Harbour View is the story of six people whose lives intersect in a nursing home overlooking Halifax Harbour. Memories draw the residents, staff, and family members from rich and diverse pasts to a present filled with grace and poignancy. Threaded with music and connected by themes of dislocation, family legend, and longing, Harbour View offers a glimpse of the extraordinary lives of ordinary people.
Know what’s awesome? When you meet someone, discover they’re an author, pick up their book and absolutely fall in love with it. This is what happened with me and Binnie Brennan’s beautiful collection of short stories, Harbour View. I met Binnie back in September over in Halifax on my bookish weekend and bought Harbour View. Man, am I glad I did.
This was just a wonderfully flowing, beautifully written collection. I loved how each story was connected, but at the same time they were stand alone tales. So you can pick up the book and start with any story and not be lost. I sometimes like to do this with my short story collections, so I appreciate it.
Harbour View takes place in a nursing home and the fact that I read it shortly after a visit to my grandmother at her senior’s residence really made the stories hit home for me. Each story touched on a different aspect of life, of growing old and living so it was quite an emotional read, but in a good way. I love the fact that even though I am far from future days in a nursing home I could still identify and empathize with the characters in the book.
I loved Harbour View and it will take a prized place on my reread book shelf. And I wait impatiently for more from Binnie.
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