Rage the Night by Donna Morrissey

At once the intimate tale of one man’s quest to discover the truth of his birth and a riveting account of a real-life Newfoundland tragedy from 1914, brilliantly and sensitively imagined by one of Canada’s most beloved and bestselling authors.

When a deathbed confession uncovers secrets about his birth, twenty-year-old Roan—who has always believed himself an orphan, with no last name—sets off on a quest to discover the truth of his origins. His journey takes him across the snow-covered landscape of Newfoundland from the remote Northern Peninsula to St. John’s and then onto the Newfoundland, one of the rickety and poorly equipped ships heading out to the sealing grounds for the spring hunt.

Between his farewell to Dr. Grenfell, the man who raised, educated, and cared for Roan since his toddlerhood, and the final discovery that will alter his life forever, Roan is tossed both emotionally and physically into harrowing situations that he could never have imagined. The people Roan meets along his journey are vivid and unforgettable, from young Ila, isolated and desperate as her mother coughs her life away in a frigid cabin, to the hulking, volcanic, unknowable Ashur Genge, whose own heartbreaking secret may hold the key to Roan’s deepest desire.

As Roan’s personal story entwines with the historical tale of the Newfoundland disaster, it is “the b’ys”—the simple men who risk their lives year after year on the ice—their brotherhood, their resilience, their heart, and their humour that carry him through tragedy and beyond.

Rage the Night showcases Donna Morrissey’s extraordinary empathy, her remarkable characters, and her unique literary voice; it is a masterwork from one of our finest storytellers.

Story Locale: Newfoundland

Publication History: Original Trade Paperback

DONNA MORRISSEY is the author of the nationally bestselling memoir Pluck, which was a finalist for the Atlantic Book Awards’ Non-Fiction Award, and of six acclaimed and bestselling novels. Among her honours are the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award and the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Fiction for The Fortunate Brother; Sylvanus Now was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize; and The Deception of Livvy Higgs was a One Read pick for Nova Scotia in 2017. Her fiction has also won awards in the US and the UK, and has been translated into several languages. Born and raised in Newfoundland, she lives in Halifax.

Author Residence: Halifax

Author Hometown: Newfoundland