The Innocents

The Innocents

By: Michael Crummey

Synopsis:
Orphaned on an isolated cove in northern Newfoundland brother and sister, Evered and Ada must learn to survive in the harsh conditions all on their own.  Having grown up isolated with only their parents they can't read or write and are naive about the world outside the cove.  However they had helped their parents since they were young, in the garden, with the fishing and the curing.  They are determined to use their limited knowledge to make their own way in the cove.  Fear of others and the unknown drives them to withstand the loneliness and harsh conditions on their own instead of seeking a refuge in the neighboring but foreign town of Mockbegger.

The supply ship, The Hope, comes to the cove twice a year to trade goods and is their only consistent link without the outside world.  Evered takes over his father's role when it comes to fishing and trading while Ada manges the house, garden and drying the fish. Their ability to endure and grow up is challenged with every season as they age. As a few visitors make their way to the cove Evered and Ada's loyalty to each other is questioned.  It is a story of a coming of age, survival and the hardships of an isolated life.

Characteristics of Literary Fiction

Language and Style:  Readers of literacy fiction must appreciate the complex language and styles used. The descriptive language is layered in long, almost poetic writing.

The language in The Innocents is complex as some descriptions will have a lengthy flow, while using phrases or terms that are uncommon and require the reader to think and reread what the author has written.

Pacing:  Unlike many other genres literary fiction has a slow and steady pace with complex characters and storylines.  The imaginative use of writing and layering slows the story down as readers must untangle the descriptions to get to a deeper meaning.

While the pacing is steady in The Innocents there are questions that will leave you wanting to find out how the story concludes.  However readers will get drawn into the imagery of the cove and the characters Evered and Ada meet.

Characters:  There are typically philosophical questions in this writing and the characters become more important than the plot itself.  While understandable the main characters are distinct, with no stereotype roles, even the secondary characters are descriptive and multidimensional.  The relationships between characters is often equally as important.

Evered and Ada are the driving characters in Crummey's novel, however their relationships with the few people they meet are interwoven into their (Evered and Ada's) story.  Passing visitors weave into their ever challenging and confusing relationship as do faint memories of their parents.

Read Alikes:
The Bear by Andrew Krivak follows a young girls journey of survival in a post civilization world.

This Tender land by William Kent Krueger is a lyrical character driven book much like The Innocents.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is set in the wilderness of Alaska as a young girl struggles to survive her family while navigating the complexities of her age.

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin is based on a man living alone that is grappling with the disappearance of his sister and takes in two young pregnant women, written with quotation free dialogue.

Jennifer's Note:
I found this a challenging book to annotate.  It is a book that in every sense meets the description of literary fiction.  While I can typically find enjoyment in a book genre that isn't my typical book of choice I didn't enjoy this one at all.  Part of it was the subject matter but also the language and writing style.  It did however give me an excellent example of this genre.