Tide Road

"A stark and beautiful story." — Quill & Quire

"With a perfect sense of timing, Compton paces the story and the unveiling of memories in a way that keeps readers interested. Her prose is delightful and evocative." — Rover

"A brilliant debut novel, Tide Road demands the reader's attention. What makes it so strong isn't only the exceptional quality of the writing (virtually every page is punctuated with memorable lines), but the insight into why women stay in abusive relationships, how memory and loss of identity work against them and how desperate they become to leave." — Telegraph Journal

"Valerie Compton is the antidote to wilful amnesia, an astonishingly assured new voice delivering the truth with a fierce economy. Read her and remember." — Richard Cumyn

"A supple and complex meditation on how we grapple with the unknown. The sensual vitality of Valerie Compton's prose calls to mind the writings of Lisa Moore or E. Annie Proulx." — Catherine Bush

Born and raised in Prince Edward Island, Valerie Compton now lives in Halifax, where she writes and teaches fiction writing. Her stories have appeared in numerous publications, including the New Quarterly, the Malahat Review, and Riddle Fence. Her articles have appeared in the Globe and Mail, the National Post, Gourmet Magazine, the Ottawa Citizen, and Quill & Quire.

Shortlisted: Thomas Head Raddall Award