Canadian Novel - The Macken Charm

It is the summer of 1956, and although Rusty Macken is eager to leave rural Vancouver Island - and his family - for university, the events of Glory's funeral will not make it easy. Over the course of a single day, the rambunctious Macken clan gathers at the site of the burned-down seaside hotel that was once the family base to mourn and remember the glamorous city girl who married the wildest Macken of all but never quite adapted to their country ways. By the time the sun comes up on the following day, Rusty may have participated in something of a miracle. At the very least, he will have been forced to confront the uneasy secrets of his own heart. Compassionate, hilarious, and wise, The Macken Charm brilliantly captures the joys, the frustrations, and the rich human drama of family life.

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Reviews

"The Macken Charm takes up the theme of the family with exuberance….Hodgins is a funny writer and, in the comic tradition of W.O. Mitchell, Paul Quarrington and other tall-tale spinners, he can make you laugh out loud. He can also make you cry and there lies the gift of the storyteller."

Kitchener-Wateloo Record

"Written in flawless prose -- word for word, Hodgins is one of the country's best writers…."

Books in Canada

A Sense of Place

"Portuguese Creek" is the name of the creek that runs through several of Jack Hodgins's novels as it does through similar farms in the actual world. Though the community is referred to by the characters as "Portuguese Creek," its official name in the novels is "Waterville." Waterville is based on the real life place of Merville, Vancouver Island. Click here for information about the setting for the Portuguese Creek novels.