A Report from Winter

A Report from Winter is the memoir of Wayne Curtois, who uses vivid descriptions of the harsh Maine winter as a metaphor for his relationship with his detached and cold family. It describes in detail the dichotomy between Wayne’s distant relationship with his relatives, and the loving bond between Wayne and his long-time partner Ralph.

At the start of the novel, Wayne is flying alone to Portland to be with his dying mother Jennie, whom he has not visited in 10 years, and who isn’t expected to make it through the week. When he arrives in Portland, he is also reunited with his gay brother Bruce, his partner Greg, and his Aunt Louise.

The death of his mother, being back in Portland, and reconnecting with the family he hasn’t seen for so long proves so distressful, that Wayne calls on Ralph to come up and be with him during this difficult time.

Ralph brings a veritable warmth and emotion to the situation that Wayne describes as ” a report from winter.” Together they weather the storm (both literally and figuratively), and Wayne is able to let his mother go.

A Report from Winter is recommended for academic and public libraries.

Reviewed by, Rachael Elrod
University of Louisville

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3 comments

  1. Thank you for recommending my book. However, the publication data given here is completely incorrect. Also, the book is a memoir, not a novel. Could you please correct? Thank you.

  2. Good morning, Wayne. Yes, I really am sorry for the error in the newsletter. As soon as I noticed, I asked the Chair of our Web Committee to correct it. It’s in the queue, and it will be changed soon. It’s tagged correctly here.

    I never even noticed the publication date error! Please accept my apologies. It’s been corrected now.

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