Surface Rights

Widowed retiree Verna Woodcock returns to her family’s cottage, north of the Arctic Watershed line, bearing the ashes of three people: her philandering husband, Robert; her father, Donald; and her eccentric sister, Fern. Once at the cottage, she is unexpectedly reunited with Fern’s children—relatives Verna has not seen in decades, thanks to madcap Fern’s carefree and careless ways. More ominously, J.R.—Fern’s unlovable ex-beau—appears with designs on the mineral rights on Verna’s land and an intimate connection to Fern’s horrific death, the revelation of which will provide the newly reunited family with an unanticipated opportunity to bond. Many of Hardy’s characters bear the scars of deep psychological damage, but they are also amiable; the novel appears to be one part Arsenic and Old Lace and several parts doleful CBC radio drama. The resulting mélange is more comic than one might expect. Hardy (Broken Road) embraces her Canadian setting, and although her characters are drawn in broad, simplistic lines, the resulting tale of reconnection and personal growth through furtive burials is amusing. Agent: Bill Hanna, Acacia House Publishing Services. (Dec.)