The Town That Drowned is a coming-of-age novel by Canadian author Riel Nason, first published in 2011 by Goose Lane Editions. The novel has garnered numerous accolades, including the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize for Canada and Europe, and was a finalist for the CLA Young Adult Book Award and the Red Maple Award. In addition to its Canadian success, it was published in Australia and New Zealand by Allen & Unwin in 2013.
The novel is set in the 1960s in Haventon, a fictional New Brunswick town. Ruby Carson, a 14-year-old girl, sees her town submerged after an ice skating accident. Soon after, Ruby's premonition comes true when it is revealed that the town will be flooded to make way for a hydroelectric dam. The townâÂÂs residents face the heartbreaking task of selling their homes and witnessing their community dismantled.
Ruby's narrative weaves between personal and communal struggles, focusing on her relationship with her younger brother Percy, who is implied to have autism. PercyâÂÂs eccentricities, including his project of sending bottles downstream with messages, contrast sharply with the growing tension in the town as it prepares for its âÂÂdrowningâÂÂ.
The novel explores themes of identity, change, and the concept of home. RubyâÂÂs coming-of-age journey involves grappling with her social identity as an outsider due to her strange vision and her brotherâÂÂs condition. The theme of "home" takes on a literal and emotional significance as the town prepares for flooding and the residents struggle with displacement.
The dam becomes a powerful symbol in the novel, representing the inevitable sacrifices rural communities make for urban development. PercyâÂÂs character, with his fixation on consistency and his reluctance to change, reflects the broader communityâÂÂs resistance to the flood.
Ruby is a nuanced character whose voice is authentic, capturing both the awkwardness of adolescence and the looming weight of loss. Her bond with Percy is central to the emotional core of the novel, highlighting themes of familial love amidst external turmoil. novel's emotional core Other characters, like the affable Mr. Ellis Cole and RubyâÂÂs first love, Troy Rutherford, enrich the narrative by embodying the broader themes of change and resilience.
The novelâÂÂs structure spans three chronological sectionsâÂÂSummer 1965, Spring 1966, and Spring 1967. Each section charts RubyâÂÂs growth and the townâÂÂs steady decline, drawing on symbolism and metaphor to deepen the reader's understanding of rural displacement. The choice of first-person narration adds an intimate layer to RubyâÂÂs reflections on identity, belonging, and the inevitability of change.