“Swamp Angel”, by Ethel Wilson

Wilson, Ethel. Swamp Angel. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1996. Print.

This book was a LibraryThing recommendation that was spot on for me.  The main character, Maggie Lloyd, quietly and secretly walks out on her husband (during dinner, no less) and travels to the interior of BC to work at a fishing lodge.  The story was set in the 1950s, I would say (published 1954), and reading it was like stepping into another world.  The title refers to a pearl-handled revolver that Maggie receives from a friend of hers, named after a type of cannon, apparently.

The bulk of the book deals with Maggie’s dealings with the owners of the lodge and their son; effectively living with them means the usual difficulties in getting along and coming to understand each other.

The foreword by Elizabeth Thompson was helpful to put the novel into context and explain the literary symbolism of the book.  My high-school English classes are far enough behind me that I can appreciate having pointed out to me the importance of the repeated water motifs, for instance, and the Christ-like parallels, which never would have occurred to me on my own.  I’ll definitely seek out more Ethel Wilson.