Writing Historical Fiction with Peter Behrens
Presented in partnership with the Ottawa Public Library
In Person Fiction History
Behrens’ fine writing moves readers from one decade to the next, and we become more attached to each of the characters with each passing year . . . a sweeping Canadian saga that will carry readers along.
Peter Behrens is the author of two beloved novels rich in historical detail and believable characters. Join us for a taste of his most recent bestseller and a conversation on the process and the pitfalls of historical fiction, from research to execution.
The O’Briens follows the family from Peter Behrens’ Governor General’s Literary Award winning novel, The Law of Dreams, two generations later: Joe O’Brien is coming of age in a new century in remote Pontiac County, Quebec, with his two brothers and two sisters by his side. Their father has abandoned the family and died in the South African war; their frail mother has remarried the abusive and lecherous Mick Heaney. Tragic, romantic and as vivid as the novel that preceded it, The O’Briens is an epic of great heart, imagination and narrative force.
"Celebrating 75 Years of the Governor General's Literary Awards"
