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Discussion Questions
- Harriet Beecher Stowe’s idea that Niagara Falls possessed the power to lure those who gazed at it too long into throwing themselves from the brink was once quite widely held. And as Tom says in The Day the Falls Stood Still, people once did reference the falls using phrases like “awful grandeur” and “frightful beauty.” In fact, the book’s epigraph from 1885 uses “awful symbol of Infinite Power, in whose dread presence we stand” to invoke Niagara Falls. Whether or not you’ve been, you likely have some idea of Niagara Falls. Has our perception of it changed over time? Will you look at Niagara Falls differently after having read The Day the Falls Stood Still? Does having read it make you want to visit Niagara Falls?
- Bess finds herself angry with Tom after the ice bridge rescue, and then lashes out at him after the scow rescue. Is her anger warranted? Is it a shortcoming of hers that she cannot buy into some notion of Tom being guided on the river?
- Bess loses her faith in God midway through the book, and Tom comes home from the war a broken man. What parallels are there, if any?
- At one point, Bess dreams she is unable to lift the caul that is suffocating Jesse (p. 205) What stirs up such a dream? Is it prescient?
- What does Bess learn from her mother?
- Kit once says to Bess, “You’re getting more and more like Isabel” (p. 274). What does Kit mean? Is she right?
- Why is it that Tom is able to predict the whims of the Niagara River? Intuition? Second sight? Keener perception than most? Fergus whispering in his ear? What would Bess say? Would her explanation change over the course of the book? What would Tom say?
- Just before abandoning the rope tethered to Jesse and plunging into the whirlpool, Tom says, “Believe in me, Bess” (p. 289). What does he mean? Does he know how the events of the day will unfold?
- Bess wonders if she would have blamed Tom had he not gone in after Jesse. She asks herself, “Had Tom imagined what afterward would have been like and seen what I did? Had it edged him closer to the whirlpool?” (p. 295) How valid is Bess’s guilt?
- Was the outcome of the story predestined? Are there steps Bess and/or Tom could have taken to improve the odds of a different ending?
- Do you think Bess will ever again see prayers rising in the mist? What leads you to believe this?
- Do you think Isabel goes to the falls with intent? Or is she seized by a sudden impulse at the brink of the falls?
- How might Isabel have fared had she chosen a different route? What might life have been like for her as a laundress at the Victor Home for Women in Toronto? What character traits might she have tapped into?
- What sort of life do you imagine for Jesse? Will he feel Tom’s guiding hand? Be racked with guilt? Will he be Niagara’s next great riverman?
- What do you think about Fergus’s story being revealed to the reader through newspaper articles? How else could his story have been told? Would it have been as effective?
- Given what we now know about the carbon dioxide emissions and pollution caused by coal-mining and -burning, would Tom feel differently about the diversion of water for hydroelectricity today?
- Hydroelectricity has a reputation as clean energy. How warranted is the reputation?
- In The Day the Falls Stood Still, true to history, Sir Adam Beck’s Hydro-Electric Power Commission uses the Hydro Circus, the Hydro Lamp magazine, Hydro stores, advertisements, and floats in parades to up the demand for electricity. How responsible are the power companies for creating today’s consumer society? How has their role changed?
- In a letter home to Bess, Tom describes the Niagara River on occasions when unusual weather had restricted the river’s flow. He goes on to say, “The Niagara wasn’t all that different from any other river in the world, definitely not something that would cause a man walking by to stop, and maybe fill with wonder for a bit and be lifted up from the drudgery of his day” (p. 169). How valid is the awe that Tom describes as a reason to preserve nature?
- Are you recommending The Day the Falls Stood Still to friends? Why, or why not?
About Cathy Marie Buchanan
CATHY MARIE BUCHANAN’s debut novel, The Day the Falls Stood Still, is a Barnes & Noble Recommends Selection, a Barnes & Noble Best of 2009 book, and a New York Times best seller. Her stories have appeared in many of Canada’s most respected literary journals. She holds a BSc (Honours Biochemistry) and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario. Born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario, she now resides in Toronto.
Unofficial Bio
Ruth Buchanan
Al Buchanan
Parents first
My mother was raised on a farm in Burford, Ontario, and, despite parents who felt the university crowd was fast, she went to university, spent her summers waiting on tables clear across the country at Jasper Park Lodge, travelled alone to Europe, and married a fellow born and bred in the Dominican Republic, my father. Their courtship began in Toronto when one of my mother’s roommates and one of my father’s roommates arranged a sort of group blind date. According to family lore, my mother was only halfway down the staircase when my father, huddling in the entrance way with his pals, pointed at her and quite prophetically said, “That one’s mine.” They moved to Niagara Falls in 1962 (where both sets of my grandparents honeymooned) and got down to the business of starting a family.
Childhood
Me at 5 - Loved that mouse pin
Me
I am the second of five children, eldest daughter, almost Irish twin to the sister next in line. There was lots of squabbling growing up, plenty of me and my almost Irish twin rolling around, scratching and pulling hair. There was plenty of closeness, too, especially with the seven of us squeezing into a VW beetle Sunday mornings as we set out for church. Eventually there was a VW camper van, but that didn’t mean we got to spread out. With my father being a teacher and my mother a stay-at-home mom, we crammed into that camper van for two months every summer, accomplishing feats like driving from Niagara Falls to Belize and back, and camping in Mexico along the way. Not convinced it was a feat? Consider that it was 1973, that Mexico was not yet set up for tourism, that my youngest sister was still in diapers, and that the disposable sort were not available in Mexico.
Interactive Map
Here’s your chance to learn more about The Day the Falls Stood Still landmarks. Click on a landmark on the map.
Cathy’s Niagara Falls Top 10
Cool stuff to do in Niagara Falls. Most of it is free, and plenty of it’s good for you!
+ Read more
Praise
“What a wordsmith! What a work of depth and breadth! What a world newcomer Cathy Marie Buchanan brings to propulsively glittering and gorgeous life in The Day the Falls Stood Still. Few first novels exhibit the mastery, maturity and majesty of Buchanan’s riveting fictional debut, a heart-wrenching, soul-racking, spell-binding tale interwoven with guts, anguish and glory guaranteed to remain in readers’ minds long after they’ve crossed its devastating finish line.”
− The Globe and Mail
“[The Day the Falls Stood Still] stands on its own elegant prose and the vibrant voice of its narrator.”
− USA Today
“This assured Ontario Gothic story deserves to take its place beside the best novels of the First World War.”
− National Post
“Buchanan weaves Niagara Falls’ history and her storytelling together masterfully.”
− Elle
“An ambitious, sweeping love story…. Put on your late-summer To Do List for sure.”
“The writing here is subtle and luminous.”
− Buffalo News
“Buchanan combines storytelling with reportage of a legendary riverman creating a story as mesmerizing as staring at the river as it plunges over the falls.”
− Publishers Weekly
“I grew up in this area and I know every whirlpool that is described. Buchanan is right-on in her description and the lore.”
─ Catherine Gildiner, acclaimed author of the bestselling memoir Too Close to the Falls
“Historical fiction readers will appreciate the excellent period detail, especially the depiction of the era’s social mores, and the romance between Bess and Tom is also a high point.”
─ Library Journal
“It is a novel to savor.”
─ Historical Novel Society
“Buchanan’s prose is elegant.”
─ Kirkus Reviews
News
The Day the Falls Stood Still is a Canada Also Reads finalist! The winner will be decided by a public vote. Cast your ballot here. Read author Tish Cohen’s gorgeous defence of The Day the Falls Stood Still here.
I’m skyping into book clubs. To arrange for me to skype or call into your book club contact me here.
Best of 2009 Lists
Barnes & Noble ~ Best Book Club Selection as per the bloggers ~ Dallas Literature Examiner ~ Back to Books ~ Book Gazing ~ Dewey Divas and the Dudes ~ Historical Novels ~ Historical Tapestry ~ The Indextrious Reader ~ Jo-Jo Loves to Read ~ Lavender Lines ~ Reading, Writing and Retirement ~ Savvy Wit and Verse
Serendipitous Readings ~ The Written World
I’ve become a founding member of Friends of Niagara Falls, a non-profit organization working to preserve the environment and natural beauty of Niagara Falls. Just now we are focused on stopping the high-rise development planned for the green space of Loretto Academy, located atop the bluff adjacent to the Horseshoe Falls. Sign our petition here.
The Globe and Mail calls The Day the Falls Stood Still an “uncompromising tour-de-fierce in its dazzling brilliance”.
USA Today says The Day the Falls Stood Still captures the spirit of Niagara.
Big News! The Day the Falls Stood Still is a Barnes & Noble Recommends selection.
The Day the Falls Stood Still debuts at #31 on The New York Times best sellers list.
National Post calls The Day the Falls Stood Still an extraordinarily assurred first novel.
Elle includes The Day the Falls Stood Still in its September Readers’ Picks.
The Day the Fall Stood Still is an Indie Next pick.
Zoomer! selects The Day the Falls Stood Still as “Required Reading.” October issue, page 127.v
Elle Canada includes The Day the Falls Stood Still in its “Top 3 Books.” September issue, page 84.v
Buffalo’s Talking Leaves Books gives The Day the Falls Stood Still a nod in Publishers’ Weekly.
The Day the Falls Stood Still is a Historical Novels Society Editors’ Choice Title.
Have a listen to audio version of The Day the Falls Stood Still. Available from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Tantor Audio.
Thumbs up for The Day the Falls Stood Still from the Library Journal.
Cathy interviews Edith Hill Powell, William “Red” Hill’s only surviving child.
My Powell’s Books essay on the Vulnerability of Niagara Falls.
A story about The Day the Falls Stood Still in my hometown newspaper, The Niagara Falls Review.
Pondering the Title
My Savvy Reader post on the significance of The Day the Falls Stood Still’s title.
How to be a Writer
My Globe and Mail essay on getting to the writing life via poor spelling, the science lab, and a stint at IBM.
National Post forecasts The Day the Falls Stood Still as a bestseller.
Vancouver Sun includes me in “Patriots You’ll Soon Love.”
Buffalo News includes The Day the Falls Stood Still in its “Beach Bag Books” picks.
Events Through Spring 2010
| January 18 & 19, 7 – 9 pm | Sarnia, ON | Words and Wine with The Book Keeper and the LCBO, LCBO, 1330 Exmouth St. For ticket information visit LCBO Lifestyle Events. |
| February 2, 7:30 pm | St. Catharines, ON | Book talk and reading with Catherine Gildiner, author of Too Close to the Falls, After the Falls, St. Catharines Public Library, Central Library, 54 Church St. |
| February 11, 6 pm | Toronto, ON | Book Lover’s Ball in support of the Toronto Public Library, Fairmont Royal York, 100 Front St. W. For information visit The Book Lover’s Ball. |
| February 14, 2-3:30 pm | Eagle, WI | Book talk and reading at the Alice Baker Library, 820 E. Main St. For more information visit the Alice Baker Blog. |
| February 17, 7 – 9 pm | Burlington, ON | Book talk and reading at Burlington Public Library, Centennial Hall, Central Library, 2331 New St. |
| February 18, 7 pm | Peterborough, ON | Book talk and reading at Titles, 379 George St North |
| February 23, 7:30 pm | Milton, ON | Book talk and signing at St. Paul’s United Church, 123 Main Street East. This is a St. Paul’s United Church community outreach program and all are welcome. |
| April 12, 7:30 pm | Beamsville, ON | Book talk and reading in conjunction with the Lincoln Public Library, Lincoln Centre, 4361 Central Avenue |
| April 21, 7 pm | Toronto, ON | Book talk and reading at Beaches Branch of Toronto Public Library, 2161 Queen St. East |
| May 19, 2 pm | Fonthill, ON | Book talk and reading at Pelham Public Library, 43 Pelham Town Square |
| May 19, 7 pm | Ridgeway, ON | Book talk and reading at Fort Erie Public Library, Crystal Ridge Branch, 89 Ridge Road |
| June 9, 7 pm | Toronto, ON | Book talk and reading at Riverdale Branch of Toronto Public Library, 370 Broadview Ave. |