The Last Goin’ Off
When his father and older brother are lost at sea, fourteen-year-old Aaron Conrad finds himself the reluctant ‘head of the household’ and family breadwinner. His dream to continue his education beyond what is available at the Lunenburg Academy is now in peril. Aaron is forced to pursue the life of a fisherman aboard the very boat that claimed the lives of his family members. Set in Blue Rocks at the turn of the twentieth century, The Last Goin’ Off is a story of sacrifice and discovery. Read the first chapter.
by Rhian Calcott
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2020 | ISBN 978-1-7753717-7-9 • FICTION / YOUNG ADULT • 192 PAGES / 5.35 × 8 IN / SOFTCOVER
EXCERPT
Urban’s got a blanket and he wraps Father in it like he’s a baby. He lifts Father under the arms, and I take ahold of his legs and we start on up to the house with Ruth trailing behind us, crying all soft like. We don’t go hardly any distance at all when Sidney Knickle and Hermie Rafuse appear and I’m right some glad to give up my place at Father’s feet. The ground’s been moving up and down around me and my stomach’s starting to feel bad. There’s a muscle jumping in my leg and next thing I’m stumbling like I’m staving drunk and my feet look real far away. I know what’s coming and I wave to Ruth to keep on going. I haven’t had a spell since last summer and I was starting to think that maybe they were gone for good. The doctor said they might stop as I got older, but it doesn’t look like that time’s come yet. The next thing I know my arms and legs are starting to twitch something fierce, the rocks are rushing up to meet me and the world’s going dark.
REVIEW(S)
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I'll admit I'm a sucker for Canadian literature, but I was completely engrossed in this novel and couldn't take my eyes off it! After his father and older brother die, 14 year old Aaron becomes the 'man of the house' and finds himself out on a fishing boat trying to provide for his family. The story was somehow scary, inspirational, and educational all at once. I've spent a fair amount of time on the east coast but I learned so much about Nova Scotia fishing culture at the turn of the century. Truly a great piece of historical fiction, I wish this had been required reading back when I was in high school!
M. ROBERTSON, GOODREADS
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After his father and older brother are lost at sea, Aaron has to step up and start earning for the family. Only 14 years old, Aaron sets off on the same boat his father and brother never returned from.
I love reading books by local authors and this was no exception. Written from Aaron’s point of view, this book was heartbreaking and spellbinding. Despite having lived in Nova Scotia my whole life, I don’t know much about fishing or the history of Nova Scotia. This book was incredibly interesting besides being a heartfelt story.
This is a quick read, coming in at less than 200 pages, and I highly recommend it to all my fellow east coasters!
RACHEL, GOODREADS
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This book definitely transports the reader back in time to a rural Nova Scotia fishing village. It makes you realize the hardship that came with fishing at that time—the loss of lives and the difficulties families faced in the wake of loss. Young children had to grow up very fast when their father was lost at sea. They then had to turn around and go out onto those waters to support their family. They were very brave and strong young people.
KERRI, GOODREADS
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from the rural Nova Scotian language of the early 20th century, to the tight squabbling family dynamic to the difficult dilemma facing the protagonist, and ultimately the resolution that brings him what he needs, if not exactly what he wants. Readers will learn about life of a rural fishing community more than 100 years ago, and the great value of an education, something we often take for granted today.
ATLANTIC BOOKS TODAY
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and rural fishing village culture, complete with a glossary for the terminology that may not have lasted the test of time … I think it would be a fantastic read for a younger reader (or anyone) with an interest in Nova Scotian history.
LARISSA PAGE, BOOKSTAGRAMMER REVIEW