The long stretch

From a gifted storyteller and one of Canadas most respectedjournalists, The Long Stretch is a saga of love and war, the story ofthose who have "gone away" and those who are compelled to stay.?In one apocalyptic night, John Gillis and his estranged cousinSextus confront a half century of half-truths and suppositions that have shapedand scarred their lives, their families and their insular Cape Breton community.Telling stories that unravel a host of secrets, they begin to realize that theywere damaged before they were born, their fathers and a close friend forming anunholy trilogy in a tragic moment of war. Among the roots of a complex andpainful relationship, they uncover the truth of a fateful day John has spent 20years trying to forget. ?Taut and brilliantly paced, etched with quiet humour and craftedwith fiery dialogue, The Long Stretch is a mesmerizing novel inthe tradition of Alistair MacLeod, David Adams Richards and Ann-Marie MacDonald.