Mountain Blues Reviews

“While the Kootenay scenery is remarkable and lovingly depicted, what makes Mountain Blues so memorable are the many colourful characters which inhabit the book. Those who are not obviously eccentric tend to be highly political and often the border between these two states is blurred… Joyce is not afraid to tackle serious issues such as truth and fiction in the media, the perils of materialism, the efficacy of political protest, and the mistreatment of First Nations. Yet, even while dealing with these serious topics, Joyce cannot hide the love he has for his characters. He loves not just their strengths but their flaws, their best intentions, their sweet humanity. (The novel) echoes strongly of the town of Cicely from the television series Northern Exposure whose eloquent and earthy characters inhabited a special place in the imaginations of many throughout the Nineties.”

—Brian D’Eon, actor, author of Big Ledge (historical fiction)

“Sean Arthur Joyce uses a light, deft touch for topics that could be heavily righteous slogging. His characters are completely 3-D and his dialogue is a delight to ‘hear’ as it is so realistic in its rhythms, which sets each distinct character apart from the next, no easy feat. The humour is gentle and tolerant and reminds us that when we live in a small community, the most sound advice would be: Let your words be gentle in case they come back to bite you. For a journalist, this means striving for fairness, depth and objectivity and not ‘piling on’ the blame in this era of rushing to often-violent judgement, propelled by self-serving, vindictive and ultimately irresponsible tweets… Pack your bags and head for the West Kootenay mountains, especially the Valhalla Range, a copy of the big-hearted Mountain Blues nearby, best read aloud by kindred spirits en route, especially those in need of that special blend of glorious wilderness and resolutely alive, no-nonsense, ‘stand up to protect it or lose it forever’, community that beckons within its pages.”

—Caroline Woodward, author of Light Years (memoir) and Alaska Highway Two-Step (fiction)

“Joyce depicts with élan a cast of eccentric characters, and the spectrum of forms their resistance takes—from successful to nonsensical—in response to the petty and/or harmful consequences of governing bureaucracies and social constraints. Of course such people, commonly-accepted values, and oppositional stances are found in the urban as well as in a remote rural environment. A small population, however, reveals the stresses and strains in the 21^st century social fabric more readily than in a larger centre: Mountain Blues, like any well-crafted song or other enduring work of art, entices us to appreciate its particulars while effectively sharpening and broadening our perception of the larger world.”

—Tom Wayman, author of Boundary Country (fiction) and Dirty Snow (poetry)

“Poet, actor and journalist, Joyce brings a unique toolbox of writing skills to bear in Mountain Blues that makes for crisp, lyrical prose, an engaging narrative, memorable characters, including an emotionally articulate cat, and a lightness of touch that is as surprising as it is delightful. That said, there’s plenty at stake in, and for, this début novel, including an uninvited nomination for the Stephen Leacock Award.”

—Gary Geddes, author of Medicine Unbundled (nonfiction) and The Resumption of Play (poetry)