The Breakwater House — Pascale Quiviger

This novel by Scotiabank Giller Prize nominee Pascale Quiviger is about the bonds of friendship; the ties between mothers and daughters; the act of creation itself. It's a magical, intricately wrought work of art that reveals layer upon layer, nuance upon nuance.

On a sparkling spring day a young woman finds the house of her dreams, complete with a charming garden and windows overlooking the sea. She immediately decides to move in. At first she is happy in her solitude, but soon strange events start to occur. The young woman gradually realizes that her perfect house is mirroring back to her certain shocks and surprises from her past. Seeking to control the situation, she begins to create an imaginary set of woman friends to keep her company, each of them fully unique, each the expression of a deep desire to survive.

In this beautiful and moving novel, Pascale Quiviger gives us yet another perfectly realized and powerful tale.