Elizabeth and After - by Matt Cohen (Paperback)

About the Book

A touching and resonant story of a man who returns to the small town of West Gull, Ontario, to mend his family's legacy of alcohol and violence, to reconnect with his young daughter, and to reconcile himself with the spirit of his beautiful mother, killed several years earlier in a tragic accident.

Book Synopsis

A touching and resonant story of a man who returns to the small town of West Gull, Ontario, to mend his family's legacy of alcohol and violence, to reconnect with his young daughter, and to reconcile himself with the spirit of his beautiful mother, killed several years earlier in a tragic accident. Elizabeth and After masterfully wraps us up in the lives of Carl and his family, and the other 683 odd residents of this snowy Canadian hamlet.

Review Quotes

"A quiet yet haunting tale of love and loss...Cohen relates all these stories with energy and grace." --Andrea King Collier, The New York Times Book Review

"Matt Cohen creates a multitudinous cast...so generously....Everyone is blessed....A prize- thoughtful, beautifully written, real in its distractions and complexities." --Susan Grimm, The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"A strong, spare, autumnal tale of loss and redemption...An extremely satisfying work, finding new depth in old themes, and offering a fitting memorial to a talented, deeply humane writer." --Kirkus Reviews

"Lively, strong, bursting with juice, quirky, and unpredictable...A real novel shaped by its characters rather than jamming them into a formula." --Michael Morris, Los Angeles Times

About the Author

Matt Cohen is the author of 13 novels. His books have been published in 9 languages. He lived in Toronto, Ontario until his death in 1999.