Dinner Along the Amazon

In his first work of short fiction, Timothy Findley weaves an experimental mix of short story and stage scenes, culminating in this collection of twelve vignettes that each investigate the dynamics of relationships in all their various forms.

It begins with "Lemonade," as a young boy watches mother's alcoholism send her into a spiralling breakdown, mentally and physically. And then it moves, to another young boy receiving news of his father's intent to join the army. Then, to the man who watches from afar as his childhood love lives out her sad life. Whether a father and son, a mother and daughter, or a husband and wife, in these brief scenes, Findley endeavours to convey the weight and complexity of human relationships - in their beauty as well as their ugliness.

TIMOTHY FINDLEY (1930–2002) was one of Canada's most compelling and best-loved writers. He is the author of The Wars, which won the Governor General's Award and established him as one of Canada's leading writers, as well as Pilgrim and The Piano Man's Daughter, both finalists for The Giller Prize. His novella, You Went Away, and short fiction have been awarded numerous accolades and are well loved both in his home country and internationally. Of his plays, Elizabeth Rex won the Governor General's Award for Drama and The Stillborn Lover was bestowed a Chalmers Award. Findley was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1985 and a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1996.