Clara Callan: A Novel

Richard B. Wright

Mar 2009 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

In a small town in Canada, Clara Callan reluctantly takes leave of her sister, Nora, who is bound for New York. It's a time when the growing threat of fascism in Europe is a constant worry, and people escape from reality through radio and the movies. Meanwhile, the two sisters -- vastly different in personality, yet inextricably linked by a shared past -- try to find their places within the complex web of social expectations for young women in the 1930s.

While Nora embarks on a glamorous career as a radio-soap opera star, Clara, a strong and independent-minded woman, struggles to observe the traditional boundaries of a small and tight-knit community without relinquishing her dreams of love, freedom, and adventure. However, things aren't as simple as they appear -- Nora's letters eventually reveal life in the big city is less exotic than it seems, and the tranquil solitude of Clara's life is shattered by a series of unforeseeable events. These twists of fate require all of Clara's courage and strength, and finally put the seemingly unbreakable bond between the sisters to the test.

Ratings and reviews

READ APRIL 2002

About the author

Richard B. Wright was born in Midland, Canada on March 4, 1937. After graduating from Ryerson University in 1959, he worked as a copywriter for newspapers and radio shows and later accepted an editor post at Macmillan Canada. His first book, Andrew Tolliver, was a children's book. His first novel, The Weekend Man, was published in 1970. He wrote more than 15 books during his lifetime including Nightfall, The Age of Longing, and In the Middle of a Life. Clara Callan won the 2001 Giller Prize, the 2001 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction, and the 2002 Trillium Book Award. His memoir, A Life with Words, was published in 2015. He became a member of the Order of Canada in 2007. He also taught English at Ridley College. He died after sustaining a fall on February 7, 2017 at the age of 79.