Uncommon Sons
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Description
Author(s)
Bruce W. Bishop
Related Titles
| Publisher | Bruce Bishop Publishing |
| Publication | Jun 15, 2021 |
| Format | Paperback/Softback |
| ISBN | 978-1777414139 |
| Pages | 318 |
| Age | 18 - 99 |
| Price | $14.50 |
Uncommon Sons
A Families Storytelling Novel: A Halifax Mystery
1935. Nova Scotia, Canada.
For fans of Jessica Fellowes and her Mitford Murders mysteries, Uncommon Sons is an interwar Halifax (Nova Scotia) tale that explores identity, love, and class against the backdrop of a grand harborside hotel.
After two guests are found dead in the tony railway hotel in Halifax where Marc Youssef works, his job is compromised, and his personal life is vulnerable to exposure. One of the suspects in the possible murder investigation just happens to be Marc's clandestine and married love interest.
Marc wrestles with his commitment to his strict Lebanese upbringing while hiding his sexuality from everyone, except journalist Eva McMaster, his best friend. She is determined to help him find out what really happened. The two become unlikely sleuths in this bizarre incident that becomes the talk of the east coast city.
Uncommon Sons is a fascinating tale of sexual identity, systemic racism, familial obligations, workplace pressures, and the bonds of love and friendship prior to World War II.
Interlinked to Bishop's debut novel, Unconventional Daughters, this page-turner further explores what happens when adults are not what and who they are expected to be.
The third book in the 'Families' Storytelling' trilogy, Undeniable Relations, is also available.
Unlike most interwar mysteries set in London and New York, Uncommon Sons brings Depression-era Halifax to life through the eyes of a closeted Lebanese-Canadian hotel dining room manager.
Rated 4.6 on Amazon; 4.1 on Goodreads
PRAISE FOR UNCOMMON SONS
“...an exploration of identity and prejudice, of the tension between old ways and new. ... Mr. Bishop handles these difficult issues deftly and with sensitivity, as his main characters Marc and Eva seek to find their own way through the discrimination that surrounds them in their quest for a more tolerant world.”
– Riana Everly, author of The Assistant and Through a Different Lens
“An intriguing mystery, great characters, and a lesser known facet of Canadian history combine to make Uncommon Sons a compelling read!”
– Linda Bennett Pennell, author of Miami Days Havana Nights
Reviews, Awards & Endorsements
Bruce Bishop was asked to submit an article about life in Canada during the Great Depression following the release of his novel, Uncommon Sons.
An interview with New Jersey-based writer, author & podcaster Mark McNease on topics related to historical fiction
Author
Bruce W. Bishop
I was born and raised in a small town in eastern Canada. From a young age, I dreamt of seeing the world, but as I'm more of an introvert than extrovert, I'm not sure how I somehow managed to carve out a freelance career as a travel journalist and guidebook author for over a decade.
Novel writing was initially a novelty that began in 2020 during the pandemic lockdown. I enjoyed the exercise so much that I wrote two follow-up books.
The fictitious characters in my novels are ordinary and somewhat forgotten souls in history who are faced with extraordinary options and decisions to make. What happens when adults are not what and who they are expected to be?
Unconventional Daughters (2020) was followed by Uncommon Sons (2021) and Undeniable Relations (2022), and the three are interlinked. They are set in the early to mid-20th century primarily in Nova Scotia, Canada. They can be read on their own, and not necessarily in any order.
Grow up, Rory Rafferty (2024), a coming-of-age dramedy that takes place in Toronto, Canada, in 1979-80 may be the first in another trilogy. Its follow-up, Stephanie Makes a Scene, is also a standalone novella, and was published in mid-April 2026.