JOAN CLARK is the award-winning author of 16 books, including The Victory of Geraldine Gull (finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction); Eiriksdottir: A Tale of Dreams and Luck; Latitudes of Melt (a New York Times Notable Book); and An Audience of Chairs (winner of the Winterset Award), as well as two short-story collections and several novels for young adults. She received the Marian Engel Award from the Writers’ Trust of Canada for her body of work in 1991, and was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2010. Born and raised in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, she now lives in St. John's, Newfoundland.
Longlisted for the 2017 International Dublin Literary Award
“An absorbing read.” —Gateway Gazette
“Each of the surviving family members responds to Lily’s abrupt
passing in his or her own way, and Clark probes these responses
with the clear eye of a novelist, in the process creating a richly
textured and emotionally authentic story that does not shy away
from the mean and petty aspects of human nature. . . . The
narrative is told from multiple points of view, and the author’s
skill is such that she can jump with apparent ease from one to
another, often within a single scene, without jarring or confusing
the reader. Flashbacks are introduced at opportune moments, deftly
expanding on what we know of the characters and giving heft to
their actions and motivations in the present. The New Brunswick
setting is drawn in fond detail, coming alive with visual and
sensory cues. It all adds up to a superb performance by a writer
whose talents, late in her career, show no sign of diminishing. . .
. In this moving and disquieting novel, Joan Clark demonstrates
that small actions and seemingly trivial decisions can have
life-altering consequences.” —Ian Colford, The Fiddlehead
“Clark nails it. . . . Clark’s language . . . is clear, unfussy,
and rich as the Black Forest cake that is one character’s
specialty. . . . It is as carefully configured as an interior by a
Dutch Master. (I don’t know if Clark is Dutch, but she sure is a
master.) Low-key and deftly observed, The Birthday Lunch provides a
menu of fruitful human drama.” —Joan Sullivan, The Telegram
“The Birthday Lunch is a quiet novel that saves its surprises for
its final third. . . . Ultimately, the novel celebrates the
intimacies shared between family and friends, while simultaneously
revealing the (potentially fatal) nature of unresolved
hostilities.” —Angie Abdou, Quill & Quire
“The book’s glance at small town life as juxtaposed against the
pain of personal tragedy is impressive. Clark, too, is impressive
as she examines ‘the quicksand of sorrow’ which can catch, unaware,
the survivors of sudden disaster. . . . As she sifts through what
are considered the aftershocks of sorrow (disbelief, rebellion,
outrage) Clark paints a portrait not only of family dysfunction but
of human resilience, and of the stages in between in which denial
is replaced by grudging acceptance. Clark has done her homework and
her chronicle, tartly observed, rings true.” —Nancy Schiefer,
Chatham Daily News
“As in all her work . . . readers can expect unexpected humor, hard
truths, beauty and above all, compassion.” —Sean Wilson, Ottawa
Citizen
“[A] new novel from Joan Clark is very definitely a reason to
celebrate.” —Parry Sound North Star
“[A] thoughtful and compassionate read.” —Zoomer Magazine
“The latest from the popular and award-winning Canadian author of
Latitudes of Melt.” —Toronto Star
“Poignant.” —Kendra Marion, The Reading Society
“[A] beautifully written and completely engrossing story of love,
loss and family dynamics in the aftermath of a tragedy.” —Teresa
Salvatore, The Reading Society
“A collage of sorrow that grabs you with its first sentence.”
—Kitty Prophet, The Reading Society
“Joan Clark . . . blazes her own distinct trail, fondly but
incisively portraying Sussex, New Brunswick. . . . [S]tellar. . . .
[A] vibrant delight.” —Brett Josef Grubisic, National Post
“A richly detailed, enthralling account of a family struggling in
the aftermath of a woman’s sudden death. Clark grabs you with
a powerful opening sentence then takes you on a weeklong journey
through grief, regrets, recrimination and betrayal. It’s a
surprising and beautiful ballad of loss that begs us to question
our grasp on this world, and on each other.” —Lori Lansens, author
of The Mountain Story
“Utterly absorbed, I read The Birthday Lunch in two sittings. With
measured steps, Joan Clark leads us into the heart of tragedy,
exposing its stunning swiftness and pain-layered aftermath. This
beautiful, wise novel delineates place—1980s Sussex, New Brunswick,
with its lilacs, morning mists, church bells—and character, a
family stunned by death. Grief, love, accusation: Clark is
unflinching in her examination of tragedy’s bewildering effects,
and how, in the summer days that follow devastation, a family comes
together in its new pattern and finds a bittersweet equilibrium.
Unforgettably, The Birthday Lunch renders the mundane brilliance of
shock—a new way to see the world.” —Beth Powning, author of A
Measure of Light
“Clark’s writing is deliciously precise and the book quietly
explosive.” —Emma Healey, author of Elizabeth Is Missing
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