A man has to choose between his allegiance to his friends or the advancement of his career, in John Bemrose’s tightly knit family drama.

For generations, the Walkers have lived in the Island, a small, working class mill-town beside Ontario's Attawan River. But in the summer of 1965 their peace is shattered. When a union organiser comes to town, Alf Walker is forced to choose between loyalty to his friends and advancement up the company ranks. His decision threatens to overwhelm not only his own life, but also his family’s.

Longlisted
The Man Booker Prize 2004
Published by
John Murray
Publication date
John Bemrose

John Bemrose

About the Author

John Bemrose is not a prolific novelist: The Island Walkers, a best-seller in his native Canada, was followed by a second novel, the Last Woman, in 2009 but, since then, nothing.
More about John Bemrose