My new novel, Far Creek Road, was launched into the world last night at lovely pub gathering. 

That’s Michelline behind the bar at Gabby’s in Toronto, the enthusiastic host of the launch. Huge thanks to all my family and friends who gathered at Gabby’s to raise a glass.

Major thanks as well to ECW Press, where my editor, Susan Renouf, was joined at the launch by publisher David Caron and publicist Claire Pokorchak, who supported the project from start to not-yet-finished. Journalist Ann Rauhala, formerly of The Globe and Mail and Toronto Metropolitan University, posed some questions–one of which cut to the core of my writing.

Ann asked about recurring themes in my work. This is my sixth novel, with two books of stories, a travel book and a kid’s book along for the ride. Ann’s right: I tend to circle around a couple of central ideas, one of which dominates this novel.

I like to write about people who are trying to be good. Good parents, good spouses, good children. They are–we are–trying to be good at our work, good neighbours, good citizens.

And there’s nothing harder in the world.

Far Creek Road is set in 1962, when Tink Parker is nine years old. Tink lives with her parents in a Vancouver suburb where many fathers are traumatized veterans of the Second World War and almost all the mothers are housewives. They believe they’ve earned secure and prosperous lives after the sacrifices they made during the war. But under the conformist veneer seethe conflicts and secrets that make the serenity of Grouse Valley precarious.

The story of the unraveling of the neighborhood is told by Tink, an eccentric child who is funny, observant, and impossibly nosy, with a tendency to blurt whatever’s on her mind. Bucolic at first, the story darkens as McCarthy-era paranoia infects the adults and spills over into the lives of the children. The parents of Tink’s best friend Norman are schoolteachers with leftist beliefs. 

When the Cuban Missile Crisis threatens, Norman’s parents face a witch hunt while the boy becomes a target of bullies. Tink does her best to defend Norman, trying to be a good friend. But as she looks for help, Tink stumbles on a web of secrets ― including evidence of a torrid affair ― that will change their lives forever.

According to Sheila Murray, author of Finding Edward, “With the charming and very funny nine-year-old Tink, Krueger has created an unforgettable character whose innocent curiosity busts through the societal conventions of early 1960s Canada. This is a masterful depiction of an atmosphere tense with fear and fuelled by grownup transgressions, where adult morality is contaminated by politics that tear communities apart.”

Thanks to Sheila for attending the launch, as well as for her lovely comment.

Far Creek Road can be ordered from my publisher, ECW Press, from Indigo and Amazon, or found in your local indie bookstore. I’ll be writing more about the book–and the launch–as the weeks progress.

It was held, not coincidentally, at the favourite pub of our friend, journalist Michael Finlay. Michael died in February, 2023, after an assault he suffered only yards from Gabby’s. His assailant faces manslaughter charges, and I’ll have news on that soon.

But today, it’s the book’s turn to shine. Enjoy.