{"product_id":"a-splinter-in-the-heart-isbn-9780771071959","title":"A Splinter in the Heart","description":"Al Purdy’s only novel, \u003ci\u003eA Splinter in the Heart\u003c\/i\u003e, is an unforgettable coming-of-age story that  unfolds against the real-life tragedy of what came to be known as the Trenton Disaster. Set in 1918, it tells the story of  sixteen-year-old Patrick Cameron and the events that will change him – and the Ontario town in which he lives – forever. Over the course of one summer and fall, Patrick finds love with a girl whose betrayal he cannot foresee, confronts the death of his beloved grandfather, and comes to terms with a neighbourhood rival. All the while, his hometown of Trenton lives precariously in the shadow of a dynamite factory, a sinister reminder of the Great War, which brought such prosperity to the town. Vivid with character and event, and evocative of time and place, \u003ci\u003eA Splinter in the Heart\u003c\/i\u003e is a moving portrait of a young man’s journey into adulthood in an era of change.“Al Purdy mapped Canada poetically, and his mapping was as important as any cartographer’s. He gave us a place to live in his writing.”\u003cbr\u003e–Lorna Crozier, \u003ci\u003eNational Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A fine first novel that combines the idealism of youth with the wit and wisdom of age.”\u003cbr\u003e–\u003ci\u003eOttawa Citizen\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Purdy has done for Canada what Walt Whitman once did for the United States – he has made it recognizable to its inhabitants.…[He] can touch the visible world with a tenderness and visionary clarity few writers can match. …”\u003cbr\u003e–\u003ci\u003eMaclean’s\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“He writes in a delightfully sparse, crisp style, effortlessly melding his poet’s sense of grace with the novelist’s ear for dialogue and eye for imagery.”\u003cbr\u003e–\u003ci\u003eNOW \u003c\/i\u003eMagazine\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Purdy] is an astute observer, and from his observations and experiences fashions writing in which we can recognize ourselves.”\u003cbr\u003e–\u003ci\u003ePrairie Fire\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A sensitive treatment of the ubiquitous coming-of-age theme, with the descriptive power of Purdy the poet lending vivid, at times beautiful, images to the narrative of Purdy the prose writer.”\u003cbr\u003e–Saskatchewan \u003ci\u003eStarPhoenix\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Purdy creates a number of scenes and images that carry conviction and power.”\u003cbr\u003e–\u003ci\u003eBooks in Canada\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A touching, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel.…At times it is brilliant.…”\u003cbr\u003e–\u003ci\u003eAlberta Report\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“We should be grateful for this book. It is a solid addition to Canadian literature.…”\u003cbr\u003e–\u003ci\u003eBrantford Expositor\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is a sensual and poetic novel that has all the verve and humour of Purdy’s verse combined with some splendid story-telling.”\u003cbr\u003e–\u003ci\u003eEast Toronto Weekly\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Purdy] creates vivid images in a crisp and clear style.…Once I began reading it [I] found it difficult to put down.…Highly recommended.”\u003cbr\u003e–Fredericton \u003ci\u003eDaily Gleaner\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eAl Purdy\u003c\/b\u003e was born in 1918, in Wooler, Ontario. He wrote his first poem at the age of thirteen and published his first collection of poetry, \u003ci\u003eThe Enchanted Echo\u003c\/i\u003e, in 1944. In a writing career that spanned over fifty years, he published over thirty books of poetry; a novel; two volumes of memoirs, most recently \u003ci\u003eReaching for the Beaufort Sea\u003c\/i\u003e; and four books of correspondence, including \u003ci\u003eMargaret Laurence \u003c\/i\u003e–\u003ci\u003e Al Purdy: A Friendship in Letters\u003c\/i\u003e. His final collection of poetry, \u003ci\u003eBeyond Remembering: The Collected Poems of Al Purdy\u003c\/i\u003e, will be released posthumously in the fall of 2000. Purdy also wrote radio and television plays for the CBC, served as writer-in-residence at a number of Canadian universities, and edited several anthologies of poetry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a teenager during the Great Depression, Purdy rode the rails across Canada. In the Second World War he served in the RCAF, and after the war he worked at a wide variety of jobs until the early sixties, when he was able to support himself as a writer, editor, and poet. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMoving to Roblin Lake in Ameliasburg, Ontario, in the late fifties provided Purdy with a base from which he travelled and wrote. Later, he divided his time between North Saanich, British Columbia, and the Roblin Lake cottage. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePurdy won numerous awards for his poetry, including the Canadian Authors Association Award, two Governor General’s Awards (for \u003ci\u003eThe Cariboo Horses\u003c\/i\u003e in 1965 and \u003ci\u003eThe Collected Poems of Al Purdy, 1956-1986\u003c\/i\u003e in 1986), and, most recently, the Voice of the Land Award, a special award created by the League of Canadian Poets specifically to honour Purdy’s unique contribution to Canada. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1982 and to the Order of Ontario in 1987. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAl Purdy died in North Saanich on April 21, 2000.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Emblem Editions","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304649609445,"sku":"NP9780771071959","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780771071959.jpg?v=1767720811","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/a-splinter-in-the-heart-isbn-9780771071959","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}