A Bird on Every Tree

by Carol Bruneau

Carol Bruneau, author of six acclaimed works of fiction (most recently, These Good Hands), brings her finely honed voice to 12 new stories about shifting concepts of Nova Scotian identity.

In “The Race,” a war bride’s remarkable life trajectory unfolds as she competes in an international swim marathon in the Northwest Arm. Strain erupts between a Haligonian couple in “Burning Times,” while they struggle to keep track of one another, both physically and emotionally, on an Italian vacation. In “Polio Beach,” cousins gather oceanside over the will of a recently deceased aunt who once saved one of them from drowning.

Writing with empathy, humour, and linguistic precision, Bruneau follows characters who find themselves connected to Nova Scotia by birth, through attempts at escape and new beginnings, or as a temporary resting place, always carrying with them their own idiosyncratic and complex definitions of “home.”

Genres: Short Stories, Canada, Fiction

152 pages, Paperback

Published August 30, 2017

About the author

Carol Bruneau is the author of nine books: three short fiction collections and six novels, including Brighten the Corner Where You Are (Fall 2020) and A Circle on the Surface (2018.) Her first novel, Purple for Sky, won the 2001 Thomas Head Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award and the Dartmouth Book Award. She lives with her husband in Halifax.

Reviews

[George Ilsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong collection of stories, varied in tone and voice. My only quibble — it was impossible to pick a favourite!

I went back to "Polio Beach" and "Crotch Rocket" and others only to discover that they hold up to re-reading; in fact they deepened and expanded. Who can decide on a fave when the competition is so fierce?

This collection makes a keen reader want to explore all this author's books.

[Lisa Nikolits · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this collection of short stories in one sitting, reading late into the night, unable to stop! Poignant, heart-wrenching and written with beautifully sharp prose that will sometimes leave you feel sucker-punched in the best kind of way - as in 'I didn't see that coming'! The stories cover a broad range of points of view, and each of them is utterly convincing. Each scenario is as vivid as the next, while being equally as different. And there is not one single unnecessary word to be found. A finely-crafted, engrossing, disturbing and extraordinarily memorable read.

[Carole Giangrande · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful collection of stories made me realize once again why I love to read. Beautiful writing, vivid characters and sense of place - all there, yet much more. Carol Bruneau uses exquisite language to pry loose the unnameable and hidden places we carry inside us, so that we may connect with the hearts of her characters and their universal stories of home, family bonds and the power of love. Creating this timeless sense of common humanity so that other voices confront and befriend our hidden selves is, in my view, one of the finest things that writing and reading can do for us — and it abounds in this collection. Don't miss it.

[Jim Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable collection of short stories that will not disappoint fans of Ms. Bruneau. Beautiful, thoughtful and graceful writing from one of Canada's best literary fiction writers.

[Chris]

Beautiful writing--fine and meticulous sentences, elegantly constructing what seem like ordinary moments but are more prophetic than what meets the eye.

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC at BookCon 2017

This is far removed from the type of books I usually read, but I found I liked it a lot.
The writing is beautiful and it is very easy to feel and understand what the characters are feeling. The format of short stories made me feel like I was being given a handful of glimpses into the lives of the people of Nova Scotia.
The perspective the stories were written in was introspective and reminiscent. I enjoyed it, but it was certainly not something I, as a young adult, would normally pick up. I would recommend this book to someone older than myself. Someone older and more prone to reminisce might feel a deeper connection to this book that I, at my age, cannot feel quite yet.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories. Bruneau captures settings really well: crowds in Florence, the city of Berlin, the parking lot where Shannon tries to live in her van.

She approaches the narratives on a tangent, rather than just tell us who and where, but then moments of pure clarity. I gave up 2.5 stories from the end of the book.

All of the stories are supposed to be linked by NS. First is an Irish Great war bride of 10 years; then nun (?) from Lagos in Halifax, then Haligonian couple in Florence, and another in Berlin. Tenuous.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reading copy at Bookcon in 2017. I don’t usually read short stories but I am trying to expand my reading horizons. These are beautifully written stories about relationships, hopes and regrets that we have all experienced.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book for a Nova Scotia setting and didn’t really get that. But it’s a good collection of short stories.

[Sharon]

A collection of unique, finely crafted stories, each with its own clear voice, vivid setting, and character in search of something. By a friend, so I won't rate it. There are several good reviews on Goodreads.