On Island

"On Island is a delight from stem to stern. Who knew that Canada’s one and only Pat Carney, consultant, businesswoman, journalist, MP, Cabinet Minister, protector of lighthouses, and Senator, could also produce fiction so light-footed, nimble and lively? Carney’s stories are of life on an island not unlike Saturna Island, where she spends much of her time, and all of them "happened somewhere, sometime, on British Columbia’s coast”. Each tale is astutely and deftly told, and the collection as a whole offers readers an overview of and insights into a beautiful place and the people who make it home."

- Anne Giardini, author, <i>The Sad Truth About Happiness</i> and <i>Advice for Italian Boys</i>

"A lively, engaging collection of island stories, full of deftly observed characters, most of whom would be wonderful to meet walking among “the Coast Dwellers.” A wonderful read from a very talented writer."

- Anna Porter, award-winning author and publisher of Key Porter Books

"Islanders like to think of ourselves as uniquely and happily distant from some of the constraints that bind mainlanders. Pat Carney’s On Island collection of short stories will leave you wanting more. Possessed of humour and whimsicality, Pat’s years in public life inform a compassionate and realistic portrayal of our distinctive Pacific Island ethos."

- Iona Campagnolo, 27th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia

"Pat Carney can now add “adept fiction writer” to her impressive catalogue of credentials. These stories about the pleasures and perils of life on an unnamed island are fond, wry, funny, and delivered in a tone that's both confiding and arch. On Island gave me much pleasure. I hope there’s more to come."

- Bill Richardson, CBC radio host and author

Throughout Carney’s active and varied life, she has gained a unique perspective of human nature and the interaction of people of every age and occupation and she’s done it without ever losing her ability to observe life through a lens of wry humour . . . On Island is a clear reflection of that fundamental ability. It also, once again, establishes her as a light-hearted and insightful author whose observations of life on a anonymous west coast island perfectly capture island life.

Charming and wry . . . Carney demonstrates both the benefit and drawback of life in a relatively isolated and small place, and they are the same: everyone knows everyone.

From her unconventional and deeply ordinary characters, to her description of the beautiful and misty landscape of gorse and blackberry, cedar and kelp forests, and the ancient and eternal tides and rhythms of life, Pat Carney reveals her obvious love of the west coast islands. Like a string of pearls, her stories glimmer with humour, insight, and poetic language.

"Carney has a great eye for detail, a charming writing voice, and she does a nice job of chronicling all the island characters, and the highs and lows of life on the Gulf Islands. People who visit regularly will recognize the daily dramas, like bats making their home in the church."

- Tara Henley

"On Island: Life Among the Coast Dwellers tells the tales of people we all recognize. . . . Carney's writing style is engaging, wry at times. Her journalism experience has honed her ability to choose the mot juste and add the telling detail."

"Carney’s vivid coastal tales ring a bell." —Jack Knox, Times Colonist "These stories are gems . . . [Carney] nailed it." —Shelagh Rogers, CBC's The Next Chapter - Shelagh Rogers, CBC's <i>The Next Chapter</i> "Sonja & Carl takes you on a ride that is as heart-warming as it is wrenching, with unexpected emotion at several turns. Featuring dynamic characters with rich history, I would recommend this to lovers of well-written fiction." —Community Captured magazine "This book . . . reminded me of Ken Dryden’s claim that you can only understand CTE when it's attached to an individual story/life. Suzanne Hillier brings the horror of CTE to life through the story of Sonja and Carl. I was heartbroken at their seemingly inevitable fate. Of course that fate was not inevitable at all - which makes it all the more tragic. This is a book about consequences and about closing the gap between knowledge and actions. All sport parents (especially hockey parents) should read it." —Angie Abdou, author of Between