Book Review: Land Title: A Novel of the Prairies

by Terry Dann, independently published, 2020, ISBN 9798582453079.

Dr. Gordon Goldsborough, Head Researcher, Manitoba Historical Society

Writers of historical fiction have the two-fold challenge of making a ripping-good yarn that is coherent while treating real events and people accurately. Even skilled writers often sprinkle the text gratuitously with historical factoids to bolster the impression that they “know their stuff”. In my view, there should only be as much historical detail as necessary to set the story in space and time and advance the narrative.

In this respect, Terry Dann has done a masterful job with his first work of fiction which is set mostly in western Manitoba between 1883 and 1929. The book interweaves three initially unrelated stories that ultimately come together: Howahkan, a mechanically-gifted Dakota boy who joins White society but is never fully accepted; Ontario-born Violet and Harry Hartney who seek new lives as farmers; and ne’er-do-well Angus McLennan who abuses his power and privilege for personal gain. Along the way, Dann deals with significant events in Manitoba’s past: the woeful treatment of Indigenous peoples in residential schools, the conversion of the prairies to an agricultural landscape by settlers from around the world, the home front during the First World War, the Flu Pandemic of 1918-1919, and more.

I became quite invested in the characters, especially Howahkan whose story arc turned out quite differently than I had expected. It was an altogether engaging story that left me wanting more.

My only complaint about “Land Title” is that the manuscript would have benefitted from a more thorough edit before publication. There are too many small spelling and grammatical errors, but they did not compromise my enjoyment of the story.

“Land Title” can be purchased at McNally Robinson, Chapters/Indigo, Tergeson’s store in Gimli, and Amazon. 