Disclaimer: The Hungry Mirror, West of Wawa and Cannibals of the Afterlife are all works of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Book trailer for West of Wawa:
READER REVIEWS FOR WEST OF WAWA
A Beautiful Picture of Canada
"It's great to have a book that's not about luxury travel but still paints a beautiful picture of Canada and all the adventure you can have. I was very impressed by the story in the end."
Alex, Chatelaine BookClub
I Was So Drawn In By Benny
Before, I'm not sure I would have thought a book set mostly in various buses would be as gripping, but I was so drawn in by Benny (even when she frustrated me). And I can't get over how amazing it was to read about someone experiencing Canada that way. Interesting to have a coming-of-age book set at the end of your 20s.... I think Churchill was my favourite bit so far. Haha, aw, the polar beeeeeers.
– Stacy, Chatelaine BookClub
All The Rites of Passage
I really liked Benny as a character and what the story had to say about persevering through difficulty. So typically coming-of-age with all the rites of passage.
– Laurie Grassi, Chatelaine BookClub
A Wonderful Journey!
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and found Benny's journey across our great land to be both thought provoking and ultimately inspiring. I enjoyed the familiarity of many of the places she visits and loved her interpretation of the Canadian landscape. Benny notes at one point how easy it is to take a wrong turn in life - a message that should resonate with us all. I highly recommend De Nikolits' wonderful novel and look forward to reading more from her in the future.
– Lorry-Ann Austin
Enjoyed It Immensely
I just finished West of Wawa and I enjoyed it immensely. Benny is a great character and you really get drawn in to her adventure although there are times when you just want to shake her and tell her to smarten up. Glad that her story had a happy ending.
– Syd Bradley
Benny Has a Life Beyond This Trip!
I finished reading West of Wawa last night. WOW!!! It was soooo great. I honestly couldn’t put it down. I read every night that I had a chance until I was falling asleep with the book in my hands. It would find it in the covers with me in the morning! I love the ending and Benny is so great. I can hardly wait to read about her next adventure. Benny has a life beyond this trip!
– Kristin Jenkins
A Great Read with a Poetic Ending!
I've always been curious about embarking on a solo trip across Canada but haven't yet had to guts to do so. Reading West of Wawa allowed me to live that fantasy vicariously and I felt like I was right in the action with Benny, the quirky yet neurotic protagonist. I experienced a plethora of emotions from tender and sad to blood boiling out of anger to downright laughing out loud. A great read with a poetic ending!
– Wendy Ding, Illustrator, Toronto
This Book Needs To Go International!
I did not like this book......I LOVED it! Loved Benny right away, loved her journey, her journey to self-discovery and I wanted so badly for her to heal her wounds, but as in real life, it takes time...I'm so glad she was a "real" character, no one is perfect, thank goodness! I purposely took my time towards the end of the book, because I did NOT want it to end!
A sequel "Benny in T.O",would be fab but... how can you top West of Wawa?
I'm an impatient and fussy reader and the book really kept me interested, it moved fast, and I never guessed the outcome of her interesting journey!! Congratulations on a FABULOUS book! This book needs to go international!
– Lynn Bunker, Prop Stylist
Such An Interesting, Complicated Character, I Couldn't Put The Book Down
I took the book to Paris with me and read it on the plane. I couldn't put it down. Benny was such an interesting, complicated character. Her love of Canada was so refreshing and her adventures with men so disturbing. Sometimes I wanted to give her a shake and then I wanted to hug her. Traveling by bus is so uncomfortable and challenging and you made Benny's experience so believable. I hope that you will write another book with Benny.
– Judith Kenny
Quite the Everywoman Character In Benny
Wow - what a great book! I finally had a chance to read it over the holidays. I think you've created quite the Everywoman character in Benny. Just know you've given the world a gift both in the Benny character and in the story. I think Benny's story resonates with many many women.
– Deb Bradley
An Amazing Book
Just finished reading West of Wawa and loved it! An amazing book. Now it's on to 'real life' I guess and facing my own world!
– Kim B
Reaching for freedom and gleedom… Benny is a marvelous achievement
Benny … so smart, never self-deluding, at core level … her inner dialogue exuding dollops of extreme self control AND abandon. Ever diverging thought patterns and directions. Passions, disdain, humour, scorn, capable too of deep caring, of nurturing. Always seeking … keenly sharp divisions and passions divulged and revealed ... at times tottering, over-medicated disconnected, dispersing seemingly scattered thoughts ... THEN reconnecting more clearly than ever.
Dispensing at times, ENTIRELY with known and trusted paths … dispirited, then lifted to joy by inner light, kindness, by caring, by truth, by sheer beauty … of fields and skies and rocks … things scenic.
Registering things deeply … situations and people noted on many levels ... minutely examining ... both fiercely separate and deeply clannish. Endearing joy in fresh t-shirts and sweet feet. Toxicity levels MUCH scrutinised ... moral and edible toxins mulled over. Tottering on many an edge, but capable of inner resources to re- empower. Running on almost empty sometimes, then rising phoenix-like, renewed, impassioned and energised.
This is an edifying journey on eating edicts alone. Benny, benefiting spiritually, emotionally, on this journey, growing, ultimately strengthening through each critical moment. Recovering after being weakened, senses dulled, inebriated, inertia, edging towards danger, edgy and vulnerable, yet there is this thread, this underlying sense of Benny’s sense of self coupled with her courage, her competence, her capability, her sense of responsibility.
She ALLOWS wounds to heal, she is ever-renewed by nature, landscape- therapy, HEALED by innate hope ... her awesome inner healing. Benny is at times deeply passive, yet never entirely voiceless, even at her lowest ebb. She is capable of self-starting, refueling, emerging victorious, from voids, never avoiding self … looking into each crevice, abyss, ever- exploring.
She examines her life deeply, even when feeling crushed, or facing desertion and betrayal. Ever desirous of journeying on, regardless of vulnerabilities and bruises, thus deepening her self awareness, learning and evolving. Immersed in life, reaching towards freedom and gleedom! Nature-struck. Striding on towards harmony, forgiveness, both self-forgiveness and reaching out to others in forgiveness, ultimately compassionate. There is a free-er unstructuredness, alongside her fiercely creative and marvellous self discipline. Benny is a marvelous achievement.
– Shirley McDaniel, artist
Captivating!
Lisa de Nikolits does not disappoint with her second novel "West of Wawa". A perfect read for anyone that has wanted/started a new life in a new country. Be prepared to enjoy a journey across Canada with the lovable Benny, as she discovers new places, new experiences and a new love. A journey that you never want to end!
– Brendan Fisher
A Good Romp Through Canada
I just finished your book West of Wawa last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. A good romp through Canada. You must have been to most of those places. My husband enjoyed West of Wawa too.
– Vonny Brioux
Another great book, Lisa!
– Marilyn Strauch
I LOVE Benny So Much
I finally had time to pick up West of Wawa and devour it! I LOVE Benny so much and can't wait for the movie. Wouldn't it be the best movie? Shouldn't you send a copy of your book with a note to Ellen Page? I can see her as Benny for sure.
Seriously, I love the style of writing. The book was gripping from the first page. I loved all the characters and how well you developed them.
– Robert Sheppard
Reads Like A Thriller Without Having A Single Element of Your Usual Thriller
Road novels are generally hard to write and good examples of this genre can be hard to found. This general statement is ever more true if you are talking about a trip across almost every province and territory of the second biggest country on the face of earth, Canada. It is, however, just that that de Nikolitis has attempted as we follow Benny on this "trip of a lifetime" and she can be congratulated for an exciting novel that lets us travel around the country with Benny without falling to a syndrome of mere DODPAA: Describing One Damn Place After Another.
As a matter of fact, Benny's trip which, after a short stay in Toronto, starts out east and continues all the way to Vancouver on the west coast, reads like a thriller without having a single element of your usual thriller. This story is that of a young woman experiencing a rather typical life crisis that has led her to travel to the not-so-thrilling Canada. After failing in her attempts at painting, she founds a job as a graphic designer in Toronto, not exactly the most exciting job out there. In the entire length of her trip, nothing that extraordinary happens except for a succession of mostly negative romantic experiences and casual encounters.
None of this makes for a thriller yet "West of Wawa" while being essentially about a woman's internal journey as much about her external one doesn't cease to thrill us and can be classified as a page-turner.
– Arash Azizi
Darkly Funny, Gritty and at Times Disturbing
West of Wawa is darkly funny, but a gritty, and at times, disturbing read. Benny’s need to escape includes an overindulgence in drugs and alcohol and this flaw leads her into extremely dangerous situations. She celebrates at the end of her long trip, and honestly, I was just glad she made it out alive. That she finds her way back to those she loves, and the art she loves, is such a relief. But I would have liked to see more of that process of discovery along the way.
And one more thing. If you’ve always wanted to travel across Canada to all those provinces, I mean really get the good, the bad and yes, the ugly on that huge expanse of land to our north, save yourself the bus trip and read West of Wawa. It’s all there–but you can enjoy it in clean, not to mention odor-free, comfort.
– Cathy C. Hall
Great Characters, Great Descriptions
I really liked West of Wawa. I must admit that I had a hard time getting into the story, but once I got to the chapter Betty Boop's Spitting Mad, I could barely put it down! Great characters, great descriptions. I did loathe almost every male character except George. Mickey and Sheldon were the worst. So glad Benny did away with the drugs and found a happy place in the end! I don't think I'd be a good bus traveller. I could see this book as a movie!
— Kim Wyant
What A Great Read.
I read West of Wawa, and I loved it! Having grown up in Canada with one parent on either side of the country, I took my fair share of Greyhound bus trips across the TransCanada.Your book brought me right back. What a great read. Keep it up, and keep me posted on any new creations!
— Sarah L
I Could Relate So Much!
I picked up this book with eager anticipation and I was definitely not disappointed! This book grabbed me from page one and captured my attention throughout the entire novel! The book is sexy, edgy and well written. It made me laugh out loud and hate some of the characters! It definitely provoked strong emotions! It was fun, and brought the middle-aged me back to my early twenties when I was way more footloose and fancy free! I loved this book! The descriptions of some of the small towns across Canada really resonated well with me. I passed this book along to four of my friends who have all loved it! It is a great read, a perfect summer read, a real coming of age story! As a Canadian woman, I feel this is a must read for any of us! It is just totally relate able!
— Bridgette Ritacca
Highly Compelling
I enjoyed reading West of Wawa. I found Benny intriguing and complex and relatable, and her experiences travelling across Canada highly compelling. I also really liked the author’s rich descriptions of the cities and towns Benny visits on her journey.
— Kim Shiffman
Thoroughly Enjoyed It
I borrowed Debbie's copy of West of Wawa when I was back east this summer (sorry, that doesn't help with book sales), and I just wanted to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll look for your new book coming out next spring, and I might even buy my own copy!
— Pam Bradley
Amazing
If you haven't read Lisa de Nikolits's West of Wawa, you should. It's amazing.
— Jacqueline Valencia
The Book Was FabulousWas Fabulous
I loved West of Wawa. The book was fabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Loved the characters, the story-line as well as the various backdrops – I made copious notes of where to visit and what to avoid, so it was educational as well. I’ll now be going out in search of your first book – can’t wait to read it.
— Bianca Marais—
Most Excellent
I just finished West of Wawa! I loved Benny! Does her story continue? There seems to be more adventures for her. Most excellent!
— Renée Frost
Modern Day Romance
Lisa de Nikolits has written a most delightful book in which the heroine journeys not only geographically but emotionally across Canada. It is truly a modern day romance for not only does Benny (heroine) meet some rather scrumptious men but also finds love for herself.
– Mandy Eve Barnett
A Fantastic Book!
It was fantastic! I actually felt that it was me taking that journey across Canada, with the exception that I was safe and sound in my bed. Could you please send me the titles of your books. I have to read them all.
– Patti Looney
Photo © Bradford Dunlop
Chatelaine Bookclub
• 3 book club discussions
• author Q+A
• a casting call
Q+A on First Line Blog,
hosted by Lori Ann Bloomfield, author of
The Second River Child
Launch party pre-reading talk
Photos of launch party
LINKS TO READINGS, TALKS, BLOGS AND BOOKCLUBS
Inky Fresh Press Q+A
Comment on the launch party
"I went to the launch party of West of Wawa published by Inanna Publication and Education Inc. It was a great event for a great book. The novel is written by Lisa de Nikolits. She is the most ‘un-writerly’ writer I know. She is vivacious and friendly. That’s rare in a writer. She has an infectious smile. That’s rare, too.And, of course, she is a brilliant storyteller."
Mayank Bhatt, Generally About Books
Book reading at Toronto Women's Bookstore was wonderful.
On Saturday, 5th November, I read from West of Wawa along with two wonderful authors:
Dawn Promislow (reading from Jewels and Other Stories) and Danila Botha (reading from Got No Secrets)
We had a wonderful time and enjoyed great support - many thanks to everyone who came!
A reading on YouTube:
REVIEWS OF WEST OF WAWA
Reads Like a Love Letter to Canada
Canadian literature is surprisingly lacking in cross-country road trip stories—perhaps due to the sheer amount of empty space in between our cities and towns. But in (Inanna), Lisa de Nikolits tackles this very subject, sending her protagonist—a wise-cracking Aussie woman named Benny—on a journey from Toronto to Vancouver on a Greyhound bus in an attempt to escape the the mistakes she’s made in her life. With a fast-paced plot and characters who are complex, messy and sometimes hilarious, West of Wawa reads like a love letter to Canada—the Canada, at least, that exists west of, well… you know.
Review by Amy Jones (author of What Boys Like), for The Walleye, December 2011
Written with Immediacy and Freshness
West of Wawa is a journey towards self-realization that features a vulnerable, fearless and funny woman named Benny. She is on the run from a failed marriage, unhealthy food, and pretty much life in general. The author writes with a sense of immediacy and freshness that pulls the reader into the story and shows how a life can turn from emptiness to one of fulfillment.
– The Temiskaming Shores Public Library Blog: by Catherine Gillier
One Of My Favourite Reads of 2012, It Will Be A Difficult Act to Follow
I loved Benny as a character. She is utterly flawed, not always very likeable, quite selfish and self-centred in ways. Despite all this, there is an absolutely touching vulnerability to Benny. As the book progressed I found myself absolutely, solidly in love with Benny and everything about her character, the good and the bad. At times I felt that I wasn’t just reading the book from Benny’s perspective but as if I were Benny. I completely empathised with her and even though her decisions were often questionable, I could understand the basis for them, the reasons she took such strange steps.
There is so much to this book, despite a premise that seems ridiculously simple. A twenty-something screw-up on a road trip? Maybe. But I rather think that that is selling this book so very short. Instead, think of woman who is full of potential, with a bright future lying ahead of her if only she can find it. A kind soul that has been buried under expectation and disappointment. A lovely young woman who doesn’t value herself enough to recognise the love and respect she deserves from others.
I enjoyed every moment of West of Wawa. It wasn’t always easy to read, it didn’t always feel comfortable but it resonated with me for days afterward. I missed Benny. I found myself wondering what would happen next. I wanted to know what her next adventures would be. I have finished some books and felt their absence keenly but it is a very rare thing for me to a finish a book and feel the loss of the character, rather than just the loss of a great story.
Incredibly thought-provoking, touching, moving and inspiring, West of Wawa has been one of my favourite reads of 2012 so far. It will certainly be a difficult act to follow.
– Donna Brown, www.bookbagsandcatnaps.com
The Literary Press Group picked West of Wawa as one of their fiction selects: "For this festive season we've put together a quick list of some recent favourites to see you through to the new year. Whether you're looking for a last minute gift or some vacation reading material, this list is sure to have something for everyone."
A Funny and Fulfilling Story
"Travelling along with Benny on her journey of self-discovery is an adventure – I kept wanting more of this witty character. Living vicariously through her fearless choices and adventure-filled travels made me want to hop on a bus to see the country. Through West of Wawa's funny and fulfilling story, you can't help but root for Benny and her broken heart. And there's no doubt you'll be pleased by the story's outcome."
– Daniela Payne, web editor, Canadian Living
Benny is a Treat
Pill-popping, wisecracking Benny may only be 29, but she's on the run from a failed marriage, ruined art career, unhealthy food – pretty much life in general – and seeking salvation on a cross-Canada bus journey. And the true north strong and free may just have some hope in store for this Aussie wanderer. A funny, moving journey towards self-realization. Benny is a treat.
– Chatelaine Magazine. West of Wawa was one of four editor's picks in the September 2011 issue of Chatelaine and was featured extensively on their bookclub.
An Engaging and Likeable Protagonist and I Really Cared What Happened to Her.
I read West of Wawa while I was on vacation in Arizona a couple of weeks ago. It was a book that I always wanted to get back to, to see what was going to happen next. Benny is a very engaging and likeable protagonist and I really cared what happened to her. Sometimes I wanted to shake her....but she pulled through everything with amazing strength and optimism.
– Pam Mountain, Head Librarian, Annette Street Library, Toronto
You Can't Stop Reading!
West of Wawa is a story readers can easily connect with. The story of Benny is one reader will easily relate to and the way her tale is intriguingly told by Lisa de Nikolits allows the reader to feel as if they know Benny personally and are on the runaway train of escape alongside her.
Benny flees the known for the unknown by adventuring north with her bags full of narcotics which she consumes regularly to help numb the pains of her past while indulging in self destructive behaviors as they present themselves.
On her travels she seeks anonymity, but can’t help to engage with various characters that add to her personal trip of self-discovery, new friendships, and new found identity. West of Wawa is a read that once you start the journey with Benny, you can’t stop reading until you follow her through the entire stages of destruction to destiny!
– Amy Lance, Wondrous Women Worldwide
Very Good Story!
West of Wawa was an interesting read. It was well written, I truly enjoyed the writing style and the language what was used for storytelling. West of Wawa is definitely worth of reading, especially if you like road novels but the novel is so much more than a road trip. What I enjoyed about the book was the fact, that you got a very captivating into one woman's life, to her inner thoughts, doubts, dreams, nightmares, wishes. The book did not concentrate only to the trip through Canada, but the main emphasis was on Benny and her growth. Benny was not always very likable or lovable and she was quite selfish, but she was also a wonderful woman who could pass her troubles and grow and love. I think the author did a very good job with Benny.
West of Wawa is a story which is interesting, you are taken through a journey of a woman finding herself and that journey is captivating! Definitely a very good book to read!
– Inga Kupp-Silberg (ingasilbergbooks.com)
A Fascinating Journey to Find Herself
West of Wawa is a fascinating book. I don't approve of self-medicating, but don't worry. Not to give a spoiler, but Benny's story ends happily. After enduring bad buses, slow trains, and seedy traveling companions for 72 days, she finally reaches the end of her journey in Vancouver. Not all of it was bad, though. In addition to breathtaking scenery, Benny makes two friends, real friends, the kind who stick with you.At then end of her journey, Benny has discovers her true self. Watching another woman reduced to begging, "Benny thought how easy it was to take a wrong turn in life – a turn where one thing led to another, and another, until one day you woke up and the face in the mirror belonged to no one you knew, no one you ever thought you'd know." West of Wawa is about Benny's internal journey while she engages in her external journey. Authors are told to avoid stories set in moving vehicles, that they are boring. Not so! Ms De Nikolits creates an exotic ride across Canada, each step exciting and eventful. And whether she stops over in a motel, hotel, hostel, or private home, Benny finds adventure. I love Ms De Nikolit's turn of phrase, such as describing Manitoba's mosquitoes "So big they could chew through leather trousers." Benny started out a selfish, bitter woman. Although I always liked her in this book, she ended up a person I can admire and respect. A talented, energetic person I would want for a friend. She realized, with a small measure of pride, that the trip had taught her a couple of things, not the least of which was that she was a survivor." Don't let that tidbit from near the end prevent your reading West of Wawa. Benny's is a fast-paced, intriguing journey
– Carolyn Smith (A Writer's Life)
I Loved Taking this Journey with Benny
I am truly honored to have read this book. I read it in one sitting and truly loved the book. I couldn't put it down because I thought that Benny's journey was a train wreck waiting to happen. I love discovering a book about Canada and a Canadian author. Lisa nailed the people of Newfoundland. As I was reading this I could actually feel like I was there. I loved taking this journey with Benny. I am so looking forward to reading more of Lisa's books.
– Cindy’s Love of Books, Cindy Smith
AUTHOR REVIEWS OF WEST OF WAWA
Congratulations On This Award-winning Novel
I just finished West of Wawa last night! It was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Benny’s a delightful character – I loved her dry sense of humour. And so wonderful to go on tour of Canada! Some of those places I’ve been, but not all. I really felt like I was on the bus with her; the book was so effective at capturing the sights, smells and sensations of both the grittier back-packing method of travel and the glorious ever-changing landscapes that make up this vast country – not to mention the interior changing/maturing landscape of Benny herself. Congratulations again on this award-winning novel. I bet it was very fun to write.
– Brenda Missen, author of Tell Anna She's Safe
Fresh, Funny and Filled with Wonderful Details
Lisa de Nikolits takes us on an unforgettable road trip in her second novel, West of Wawa. Fueled by bitterness and anger, 29-year-old Benny leaves her home in Sydney, Australia, and heads across the world to Canada. She’s hell-bent on escape. She leaves a failed art career, a broken marriage and everyone she knows. In St. John’s, Nfld., she hauls her backpack filled with codeine, Valium and Southern Comfort onto a Greyhound bus and sets out into the great Canadian unknown.
De Nikolits has a way with words, and West of Wawa is fresh, funny and filled with wonderful details. Benny is a tough, wise-cracking little heroine, who is always true to character, whether enthusing over a sunset or picking herself up after an encounter with one of the loser males she meets. De Nikolits reveals Benny’s backstory gradually, only telling us about her disastrous art show and marriage breakup at points in the story when Benny is able to look at them objectively.
De Nikolits also deftly steers the novel away from travelogue, and makes only passing references to famous landmarks on the route Benny takes. The trip is about Benny’s inner journey from emptiness and despair, to the realization that her life hasn’t been all that bad and there are good times ahead. “Life’s what you make it, you know,” Benny says. “We all get knocks, yeah, it’s how you take it on the chin.” West of Wawa won the 2012 Independent Publisher Book Awards’ Silver Medal for Popular Fiction. It’s a delightful read.
Rosemary McCracken, author of Safe Harbor
Idiosyncratic and Unique Characters… I couldn't put it down
Lisa de Nikolits' West of Wawa bursts with a sense of immediacy and freshness. Full of humor and tragi-comedic elements, in a style that is smooth and fast paced, West of Wawa is a delight to read. The characters, particularly Benny, are so idiosyncratic and unique that they prick at, then fully permeate the heart. I couldn’t put it down.
– Danila Botha, author of Got No Secrets
Engaging and Rewarding Read
Lisa de Nikolits’ vibrant characters and intriguing plot make West of Wawa an engaging and rewarding read. Traveling from city to city, traumatized Benny tries to put the torn pieces of her soul back together. Readers will experience awe as they follow the main character’s traveling-therapy and her unusual openness to strangers, which will surprise and then haunt readers.
– Ava Homa, author of Echoes from The Other Land
Pulls the Reader into the Story
Lisa de Nikolits is an amazing writer. She has a gift of being able to paint pictures, pull the reader into the story and keep them turning the page. West of Wawa shows how a life can turn from emptiness to one of fulfillment. West of Wawa is a great read and I hope you'll pick up a copy.
– Nikki Rosen, author of In the Eye of Deception.
EVENTS AND READINGS (visit the photo gallery page for more pics)
Comment on guest talk at George Brown College:
"Thank you for coming, we really enjoyed listening to you!:
Ava Homa, author of Echoes from The Other Land and lecturer at George Brown on The Art of The Short Story
Signing and reading at
West of Wawa book launch
"West of Wawa is a funny, moving exploration of a surprising journey towards
self-realization – and Benny, its pill-popping, wise-cracking heroine is a treat.
De Nikolits's book will ring true for anyone who has ever had even a moment of self-doubt."— Chatelaine Magazine
Award Winner as announced in the Quill & Quire
West of Wawa won the 2012 IPPY Silver Medal Winner for Popular Fiction
Fun Fact: Rex Pickett won the Gold (to West of Wawa's Silver) with his follow-up novel to Sideways.
His winning work is titled Vertical.
Presented West of Wawa at the Niagara Literary Festival on 16th June in St Catharines. We were at the bookfair at The Fine Grind Café and later took part in an entertaining reading/discussion at the MayTay Café along with fellow authors Betsy Balega (Being Mystic and In Touch With God) and fellow Inanna author Brenda Missen (Tell Anna She's Safe).
West of Wawa wins a Silver IPPY for Popular Fiction
This from Dorothy McIntosh, author of the highly acclaimed The Witch of Babylon…
From the opening of the novel I was drawn into Benny's world and as the pages turned became captivated by her adventures and especially the way she embraced life in the face of all her challenges. Heartwarming, sensual, and at times hilarious, Benny's road trip won't fail to engage you. A wonderful portrait of Canada too. This author is a brilliant writer and I look forward to more of her books.
– Review on amazon.ca
Below: Social Media comments on Facebook keep Benny alive!
IPPY Silver-Award Winner: Popular Fiction
Chatelaine Editor's Pick
The Hungry Mirror and
West of Wawa are now available as ebooks at
select online stores:
(West of Wawa)
LAST READING FOR 2012, PLASTICINE READING SERIES
"Lisa de Nikolits reads from passages from her novels in which the characters either read or write poems – the poetry captures the nature of the p.o.v. strongly and reflects the character and not the author trying to be poetic: ‘I may be a loser/but I’ve always dreamed of someone to hold’ ‘dance on the morals of witchdoctors and madman.’ After a too brief set she was brought back to read more – this time a prose section of West of Wawa – which pulled her in emotionally as she read and pulled us in at the same time." – Duncan Armstrong
With Cathy Petch (top left), Michael Fraser, Lisa Young (bottom left).
Note: The Hungry Mirror, West of Wawa, The Witchdoctor's Bones, A Glittering Chaos, Between The Cracks She Fell, The Nearly Girl, Single Girls Go Mad Sooner and Cannibals of the Afterlife are all works of fiction by Lisa de Nikolits. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All work is original and the author holds copyright.
Email address: [email protected]
West of Wawa
Published in Fall 2011
