CUSHING, a Novel

There was a time when the community of Cushing, Quebec was considered the vibrant "Heart of the Empire", at least by James and Annabelle Wallace, who settled there in the late 19th century. After their four beautiful daughters arrived to complete their family unit, the world was a perfect place, especially that part of the world called Cushing. This narrative, while based on actual events, is presented as a fictionalized account of the lives of the four Wallace sisters, interwoven with that of their parents, their families, and the town of Cushing itself. The backdrop for this novel, set between 1850 and 1934, is a huge tapestry of momentous events in Canadian history: the early commercial and social development of Montreal; the initial New York Bankers' chaos around 1907, ultimately widening its impact to become the great depression; The Great War of 1914-1919; and the Halifax Explosion, to name a few. Some of these events played a significant role in the lives of its population. For others, the forces of history twirled around them and beyond them playing only minor roles in the more immediate triumphs and tragedies of their own lives.