Don Mulcahy - A Second Coming: Canadian Migration Fiction

The book you see here is really only half a book. The original migration anthology consisted of a mix of fact and fiction, a choice my dear wife had warned me might turn out to be an awkward formula. Later, acting on the advice of the publishers, I separated fact from fiction and created two books a factual anthology of essays, memoirs and creative non-fiction, and this fictional one. Although the initial intention was to create a literary anthology of works by established immigrant writers, the projects mandate soon morphed from strictly literary to all-inclusive, an outcome that was dictated not only by the collections ongoing need for more writers, but also by the assorted variety of writers who showed an interest in participating. I eventually concluded that a more diverse roster of writers might well be seen as reflecting the diversity in Canadian society; might even be considered a metaphor of sorts for our complex multicultural population and its varied voices. Canadians are, after all, as varied as pebbles on a beach.

I had not wanted to destroy the original 60-writer format, but it ultimately became a publishing necessity. Then, later, I suspected that perhaps the most interesting, most creative, and perhaps the most appealing works to readers might well be those of writers who chose to fictionalize the emigration/immigration experience. After all, isnt it easier to recall and relate real events than to have to create them, from scratch so to speak, in ones imagination? As someone familiar with both genres, I happen to believe that it is.

Providing Canada and the emigration/immigration themes were dominant, the actual subject matter in these stories was left to the author. The fact that there will always be plenty of stories related to the act of relocating to another country is a given. The journey is never easy; no guarantees are offered. But to get such a promising new start as Canada offers can be much like being born all over again, a little like experiencing a second coming perhaps hence the title of this book.

If youre anything like me, you probably hate long introductions. Books are meant to be read and enjoyed, not to be pontificated over, endlessly. So, lets get this intro over with.

I am immensely and everlastingly grateful to all the participants herein who submitted their creations to this anthology. Writing, to them, as to me, must surely be a labour of love. This is their book.

And I will be forever indebted to Michael Mirolla and Connie McParland, and to Guernicas editors and staff, who made a book of quality out of a somewhat raw manuscript. And I must thank Susan Ouriou for her invaluable translations from French.

I am grateful, as always, to my patient and loving wife Iris, not only for her primary editing of the text, and all my writing in fact, but for her unflinching forbearance in light of becoming, not so much a golf widow, as a virtual literary widow.

My immeasurable thanks to all involved for making this book possible.

Don Mulcahy

This Too Shall Pass

Rosanna Battigelli

1972: BY THE time Angelo Leone pulled into his parents driveway the snow was coming down thick and wet, bringing with it the promise of freezing rain. During the few months he had been away at the University of Toronto, the memory of winter in his northern Ontario hometown of Copper Cliff had dimmed. Pulling up the collar of his less than adequate leather jacket, he grabbed his holdall from the trunk of the 1970 Volkswagen and hurried toward the back entrance of his house, cursing the weather as he slipped on the walkway. His family was expecting his arrival, although he knew that the delay caused by the snow squalls would have caused his parents, his mother especially, no end of worry.

Christ, its good to be home, Angelo exclaimed, closing the door quickly behind him and brushing the snow off his hair.

Enough with your