The Convict Lover

In a dark and stifling Kingston attic overflowing with old letters, pamphlets and clippings, an incredible discovery was made: scores of flimsy sheets of paper, hastily scribbled upon—a clandestine correspondence between a schoolgirl living in the village of Portsmouth in 1919 and a convict imprisoned in Kingston Penitentiary.

      A dazzling blend of historical detective work and imaginative recreation, The Convict Lover takes the reader on a haunting, unforgettable journey through the world of Canada’s oldest most norotorious prison and the people who lived in its shadow.

      Published in 1996 in hardcover and paperback by Macfarlane, Walter & Ross, subsequently in paperback by McClelland & Stewart. Now available in paperback from the author. Published as an eBook in 2015 by Merilyn Simonds Publications. Designed and produced by Creative Bungalow.com.

Praise for The Convict Lover:

“A tour de force. Simonds’ prose is alluring, her historical detective work is flawless…”                                    —Sandra Gwyn, The Globe and Mail