Summer Travels

Even though my body stayed on the prairies in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, I spent much of my summer in Quebec, visiting Montreal and Quebec City, remote parts north along the shore of the St Lawrence, but mostly a small village absolutely off the grid with no internet, cell phone or communications, having just one land line in the Bistro.

Located near the border of Vermont, not being on any maps, it can be found mostly by accident. Its wonderful bakery, Bistro, St Thomas church, and village green are in the shadow of three trees. Hence its name: Three Pines.

Charmed by Quebec language, culture and quizine, enthralled by the host of villagers and other characters, and intrigued by Inspector Gamache’s method of ferreting out murdering culprits, I devoured fourteen of Louise Penny’s mystery novels, and am currently suffering from withdrawal have finished the last one just last week:

They are, in order: Still Life (2005), A Fatal Grace (2007), The Cruelest Month (2008), A Rule Against Murder (2009, The Brutal Telling (2009), Bury Your Dead (2010), The Hangman (2010), A Trick of the Light (2011), The Beautiful Mystery (2012), How the Light Gets In (2013), The Long Way Home (2014), The Nature of the Beast (2015), A Great Reckoning (2016), Glass Houses (2017).

The novels are travelogue, murder mystery, dramatic novel all combined. While the context entertains, both the development of characters and twists of plot keep the pages turning and turning. What a read!

Frank Obrigewitsch, SJ, is pastor of St. Ignatius parish in Winnipeg.

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5 Comments
  • Peter Bisson, SJ
    Posted at 01:07h, 29 November Reply

    Thank you Frank!

  • Sharon Walters
    Posted at 09:21h, 29 November Reply

    Louise Penny’s latest, “The Kingdom of the Blind”, was hot off the press on Tuesday of this week! Can’t wait to read it!

    • Roy Frank Obrigewitsch
      Posted at 23:24h, 29 November Reply

      Me too! An early Christmas present!

  • Roy Frank Obrigewitsch
    Posted at 11:07h, 29 November Reply

    P.S. Louise Penny’s latest book, “Kingdom of the Blind”, has been published just in time for Christmas!

  • Alana Forrester
    Posted at 11:42h, 29 November Reply

    She is an addictive writer to be sure. As someone who grew up in Montreal, I delight in her description of the people and places in La Belle Province. Off to the library I go for Glass Houses.

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