BARRY CALLAGHAN
man of letters
Beside Still Waters
McArthur & Company, 2009
This is a passionate love story, with its roots in Toronto and its resolution in the dark heart of contemporary Africa. Adam Waters’ search for the woman he loves, who has mysteriously disappeared from their hotel room, takes him from the casinos of Puerto Rico to war-torn Gabon and a leper colony deep in the African bush. Counterpointing Adam’s quest are his memories from boyhood, and of his father, wandering jazzman Sweet Web Waters; his experiences as a war correspondent; and the girl who becomes his lover, dancer Gabrielle. Callaghan confronts the pure joy that can be in sexuality and the evil that is inherent in the nature of growth itself, by combining the excitement of an adventure story with the exuberant love of language.
“The writing is humane. With a tiny detail, in one well-crafted scene (he is a master short story writer after all) Callaghan offers a window into the souls of the wounded, damaged, even slightly deranged characters.” –Globe and Mail
