Tag: #Faustian Bargain

John Alexander MacNeil, aka John Alex, lives in a remote, rundown farmhouse in Nowhere, Cape Breton, an arduous yet idyllic setting. Add a cast of quirky Cape Bretoners and a dance with Death, and you have the makings of a potent Down-East tale with a Faustian bent.

The novel opens with John Alex dying and coming back to life, whereupon he meets Death, whose form resembles that of a local doctor. Being a feisty ninety-year-old, John Alex tells Death to take a hike. He goes on to spurn Death a few times. The man may need to pee constantly, but his blood doesn’t carry a dram of fear. His ancestors were Scottish Highlanders who had nothing to lose.

When Death tries to make a deal with John Alex, saying he’ll spare the old man and instead take someone from his circle, John Alex gives Death the metaphorical finger. JA is not a man for Faustian bargains. But neither is he a typical hero. His knees creak, he loves to nap. As he says, “Anyone would think that by the time you hit ninety, you would have some things figured out. That you might look back on your life and see the sense to it. That you might have a kind of wisdom garnered by years of experience …. But that was certainly not my case.” Regardless, JA is utterly determined. He’s not ready to die. He has people to help.