With a dozen books for children/young adults to his name, Brian Doyle has become famous for his poignant yet matter-of-fact writing style, and for his skillful portrayal of the problems of middle-grade kids. His personal life, teaching career, and writing have all revolved around his hometown of Ottawa, and the nearby region of the Gatineau Hills in Quebec. Doyle's background and unique understanding of young people are reflected in his books.
Life of Brian Doyle
Brian Doyle was born in 1935 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Like many of the characters in his books, Doyle grew up in both an ethnically diverse, urban neighbourhood of Ottawa, and in the rural setting of various villages along the Gatineau River near Low, Quebec. His family life was sometimes troubled by his father's drinking, by the extra care required by Doyle's mentally disabled older sister, Pamela, and by the burden Doyle's mother felt because of these complications.
But Doyle has also stated that his family inspired him to become a writer. His father's storytelling, his grandfather's songs, and his mother, Charlotte Duff Doyle's privately written poetry worked together to spark his interest in writing. Ten-year-old Brian's earliest effort, from the tail end of World War II, was self-published (i.e. written in giant letters in the snow), and intended for any German bombers lurking in the skies above Ottawa: "MY BEST FRIEND GERALD IS A BASTARD."
Doyle explains this characteristically pithy statement on his publisher's website (click here for more from Brian Doyle's profile page at Groundwood Books): "I'd overheard my parents talking sadly about Gerald being illegitimate and how sorry they felt. I thought if the Germans knew about Gerald and his problem and that he was my best friend they'd turn around and go home and not drop their bombs on us, here in Lowertown, Ottawa, Canada."
Doyle later attended Glebe Collegiate Institute, followed by Carlton University (majoring in journalism). He continued writing throughout this time, submitting short stories, poetry and essays to various magazines and journals. After graduating, Doyle worked for a time as a journalist in Toronto, but soon took up teaching high school in his hometown of Ottawa, while writing on the side.
By this time, he was married, the father of two adopted children, and a columnist for a local newspaper. In 1978, his first novel, Hey Dad!, was published to extremely positive reviews, and Doyle has since become one of Canada's most well loved middle-grade/young adult authors.
Themes and Style
Doyle's writing ranges from historical to contemporary times, and touches on many issues, including racism, abuse, and poverty. But his primary concern is to express the thoughts and everyday problems of children and teenagers who find themselves in the middle of these societal issues.
Each of his novels is told from the perspective of a young person, who is typically caught up in a mystery or other central problem. However, the books deal mainly with the growth of the main characters, with the overall storyline serving as a background for the characters' changing sense of self. Like Doyle's young adult readers, his characters are in an awkward phase between childhood and adolescence; his grounded, realistic, often irreverent writing style captures their thoughts well.
List of Books for Kids and Young Adults by Brian Doyle
- Hey Dad! (1978): a young teenage girl (named after Doyle's daughter, Megan) on a summer road trip with her family learns to see the world (and her father) in a different light.
- You Can Pick Me Up At Peggy's Cove (1979): follows Ryan (named for Doyle's son), sent to live with his aunt for a summer in Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, while his family deals with his father's mid-life crisis.
- Up to Low (1982): In his first visit to Low since his mother's death, Tommy helps his childhood friend Baby Bridget redeem her relationship with her father, and find healing for herself.
- Angel Square (1984):. Between daily fights in Angel Square, secretly courting a real-life Margot Lane, and working in the local church and synagogue, Tommy is out to find the person who attacked his best friend's father.
- Easy Avenue (1988): Hulbert "Hubbo" O'Driscoll, orphan, gymnast, and golf caddy, is desperate to hide his poor background from the elite rich kids of his new high school. So he takes a job working for a wealthy elderly woman, but soon learns that money can't guarantee happiness.
- Covered Bridge (1990): Hubbo returns in this novel set on the Gatineau River, where he frantically works to save the ancient covered bridge (and its resident ghostly lady) from being torn down by local developers.
- Spud Sweetgrass (1992): this novel follows high schooler Spud Sweetgrass ("part Irish, part Aboriginal, part a whole lot of other things") in his crusade to save the local environment, win the heart of Connie Pang, and make the best French fries in the city.
- Spud in Winter (1995): Spud plays the reluctant hero again, after witnessing a murder in his normally peaceful neighbourhood.
- Uncle Ronald (1996): 112-year-old Mickey recalls his 12-year-old self, and the summer when he and his mother ran away from his abusive father to live with Uncle Ronald in rural Quebec.
- The Low Life (1999): a compilation of Uncle Ronald, Angel Square, Easy Avenue, Covered Bridge, Up to Low).
- Mary Ann Alice (2002): Passionate, curious, and named after a church bell, Mary Ann Alice loves the world of fossils and geology. But the building of a dam nearby threatens it all and she, along with the rest of her town, must come to terms with the impending changes.
- Boy O'Boy (2003): In the midst of the end of the war, a troubled family, and a constant struggle against poverty, Martin O'Boy joins the church choir for some extra cash, but soon becomes the target of the predatory Mr. George.
- Pure Spring (2007): Martin, now aged "sixteen", thinks he's found a perfect job with the Pure Spring soft drink company, but life is increasingly complicated by his past, Grampa Rip's health and the new life he has made for himself.
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