The Players

9780864925183

Margaret Sweatman (Author) $22.95 Paperback Published September 4, 2009 - In Stock Goose Lane Editions

Two French explorers arrive in Court to charm two ships from the English King. The rest, as they say, is history . . . or perhaps not. Set in the libertine era of Restoration England, The Players embarks on a voyage of discovery with compelling characters, a magical plot, and stunning imagery. A tale of beginnings and of invention, this remarkable novel takes on the 17th century with a contemporary sensibility. Here, the ability to perform - in Court, on stage, in private quarters, and in the brutal cold of James Bay - might save your life . . . and Lilly Cole must play along with the best of them.

Sly, provocative, and ingeniously funny, Sweatman's prose explores the deep well of human motivation, how instinct trumps reason when survival is in question.

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Accolades

"A florid and engaging read." — Amie Ronald-Morgan, Scene 

"Sweatman seems to reach for more than just a good story. She wants to explore the power gap between men and women, the clash of cultures, the greed and curiosity behind the business venture that led to the Hudson Bay Company. The result is a detailed, sometimes effusive telling of the tale of a young woman, determined, scrappy, hungry. And with its tantalizing ending, the totemic publishing word trilogy comes to mind." — Ron Robinson, Winnipeg Free Press

"Margaret Sweatman's fiction is as dark as it is funny, both eerily insightful and wickedly entertaining. The Players is a whip-smart journey through the halls of power in plague-era London and the vast winter wilderness of Hudson Bay. A great read and a terrific book." — Michael Crummey, author of River Thieves