No More Fridays

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During Elliott’s last year of high school, his mother dies of ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that progressively robs motor skills. Now his whole family is adrift and floundering. Elliott’s only friend, the uber-intellectual and socially maladaptive Riley, tries to help but needs to set boundaries so she can deal with her own family stuff. Then, some technically impossible but inescapably real events start to change everything.

Strange things happen in your darkest moments.

No More Fridays is about a young person’s struggle to cope with alienation and grief through philosophy, science, nature, and relationship. It reminds readers: a mind open enough can accept that the death of a loved one is never the end of the story.

What People Are Saying

Sylvia Gunnery, author of Road Signs That Say West
“Go with these teens into dark tunnels and trek through the woods to their secret cabin. Deliberate imaginative, philosophical possibilities. Hang onto hope through a full force hurricane of tension. These characters and ideas will stay with you long after you’ve read the book.”

Kyle Mahar, biographer and researcher
“Lesley Choyce’s 105th book does not disappoint. No More Fridays is a gripping and insightful blend of magical realism and philosophy.”

The Globe and Mail
“Choyce has a feeling for the young and dispossessed, for the terrible angst of adolescence and the rituals of rebellion.”

James Mullinger, author of Brit Happens
“There are few names as beloved in Atlantic Canadian literature as Lesley Choyce, a true renaissance man of the written word and a cultural icon. For decades he’s been inspiring generations of readers with stories that crackle with authenticity and heart. His books have been translated into many languages, proof that East Coast storytelling knows no borders.”

Available Now:
Amazon | Chapters/Indigo

In The Kingdom of Cheese There Are No Heroes

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John Francis Cummings (JFC) is big, but his size is not his problem. It's the bullying that it seems to attract. With tensions at home and stress at school, he draws on the support of a neighbour, his one friend, and a drop-in centre for strength to always do the right thing. Which does not always turn out well.

Reviewer comments

"John Francis Cummings, aka JFC, is an oversized outsider who likes to eat. But eating is not his problem. His problem is the plus-sized, comic, karmic, even Kafkaesque universe of bullies, braggarts, and social media believers more interested in appearances than truth. Ignoring the realities of contemporary culture, JFC decides to do the right thing, only to have the wrong result. As his quasi-Zen Buddhist neighbour puts it, “The universe never ceases to surprise. Sometimes it’s with you, sometimes against you—it’s nothing personal.”

But it sure feels personal when his troubles keep mounting. Supported by an overzealous mother, a deadbeat father, and a recovering drug addict friend, JFC tries to find something close to meaning in a downside-up moment when free will meets destiny. In the end, even though he is fond of saying, “There are no heroes in the kingdom of grilled cheese sandwiches,” John Francis Cum-mings may well be the compelling hero for our curious times."
-- Steven Laffoley, author of The Blue Tattoo

"An entertaining jaunt with an inimitable protagonist. The storyline is unvarnished yet buoyant; the narration, perfectly paced. Choyce’s latest is another gem from one of Canada’s most authentic and accomplished authors."
-- A.M. Potter, author of the Detective Ivy Bourque Series

"Lesley Choyce has once again deftly created a teenager to root for. Here, we have the likeable John Francis, an overweight sixteen-year-old, his loyal and righteous girl pal (not girlfriend), his nemesis, and an incident that upends his life. There is more, all classic Choyce, including twists and turns, both humour and empathy, and a satisfying, clever ending that made me laugh out loud. "
-- Julia Swan, Ph.D.

Available Now:
Amazon | Chapters/Indigo

RECENT RELEASES

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In The Kingdom of Cheese There Are No Heroes

The Untimely Resurrection of John Alexander MacNeil

RECENT REVIEWS

James Mullinger, author of Brit Happens

“There are few names as beloved in Atlantic Canadian literature as Lesley Choyce, a true renaissance man of the written word and a cultural icon. For decades he’s been inspiring generations of readers with stories that crackle with authenticity and heart. His books have been translated into many languages, proof that East Coast storytelling knows no borders.”

A.M. Potter, Author

Keep your eyes peeled for Lesley Choyce’s new novel. It’s both witty and wise. *In the Kingdom of Cheese There Are No Heroes* is an entertaining jaunt with an inimitable protagonist. The storyline is unvarnished yet buoyant; the narration, perfectly-paced. Choyce’s latest is another gem from one of Canada’s most authentic and accomplished authors.

Laura Patterson, The Seaboard Review of Books

"I have learned many lessons through the eyes of Jonas MacPherson. The beauty of this novel is astounding and acts as a guide through life's darkest moments. The voices throughout the novel belong to real people who have lived, honest and true, with calluses on their hands and bends in their backs. They speak to me through the ink on these pages that I hold, now so dear. A more beautiful story has never been written, and I am thankful for it having found me."