Newfoundland actor Boyd Norman brings to life a man of destiny in this Between the Covers reading.
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (Vintage) by Wayne Johnston is a fictional biography of the last Father of Confederation: Joey Smallwood.
It’s been almost 60 years since Newfoundland joined Confederation, largely due to Smallwood’s efforts. He tramped the length and breadth of the island to persuade isolated folk to put their lives in the hands of people from the mainland.
The act creating the new province came into force just before midnight on March 31, 1949, but ceremonies marking the occasion did not take place until April 1. Some local wags noted that the joke may have been on them, and you can still find that thought echoed on the island today.
It was no joke for Joseph Smallwood, though. Author Wayne Johnston takes the few things known of Smallwood’s private life and weaves a gripping fictional portrait of a poor boy from the wrong side of the tracks who reached the pinnacle of success.
Each episode of Between the Covers is 15 to 17 minutes.
Episode seven: The enigmatic Fielding comes back into Smallwood’s life.
Episode eight: Smallwood's passion to make a better life for the islanders is viewed with suspicion.
Episode nine: Broken promises force Smallwood to try a new tack.
You can also listen to previous episodes of The Colony of Unrequited Dreams.
If you’re interested in readings of other Canadian books, check out the Hear A Reading page on the Between the Covers site. At the moment, you can listen to Family Matters (Emblem Editions) by Rohinton Mistry.
Words at Large is CBC’s online destination for Canadians who love books. Look for something new every day, from CBC programs and podcasts, to interviews with writers and more. Stay tuned for our newly designed and expanded site.
Comment on this post