Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper

What is it about Newfoundland that inspires these mournful tales that are beautifully told?  Whatever it is, keep them coming.  This is the second book by the author who managed to write one of the best road stories ever (Etta and Otto and Russell and James), and it does not disappoint.
The book focuses on a fishing village, Big Running, where over time, maybe because of climate change, maybe something else, but for whatever reason, there is no more fish. Most people just up and leave, but some refuse to budge at all, and others, like Martha and Aidan,  go outside to work for money, and come back to enjoy their home.  They  remember the first time a net came up only half full, but the town has been slowly depleted until only six houses are still occupied.

But their children, fourteen-year-old Cora and ten-year-old Finn, feel each parent’s absence keenly.  Each comes up with their own plan to save the family.  This part of the story is interspersed with tales from the past, when life in Big Running was full in every way.  There are plenty of people in town and still plenty of fish in the sea.  No one can imagine that their robust way of life can ever end.
Contrast this with the yearning and desperation of the Connors in 1993, as they cling to a lifestyle that is quickly disappearing.
The book is filled with the mysticism, stories and music of Newfoundland.  The writing is lyrical and poetic. But the biggest triumph is the depiction of a family that must make some very hard choices, but continues to love each other unconditionally.