The Day the Men Went to Town: 16 Stories by Women From Cape Breton

Claudia Gahlinger, Lynn Coady, Joan Clark, Beatrice MacNeil, Susan Zettell, Sherry D. Ramsey, Jean McNeil, Kim Williamson, Tessie Gillis, Ann-Marie MacDonald, D. C. Troicuk, Tricia Fish, Erin McNamara, Teresa O’Brien, Ellen Frith and Carol Bruneau. Starting with Tessie Gillis, women have been writing the non-traditional story of Cape Breton Island; the deeper, sometimes darker, side. They offer here a rich, rare view of being young, of being old, even of being a man. The stories in The Day the Men Went to Town are about fisherwomen and aliens from space, the poignancy of family life, and tragedy in the coal mines. They are about several approaches to love. They are entertaining, thought-provoking, and introduce us to the new world of Canadian writing. Some of these writers have achieved fame, and several will be discoveries to you.