The story is beautifully written and the characters are well developed. The settings are wonderfully described and the underlying socio-economic issue is interesting and tragic. Younger YAs will probably not appreciate the many layers of the story, but older readers will. This is an excellent novel. Nola Theiss, Sanibel, FL

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.