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1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

THE GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOKS OF 2021

CBC BOOKS THE BEST CANADIAN FICTION OF 2021

A fresh take on the romance novel from the Giller Prize–winning author of Fifteen Dogs

From their first meeting, it was clear that Gwen and Tancred were meant to be together. But, as we know, the course of true love never did run smooth.

Gwen's mother, intuiting that her daughter is in love, gives her a magic ring that has been passed down through endless generations of mothers and daughters. This ring grants its wearer the opportunity to change three things about her beloved. Like all blessings, this may also be a curse.

Ring turns the literary romance upside down and shakes out its pockets. It's a playful meditation on the past, on magic, on race, on honour, on faith, and, yes, on love.

Following on the heels of Pastoral, Fifteen Dogs, The Hidden Keys, and Days by Moonlight, Ring completes Alexis's Quincunx, a group of five genre-bending, philosophically sophisticated, and utterly delightful novels.


"A great novel doesn't try to answer questions, but, like Days by Moonlight, complicates them. " —The Globe and Mail on Days by Moonlight

"This imaginative travelogue will amuse readers even as it raises weightier issues. " —Publishers Weekly on Days by Moonlight

"I'm far from being a dog person, but as a book person I loved this smart, exuberant fantasy from start to finish. " —The Guardian on Fifteen Dogs

"A clever exploration of our essence, communication, and how our societies are organized. " —Kirkus Reviews on Fifteen Dogs

"Ring raises questions about love, marriage, fidelity, and the divine." Canadian Writers Abroad

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 30, 2021
      Scotiabank Giller Prize winner Alexis (Days by Moonlight) completes his loosely connected Quincunx Cycle with this intriguing and magical love story. Gwen Lloyd, 29, a mixed-race Welsh and Black research associate, meets Olivier at a fundraiser for the Toronto Symphony. Their first date fizzles, but Gwen feels a strong attraction to his friend Tancred Palmieri, and continues seeing Olivier to get to know Tancred. While Gwen visits her parents back home in Bright’s Grove, her mother presents her with an unusual gift: a set of books and a gold ring passed down from mother to daughter in their family for centuries. The ring, her mother claims, will grant Gwen three wishes, but each will demand compensation and a sacrifice. Skeptical at first, Gwen tests the ring by wishing for Tancred to recite a foreign phrase. When he does, she enters a “dreamlike” state and observes herself mutilating her own finger as payment, and tries to glean as much wisdom from the writings about her foremothers on what to wish for while still grappling with the surreal nature of the heirloom. Alexis churns up a consistent supply of wry, pithy lines (“People fall out of respect as easily as they fall out of love”) while maintaining the tension between the threat and hope that the ring offers. This pleasantly unusual outing will please fans of Alain de Botton.

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  • English

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