Bottle and Glass

by Morgan Wade

Bottle and Glass is a story of survival and escape told from the barstools of two dozen boisterous Kingston taverns at the close of the War of 1812.

The novel follows the fortunes of Jeremy Castor and his cousin, Merit Davey, two young men snatched from the Cornish coast by the Royal Navy in the summer of 1813. A year later, they arrive in Kingston, in The Dominion of Canada, a town tense with the fear and deprivation of war. Paid, pent, and thirsty, their first riotous night ashore is spent at a tavern, the novel's namesake, Violin, Bottle, and Glass.

On this Saturday night it seems like the entire town is crammed into the two-story clapboard roadhouse. It is thick with spicy bodies, sour tobacco, sweet liquor, and traces of sea-salt. Each reveler has their own private need. The bos'n's mate looks to drink something other than lime-leavened rum and he thinks of home. The young seamstress hopes to meet a midshipman and she thinks of away.

The bored need a distraction. The bottled, a release.

Jeremy and Merit meet sixteen-year-old Amelia Barrett, newly and unhappily married to Colonel Noble Spafford, a Peninsular War veteran many decades her senior. When, later that evening, Jeremy stumbles upon a dead man linked to the Colonel, the lives of these three people seeking freedom become bound together forever.

Genres: Historical Fiction

302 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2015

About the author

Morgan Wade's first novel, The Last Stoic, was edited by award winning novelist Helen Humphreys (Coventry, The Reinvention of Love) and in 2012 it made the ReLit Awards long list. Morgan's short stories and poems have been published in Canadian literary journals and anthologies, including, The New Quarterly and The Nashwaak Review. He attended the Humber School of Writing where he worked with acclaimed novelist Michael Helm.

He lives in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Reviews

[Johann Laesecke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction story set in Canada while the War of 1812 simmers across the border and affects Canadians and the British troops stationed there. Most of the story is set in a dozen or so pubs, but then the pub was often the center of activity in small towns of the era. For me, good historical fiction requires well developed characters, a compelling plot, and excellent use of historic context. Bottle and Glass covers these requirements in an excellent fashion. This is a five-star read with some grim scenes, but the times were dark and difficult for almost everyone.

[Wayne Turmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an unexpected pleasure. Besides telling a solid story that isn't often shared...the War of 1812 from the Canadian side of the river...it looks at the role alcohol played in frontier life in an honest and often brutal way. Morgan has a gift for description that paints a vivid, if bleary-eyed, portrait of Canadian and British life.

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a story that isn't often told: the War of 1812 from the Canadian side. It was worth reading for that alone! A must read for anyone who has an interest in the War of 1812 and it's worthwhile for Canadians in general to read this as it provides a new perspective on the war and as a part of our history.


*won as a GoodReads Giveaway*

[Jillann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Local author; Kingston in 1814...an eye-opening portrayal of the squalor and poverty of the time

[Leanne Lieberman]

Bottle and Glass is a a meticulously researched, moving, rollicking adventure. The story takes place in Upper Canada at the end of the war of 1812 about two soldiers who want to escape the Royal Navy. Many of the scenes take place in historic Kingston places, especially taverns. When I was reading it, I had very vivid images of earlier Kingston. It made me think of an Anne Fadiman’s essay, called You Are There, which is the practice of reading books in the places they describe. You go to Greece, you read Homer. In New York you read Salinger or Joseph O’neil. When reading Morgan’s book, I had the sense of It Used To Be Like That Here. I could so clearly see the Kingston landscape I know, both as it was then, and it is now.
If you're interested in drinking culture, Kingston history or a good historical novel, this is a great read.

[Fay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book 3 stars due to the uniqueness of the setting and time era. However I found the writing style hard to follow. Maybe I am just thick but I often had to re-read portions after sections changes to understand where the new setting was. I would like to see more work from the author after there is a little more development in the writing style.

I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway and I am under no obligation to leave a review and do so voluntarily.