It is a village of sorts with no streets, or electricity, or running water. The way in and out is by boat and that only when the icy bay thaws and flows with summer’s heat. Three or four spindly black
spruce shelters stand next to one another and daylight and salt air seep through the cracks. Every morning the chinks are re-stuffed with moss that has blown away in the night. The sod roofs provide surprising warmth and protection against the persistent wind of the Atlantic. There is the thick odour of urine in the air from the sheep that are kept hemmed in by a twisted twig fence and shelter in a similar structure to the folks who live here on what the sea and land provides.
This is Random Passage. Author Bernice Morgan weaves a tale that captures early settlement life as it takes place in an outpost on the island’s rocky shores.
The novel is internationally acclaimed and has been made into a TV mini-series. Every child who has gone through the Newfoundland school system in the past 8 years knows the story well. Trinity Bight is just north of St. John’s and home to 12 small coastal communities; one such community is Bonaventure and host to the set used in the film. We visited there, enjoyed our lively tour guide and his storytelling as well as the stunning scenery. The novel itself is rich in history, language, and intrigue, just the thing if one wants to truly immerse oneself in old Newfoundland. I picked up a copy and cannot put it down.
As random passages go, we began our journey west today.
