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2020 Title is:

Crow

By: Amy Spurway

Book Cover

When Stacey Fortune is diagnosed with three highly unpredictable — and inoperable — brain tumours, she abandons the crumbling glamour of her life in Toronto for her mother Effie's scruffy trailer in rural Cape Breton. Back home, she's known as Crow, and everybody suspects that her family is cursed.

With her future all but sealed, Crow decides to go down in a blaze of unforgettable glory by writing a memoir that will raise eyebrows and drop jaws. She'll dig up "the dirt" on her family tree, including the supposed curse, and uncover the truth about her mysterious father, who disappeared a month before she was born.

But first, Crow must contend with an eclectic assortment of characters, including her gossipy Aunt Peggy, hedonistic party-pal Char, homebound best friend Allie, and high-school flame Willy. She'll also have to figure out how to live with her mother and how to muddle through the unsettling visual disturbances that are becoming more and more vivid each day.

Witty, energetic, and crackling with sharp Cape Breton humour, Crow is a story of big twists, big personalities, big drama, and even bigger heart. (courtesy of Goose Lane Editions)

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About The Author: Amy Spurway

 

Amy Spurway was born and raised on Cape Breton Island, where, at the age of eleven, she landed her first writing and performing gigs with CBC Radio.

​Amy holds a B.A. in English from the University of New Brunswick, and a degree in Radio & Television Arts (writing concentration) from Ryerson University. She has worked as a freelance writer, communications consultant, editor, and performer. Her work has appeared in Today's Parent, the Toronto Star, Babble, and Elephant Journal, as well as in the realms of advertising, marketing, non-profit and corporate communications, education, health, and politics.

Amy lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, with her husband Matthew, and their three daughters. (Courtesy of amypurway.com)

Amy Spurway

Calendar of Events

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Reading Guide

Click here to download the reading guide where you will find a detailed synopsis of the book, discussion questions, further suggested reading titles and more.

Oxford Reads Gala

Stay tuned for more information about this year’s virtual gala.

Suggested Reading

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About Oxford Reads

A collaboration between Oxford County Library and Woodstock Public Library.


A community-wide reading initiative that connects each of Oxford County’s unique communities while celebrating Canadian literature and fostering discussion.

 

Selection Criteria

After compiling long and short lists of potential titles, Crow was was selected by staff at Oxford County Library and Woodstock Public Library considering the following criteria:

  • Book is written by a Canadian author
  • Is a work of fiction OR non-fiction
  • Has the potential to appeal to a broad audience
  • Title can generate discussion on a variety of topics/issues
  • There is diverse program potential and can work as a community builder
  • The author will ideally have some name recognition or acclaimed work

Thank you to:

ECW Press
Merrifield Book Shop
Whitehots

The Writers Union of Canada
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