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CM . . . .
Volume V Number 14 . . . . March 12, 1999
A "hangashore" is defined in the Dictionary of Newfoundland English
as "an unlucky person deserving pity". On the dedication page of The
Hangashore author Geoff Butler tells us that it is a disparaging term
Newfoundlanders use to refer to a worthless fellow who is too lazy to
fish. More broadly, the word may be used to refer to someone who lacks the
courage or heart to get on with life. Butler has written a touching story
set in Newfoundland at the end of the Second World War. When Magistrate
Mercer arrives from England to take up his post in a small fishing
outport, he expects a high level of deference and respect from the local
people. Alas, his pompous ways and arrogant nature soon turn the community
against him. Magistrate Mercer is particularly outraged by the minister's
son, John, who although challenged intellectually, sees right through the
magistrate's pretensions. At church, noticing that the magistrate refuses
to give up his front pew for returning soldiers, John moves to sit beside
him, telling him in a voice that all can hear "...it'll take all the
religion that's in me to sit down by a hangashore." Furious at the
slight, Magistrate Mercer threatens to have John sent to an institution in
St. John's. Choosing to run away rather than be sent to an institution,
John finds himself in the right place to rescue the magistrate who has put
himself in mortal danger by hooking a whale on his fishing line. This
dramatic brush with death causes Magistrate Mercer to re-examine his
values and to see that, despite his official title, his actions have been
those of a true hangashore.
Recommended.
Valerie Nielsen is a recently retired Winnipeg teacher-librarian who
co-chairs the Manitoba Young Readers Choice Award Committee.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association.
Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice
is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without
permission.
Published by
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - MARCH 12,
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Geoff Butler is a well-known and respected artist whose first Newfoundland
story, The Killick, is a winner of the Ruth Schwarz Children's Book
Award. Butler's skillful use of dialogue, liberally sprinkled with
Newfoundland vocabulary and characteristics of speech, gives his story
authenticity. His beautifully detailed paintings depict the tiny outport
and its inhabitants in a simple, colourful and moving way. Themes of
self-respect and acceptance found in The Hangashore will be readily
identifiable to readers with a certain amount of sophistication, making
the book a welcome addition to the growing number of picture books
featuring mentally or physically challenged protagonists. As well,
children studying the different regions of Canada will enjoy discovering
the geographic characteristics of Newfoundland as they appear in Geoff
Butler's illustrations. The Hangashore is a picture book for the
upper elementary grades. Making sense of conversation written in a
Newfoundland dialect will be difficult for younger readers; however, if
the book is read aloud by someone who knows the dialect and can bring out
the humour of the characters and situations, The Hangashore should
prove a treat for young listeners.