Synopses & Reviews
Fiction. Haven is fiercely protective of her little brother, Chase, spiriting him away when their father's temper is about to flare again. She hides the bread away so he'll have something to eat for lunch, and she teaches him how to make himself invisible, how to read the signs. But when that's no longer enough to keep him safe, Haven steals the family car, whose dashboard she can barely see over, and pilots them away to safety to their Aunt Mary's. Their aunt takes them in and tries to love them and make up for everything they've endured. But a childhood so harrowing is impossible to forget. Haven goes to medical school, hoping to heal herself by healing others. She marries young and has a daughter, April, whom Haven hopes will serve as some kind of redemption. Chase, more damaged even than Haven, battles his demons through cathartic but doomed performance art. But his searching just takes him to darker and darker places. And, always, they try to keep one another afloat. CHASE AND HAVEN is a haunting story -- inventively told and deeply felt -- of suffering and love, made of thousands of small impressionist facets that refract the quiet spectrum of the beauty and the detritus of two entwined lives.
Synopsis
Haven is fiercely protective of her little brother, Chase, spiriting him away when their father's temper is about to flare yet again. She hides the bread away so he'll have something for lunch, and she teaches him to hide himself. But when that's no longer enough to keep him safe, she steals the car and takes them both away to their aunt.
They try to redeem their harrowing childhood in different ways: Haven, lost and damaged, goes to medical school and teacher's college, and marries young, hoping to find meaning through her daughter, April. Chase battles his demons through cathartic but doomed performance art.
Chase and Haven is a haunting story--inventively told and deeply felt--of suffering and love, of the spectrum of beauty and the detritus of two entwined lives.
About the Author
Michael Blouin has been the recipient of the Diana Brebner Prize for Poetry from Arc, Canada's National Poetry Magazine, as well as the Lillian I. Found Prize for Poetry from Carleton University, and his work has been shortlisted for a National Magazine Award. He is the author of the collection of poetry, I'm not going to lie to you.