The Boom of the Bittern: Elegy for a Wetland

In the final years of the 19th century, young Daniel is arrested for a homosexual act. He narrowly escapes conviction, but is forced to say goodbye forever to the Norfolk Broads—the wetland he loves. While his rich, landowning family is willing to use their influence to keep him out of jail, they need him out of the way to preserve their reputation and they banish him to Toronto.There he’s thrilled to discover a beautiful marshland along the shore of Lake Ontario, and in it, a handsome fisherman named Callum.But the marsh and its inhabitants are threatened by a dark shadow, the origin of which is closer to home than Daniel wants to admit. When the destruction of the marsh feels as inexorable as the tide of history, what will become of Daniel and Callum, and the sanctuary they’ve found?But one of the most wonderful things about the natural world—and the human heart—is its ability to surprise you… Read more