A Newfoundlander in Canada

Always Going Somewhere, Always Coming Home

By: Alan Doyle

Narrated by: Alan Doyle

Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Following the fantastic success of his best-selling memoir, Where I Belong, Great Big Sea front man Alan Doyle returns with a hilarious, heartwarming account of leaving Newfoundland and discovering Canada for the first time.

Armed with the same personable, candid style found in his first book, Alan Doyle turns his perspective outward from Petty Harbour toward mainland Canada, reflecting on what it was like to venture away from the comforts of home and the familiarity of the island.

Often in a van, sometimes in a bus, occasionally in a car with broken wipers "using Bob's belt and a rope found by Paddy's Pond" to pull them back and forth, Alan and his bandmates charted new territory, and he constantly measured what he saw of the vast country against what his forefathers once called the Daemon Canada. In a period punctuated by triumphant leaps forward for the band, deflating steps backward, and everything in between - opening for Barney the Dinosaur at an outdoor music festival, being propositioned at a gas station mail-order bride service in Alberta, drinking moonshine with an elderly churchgoer on a Sunday morning in PEI - Alan's few established notions about Canada were often debunked, and his own identity as a Newfoundlander was constantly challenged. Touring the country, he also discovered how others view Newfoundlanders and how skewed these images can sometimes be. Asked to play in front of the queen at a massive Canada Day festival on Parliament Hill, the concert organizers assured Alan and his bandmates that the best way to showcase Newfoundland culture was for them to be towed onto stage in a dory and introduced not as Newfoundlanders but as "Newfies". The boys were not amused.

Heartfelt, funny, and always insightful, these stories tap in to the complexities of community and Canadianness, forming the portrait of a young man from a tiny fishing village trying to define and hold on to his sense of home while navigating a vast and diverse and wonder-filled country.

©2017 Alan Doyle (P)2017 Penguin Random House Canada

Doyle's story-telling skills are remarkable

Any additional comments?

This is as wonderful to listen to--in Doyle's wonderful, rambling voice--as his first book, Boy on the Bridge. Those who read the book rather than choose the audible version, are missing fully half the charm, humor and mischief. It's especially true when he breaks into song, accent or impression. Easily one of my top three audiobooks, after 120 monthly audible deliveries.
I can only hope he's working on a third. Perhaps a down East mystery caper?

Does Newfoundland proud

Made me proud to be a Newfoundlander. Alan writes as well as he sings.
Looking forward to his second book, which I'm starting now.

what a you at?

Loved hearing Alan's story in his own voice and actually laughed out loud in several places.

Loved everything about this!

LOVED this memoir of a natural born story teller on the road with his band discovering his country for the first time. The stories were hilarious, honest, warm, insightful and make me want to meet every person and see every site he described along his way. And nothing beats hearing him read it himself!

Fantastic

A fantastic listen from beginning to end. Add it to your collection and you will not be disappointed!

Thank you Mr Doyle

As a Canuck far from home, I love to find stories by other ordinary Canadians (despite their celebrity) about life in our great nation of the North. Mr Doyle’s stories provided many smiles and laughs these last couple days. Thank you kind Sir!

never better

wicked, touching, and simply honest. Alan makes you want to explore Canada. But at the same time know that home is always the best. thank you for sharing your story, Alan, please write more.

A wicked blend of “cheeks and tongue” served up with tongue in cheek

Alan Doyle does a fine job of sharing the hard knock life of making it as a Canadian artist. This book could very well be the Canadiana love child of Jack Kerouac and Gordon Pinsent.

One of the best 10 books I read in 2017! Wicked.

As an Australian I wasn't familiar with Doyle's music, I stumbled onto the author via a random and then fanatical viewing of "Republic of Doyle". I dug into the incredibly talented cast including supporting actors (which included Doyle) and I'm happy I did.

The book is touching yet funny, deep yet maintains its momentum - one of the best 10 books I read in 2018. And the audio book had me speaking like a Newfoundlander for weeks in my own head.

For months at work I'd find myself laughing about stories from "A Newfoundlander in Canada" and saying 'yes b'y, 'wicked', 'deadly', 'whatta yat?' and 'best kind' ... I felt like I was let into a very special (and funny) Club, and my host was sir Alan Doyle.

Absolutely a must for Canadian pride

I am so glad we listened to this over reading it. You feel completely immersed in Alan’s life. He is a fabulous story teller.