Two-Gun & Sun

by June Hutton

In 1922 a lone woman arrives in a filthy frontier mining town in the Pacific Northwest. Her goal: to resurrect her dead uncle’s newspaper. Within two days a naked man is shot dead, a famous man is rumoured to be heading their way and the only man capable of fixing her broken-down press so that she might spread this news is a Chinese printer from the nearby forbidden settlement of Lousetown.

Over the next month, Lila Sinclair will take even bigger risks to see her business thrive—from her questionable news reporting to her negotiations with a partner who’s a liar and a gambler. Reckless, stubborn and with a maddening tendency to shed tears when provoked, Lila works long hours next to her printer to see her dream through, only to discover all that she could lose.

Inspired by the historical figures Morris “Two Gun” Cohen and Dr. Sun Yat-sen, whose joint pursuits would later bolster a revolution that ushered in the modern era for China, and further informed by Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West, with its themes of intercultural love in the Old West, June Hutton blends fact with fiction in a dramatic tale that is part historical novel, part steampunk opera and part otherworldly Western.

Brutally beautiful, at times playful and absurd and then swiftly tragic, Two-Gun & Sun explores themes of truth, love and independence.

Genres: Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2015

Reviews

[Petra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Throughout I was tossed one way, then another: entertaining, then slow; calm, then wild. It left me unsure what I was thinking of the story. Even the setting is unsure: set in British Columbia, by the sea, small town, coal mining. My closest guess of a model the author used for this fictional town would be Britannia Beach.
In the end, I see what the author meant to portray. That through all the chaos and unknowns that happen to us each day, we have to bare ourselves in the end, not let others direct us, and live the life we want to live.
I'm not sure whether the style of writing is my favorite. I appreciate the message, the story was interesting/chaotic enough to keep me entertained and interested. But that's about all.

I think if the writing style works for the reader, the story will resonate. This may truly be a case of "it's me; not you".

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

You inherited a printing press in a coal mine town.....what's the worst that could happen? Everything and nothing. Dark, gritty and a cast of colourful characters. I enjoyed this read.

[Allison]

Page 45. Giving up! Life is too short for books that refuse to use quotation marks!!!

[Mirella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two-Gun and Sun is the epitome of unique storytelling - characters, setting, and plot go beyond the norm to reveal a creative tale! Add to this a boldy courageous heroine whose determination knows no bounds and you've got a great story. I would definitely classify this novel as intelligent, cerebral, and intensely entertaining. This is wonderfulf literary fiction. The author's style is to not use quotation marks for dialogue which took a while to get used to, but the great story superceeded this issue. June Hutton is one of my favourite Canadian authors, a gifted writer with talent. I highly recommend her books!

Thank you to the author and publisher. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two-Gun and Sun is an entertaining novel by June Hutton set in the wild west of 1920s North America in the town of Black Mountain and its ghetto, Lousetown, where the Chinese workers live. The book's rowdy cast of frontier characters stars the liberated Lila Sinclair, the newspaper owner, Vincent, her Chinese printer, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and his Jewish bodyguard, "Two-Gun" Cohen. As the drama builds, it slyly echoes the Puccini opera being staged in this raw and rambunctious coal-mining town. Clever, witty, and funny, the novel is a delight to read, with a triumphantly "revolutionary" ending.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally picked this up as part of All Lit Up's summer book club, and wasn't sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed this. The characters are well-fleshed out, and the story was intriguing. I liked Hutton's writing style, which is a little surprising as normally I can't stand books where the dialogue is folded into the rest of the text without quotation marks, but somehow she made it work perfectly. Will definitely recommend to others.

[S.M. Freedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

June Hutton's second novel is absolutely brilliant. Rarely have I had the pleasure of reading such poetically gritty prose. She creates imagery that fires the reader's imagination, and characters so real you expect them to walk straight off the pages. This is award-winning writing.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this -- delightfully subversive. Read as part of the All Lit Up summer book club https://alllitup.ca/Blog/2016/ALU-Boo...

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was debating between giving this book two or three stars. But then I realized that if I gave three then GR recommendations would repeatedly say 'since you liked two-gun & sun you might like...' and realized that that would annoy me greatly since I did not really like this book. So, two stars it is.

The book itself was OK. Not spectacular, not fantastic but OK (I guess another vote for two rather than three stars). But, I actively disliked the protagonist/narrator, Lila Sinclair. Lila is selfish and self-involved, and overall offers nothing for me, the reader to like. The fact that I found Lila immensely unlikeable detracted from the rest of the book because, as her self-involved self suggests, she was the main presence in the book (I guess a vote for one rather than two stars).

Overall the book was neither bad nor good but could have been much better with a more admirable protagonist/narrator.

[Karen Lowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't finish this one before its due date. Interesting main character, full of gumption and bravado, at least the first part of the book. Th stark setting and small town grappling for survival was unique.

[Sandy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. I got it on a giveaway, and it was my first time winning, so that was fun.
First off, there were two things I really, really didn't like. I didn't like the serrated edges on the side. I hate when books do that, it needs to stop. More on the writing side, Hutton doesn't use quotation marks. This disturbs me greatly, and kept it from being a five star.
The story though, wow. It's one of those books that pulls you in and you can't stop reading it. Also, one thing I care about: The clothes are so wonderfully accurate for the time period.
However, my heart is heavy because of those damn quotation marks.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was novel was okay. I was expecting more, based on the description on the back and the fact that it was being used in an online book club. I guess if I look at it as a story of one woman's growth and the adventures she has, it's okay. Didn't really get the references to the two historical figures that were included in the story... guess I don't know enough history! :p

[Dessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novels about newspapers are probably one of my favourite niches of fiction.
Add in a stalwart female protagonist trying to eke out an existence in the "wild west" of the Canadian coast in the 1920s and I'm such a goner.

[Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll have to check out Alllitup.ca to see what I think!