It’s big news when an avid promoter of Atlantic Canadian fiction releases his sophomore novel. Chad Pelley, who runs the CanLit site Salty Ink, is very aware of the literary landscape in which his book has landed. Every Little Thing indulges in the expected familial tragedy abated with humour and community that has characterized much CanLit before him. Family histories are intertwined, secrets are unraveled bit by bit, wounds are left open in the salty Atlantic air and small victories of happiness are cherished. But the story of Cohen and Abbie, neighbours-turned-lovers-turned-exes turned two lost souls attempting to reconcile the past, is as dramatic, raw and complicated as any real-life relationship. While at times overly metaphorical, the novel matures as the characters develop and take control of the plot. A riveting, emotional tale, Every Little Thing is the literary equivalent of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.”
This article appears in Apr 18-24, 2013.
