Lytton
Buy the Book:Amazon
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound
Published by: Random House Canada
Release Date: June 25, 2024
Pages: 376
ISBN13: 978-1039006157
Overview
From bestselling true-crime author Peter Edwards and Governor General's Award-winning playwright Kevin Loring, two sons of Lytton, the BC town that burned to the ground in 2021, comes a meditation on hometown―when hometown is gone.
“It’s dire,” Greta Thunberg retweeted Mayor Jan Polderman. “The whole town is on fire. It took a whole 15 minutes from the first sign of smoke to, all of a sudden, there being fire everywhere.”
Before it made global headlines as the small town that burned down during a record-breaking heat wave in June 2021, while briefly the hottest place on Earth, Lytton, British Columbia, had a curious past. Named for the author of the infamous line, “It was a dark and stormy night,” Lytton was also where Peter Edwards, organized-crime journalist and author spent his childhood. Although only about 500 people lived in Lytton, Peter liked to joke that he was only the second-best writer to come from his tiny hometown. His grade-school classmate’s nephew Kevin Loring, Nlaka’pamux from Lytton First Nation, had grown up to be a Governor General’s Award–winning playwright.
The Nlaka’pamux called Lytton “The Centre of the World,” a view Buddhists would share in the late twentieth century, as they set up a temple just outside town. A gold rush in 1858 saw conflict with a wave of Californians come to a head with the Canyon War at the junction of the mighty Fraser and Thompson rivers. The Nlaka’pamux lost over thirty lives in that conflict, as did the American gold seekers. In modern times, many outsiders would seek shelter there, often people who just didn’t fit anywhere else and were hoping for a little anonymity in the mountains.
Told from the shared perspective of an Indigenous playwright and the journalist son of a settler doctor who pushed back against the divisions that existed between populations, Lytton portrays all the warmth, humour and sincerity of small-town life. A colourful little town that burned to the ground could be every town’s warning if we don’t take seriously what this unique place has to teach us.
Praise
"Lytton: Climate Change, Colonialism and Life Before the Fire by Peter Edwards and Kevin Loring is both a sobering history and terrifying glimpse into the future."
-Gregor Craigie, author of Our Crumbling Foundation
"[T]he book’s themes...resonate intensely.... Including personal stories and interviews makes the analysis more relatable and engaging. These narratives add depth and emotional resonance,... This urgent call to action should instill a sense of responsibility and motivation in the readers.... Effectively illuminates the critical issues facing Lytton and similar communities. It is a compelling read for anyone interested in the ongoing dialogue about climate change, colonialism, and community resilience. I highly recommend the book to understand the significance of this event."
-The British Columbia Review
“A town with a fascinating history...effectively told by former residents Kevin Loring, an award-winning playwright, and Peter Edwards, a true-crime author.... Black and white photos complement the interesting and well-researched text of this little town with a big history!”
-Metroland Media (including Toronto.com)
Excerpt