Patrick Lane’s new novel Dark River Night, about a fateful 24 hours in the life of Art Kenning – an alcoholic WWII vet and first-aid man in an isolated B.C sawmill village, draws from Patrick’s own experiences. “I remember working in one small town and there was no police, no hospital, no nurse. I was the first-aid man so I was the doctor. People would come to me with their complaints and, short of losing an arm or leg, they wouldn’t go to the hospital because hospitals charged too much money. Many of the things in the book, the detail about the daily life of people, I knew that intimately having lived that life.”
Steven Price calls Deep River Night “a vast, sweeping novel of war, loss, violence, and forgiveness. This is Patrick Lane’s song of experience… a gorgeous, furious achievement, a work of art of the highest order.”
Patrick is the author of twenty-five volumes of poetry, and several works of fiction and non-fiction. His work has won numerous awards, including the Governor General’s Award for Poetry, the Canadian Authors Association Award, the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence and three National Magazine Awards.
Patrick lives near Victoria, BC, with his wife, the poet Lorna Crozier.
Appearing in: Invisible Wounds: Fiction
Website: www.patricklane.ca
Book:www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/552853/deep-river-night