THE LONG SHOT: A French-Canadian Saga

Nazaire Poulin wants his old life back, but the sudden death of his spouse and the removal of his children have flipped his world upside down. He leaves for the gold fields of Dawson with a younger brother. They face starving immigrants, and wild horses. They come across dozens of First Nations people bands, most hostile. Wolves chase them as they cross the Rockies into a wilderness where no white man is safe. When they enter the Yukon, a country where everything wants to kill you, they search out their other brothers, established gold miners in the Territory. Heartache and regret follow Nazaire Poulin in this stirring journey.

Written in a manner to mimic characters for whom English is not their first language (lotment for allotment and fluenze for influenza), Derenas’ Poulin brothers use their odd grammar (throw down the stairs, Marie, my dress) throughout. One brother writes a letter home and does well for an uneducated man who can’t spell in either language. The novel lends a fresh take on historical dialogue because it is peppered with old French cliches (don’t sell the skin before the bear is dead).

This exciting adventure story is based on the real lives of four brothers, the author’s ancestors, and brings Nazaire to the edge of despair that would flatten a lesser man.

The Long Shot is Joyce Derenas’ debut novel about Nazaire Poulin’s incredible courage and resilience during one of Quebec’s darkest hours. It’s a slice-of-life portrait of a nation as it struggles to create stability amidst the chaos of a world depression.