2 minute read
The library
Some of Macdonald’s stories go further afield, as in “The Duel that Stunned a Nation.” Here he describes the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton in 1804, in which Burr, then vice-president of the United States, killed Hamilton, the first secretary of the treasury. The next chapter, entitled “An Affair of Honour: The Last Fatal Duel Fought in Nova Scotia” describes a duel between Halifax merchant and auctioneer William Bowie and Halifax attorney Richard John Uniacke, Jr., in 1808 in which Bowie was fatally injured. Macdonald’s interest in historical events in Pictou County began in 1968, when as a graduate of the University of New Brunswick law school, he was completing his articling at the Halifax law firm of Stewart, MacKeen and Covert. Clients of the firm had purchased the Henry House on Barrington Street, renovated it and opened it as a restaurant. The Henry House was known for its association with William Alexander Henry, a father of Confederation, co-author of the British North America Act and the first Nova Scotian to serve as a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Macdonald was asked to go to the Registry of Deeds and search the land records to determine if Henry ever held title to the property. There were no land transactions on record to show that Henry ever owned the Henry House and lands. The next year, the Henry House was designated a National Historic Site. That began what became a life-long interest in what can only be described as historical exhumation.
THE LIBRARY
A REVIEW BY SARAH BUTLAND
Athought-provoking, spell binding adventure ride filled with characters who quickly stole my heart. I am hesitant to admit it, but The Devil to Pay is the first Gary Blackwood novel I have read. This Tatamagouche author has a way with words, which had my heart racing and my fingers turning the pages quickly. The story is told in the voice of the protagonist, Simon, who weaves together mystery, code-breaking and a cast of characters who all play important roles in the story development. It takes place on a university campus in the late 1960s, an era and environment ripe with protests against war and for free love. With an homage to karate, a history of self-defence and staying true to yourself, the storyline was finely knit with flashbacks and foreshadowing. It’s clear the author has done his research and has captured a moment in time, with references to the effects of Agent Orange, cracking codes, the twisted humour of Mad Magazine, and the conflict of money over justice. It’s historical fiction with themes that are still relevant today.
