LET EVENING COME
After her mother is killed in a rare Northern Michigan tornado, Sadie Wixom is left with only her father and grandfather to guide her through the pitfalls of young adulthood.
Hundreds of miles away in western Saskatchewan, Stefan Montegrand and his Indigenous family are forced off their land by multinational energy companies and flawed treaties. They are taken in temporarily by Sadie’s aunt, a human rights activist who heads a cultural exchange program.
Stefan, whose own father died in prison while on a hunger strike, promptly runs afoul of local authority, but Sadie, intrigued by him and captivated by his story, has grown sympathetic to his cause and complicit in his pushback against prejudiced accusations.
Their mutual attraction and struggle for equilibrium is stymied when Stefan’s older brother, Joachim, who stayed behind, becomes embroiled in the resistance, and Stefan is compelled to return to Canada. Sadie, concerned for his safety, impulsively follows on a trajectory doomed by cultural misunderstanding and oncoming winter.
Let Evening Come is the love story between the son of an Indigenous family displaced from their ancestral home on the Tar Sands of Canada and a motherless farm girl from Michigan. Together they combat suspicion and bigotry on both sides of the border and the cultural differences that separate them.
Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-963115-52-9
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
After her mother is killed in a rare Northern Michigan tornado, Sadie Wixom is left with only her father and grandfather to guide her through the pitfalls of young adulthood.
Hundreds of miles away in western Saskatchewan, Stefan Montegrand and his Indigenous family are forced off their land by multinational energy companies and flawed treaties. They are taken in temporarily by Sadie’s aunt, a human rights activist who heads a cultural exchange program.
Stefan, whose own father died in prison while on a hunger strike, promptly runs afoul of local authority, but Sadie, intrigued by him and captivated by his story, has grown sympathetic to his cause and complicit in his pushback against prejudiced accusations.
Their mutual attraction and struggle for equilibrium is stymied when Stefan’s older brother, Joachim, who stayed behind, becomes embroiled in the resistance, and Stefan is compelled to return to Canada. Sadie, concerned for his safety, impulsively follows on a trajectory doomed by cultural misunderstanding and oncoming winter.
Let Evening Come is the love story between the son of an Indigenous family displaced from their ancestral home on the Tar Sands of Canada and a motherless farm girl from Michigan. Together they combat suspicion and bigotry on both sides of the border and the cultural differences that separate them.
Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-963115-52-9
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
After her mother is killed in a rare Northern Michigan tornado, Sadie Wixom is left with only her father and grandfather to guide her through the pitfalls of young adulthood.
Hundreds of miles away in western Saskatchewan, Stefan Montegrand and his Indigenous family are forced off their land by multinational energy companies and flawed treaties. They are taken in temporarily by Sadie’s aunt, a human rights activist who heads a cultural exchange program.
Stefan, whose own father died in prison while on a hunger strike, promptly runs afoul of local authority, but Sadie, intrigued by him and captivated by his story, has grown sympathetic to his cause and complicit in his pushback against prejudiced accusations.
Their mutual attraction and struggle for equilibrium is stymied when Stefan’s older brother, Joachim, who stayed behind, becomes embroiled in the resistance, and Stefan is compelled to return to Canada. Sadie, concerned for his safety, impulsively follows on a trajectory doomed by cultural misunderstanding and oncoming winter.
Let Evening Come is the love story between the son of an Indigenous family displaced from their ancestral home on the Tar Sands of Canada and a motherless farm girl from Michigan. Together they combat suspicion and bigotry on both sides of the border and the cultural differences that separate them.
Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-963115-52-9
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
Praise for LET EVENING COME
This book caught me off guard. Say you really like burgers and order them often..often enough that you aren’t really surprised by them anymore they just sort of hit the spot. So one day you order a burger not expecting much outside of being satisfied but find yourself eating a burger so good it’s like you’ve never had one before. That’s this book.
The character development is so skillful. The plot variations thicken and then wane at the exact correct moment. The descriptive prose is beautiful. I read it like I was starving for it and could not put it down, and then was properly sad for at least a day that it was over.Yvonne Osborne could write a book about paint drying and have readers positively glued to it. This was phenomenal story telling from a skillful pen. If you want a treat track down some of her poetry to read!
—Katherine Niemi-Adams
Let Evening Come is a beautifully told novel that keeps surprising, effortlessly transcending genre. What opens as a contemporary coming-of-age tale and budding romance between Sadie Wixom and the new-boy-in-town Stefan Montegrand, quickly expands to address smoldering issues of race and class and modern tensions between Indigenous First Nations and corporate and government pressure. The action and suspense and storytelling are all first-rate and compelling, in a debut novel that rings true in its individual characters and necessary in its deeply-researched social commentary and scope. Let Evening Come is an engrossing fast-paced read, as hard to categorize as it is to put down.
—Reviewed by Dave Essinger, author of Running Out, and Editor, Slippery Elm
Even though the book does have elements of romance, I found it falling more into the literary fiction genre than romance because the social themes resonated more with me. Osborne’s writing is both captivating and poignant, successfully weaving a compelling tale. Overall, “Let Evening Come” is a recommended read for those interested in a moving story that not only provides a window into the complexities of cultural divides but also celebrates the human capacity to overcome adversity.
—Alex's Book Blog
“Let Evening Come” by Yvonne Osborne is a poignant and deeply moving narrative that explores themes of loss, love, cultural conflict, and resilience. Set against the backdrop of rural Michigan and western Saskatchewan, the novel weaves together the lives of Sadie Wixom, a young woman grappling with the loss of her mother, and Stefan Montegrand, an Indigenous young man displaced from his ancestral lands. Their story is one of mutual attraction, shared struggles, and the relentless pursuit of understanding and justice in the face of adversity.
——Reviewed byJeyran Main for REVIEW TALE
"Let Evening Come is penned by author Yvonne Osborne in the literary style and the interpersonal drama and coming-of-age subgenres. Author Yvonne Osborne has crafted a truly emotionally resonant novel that delves into themes of loss, displacement, and cultural conflict. The up-close and detailed portrayal of Sadie and Stefan's budding romance against the backdrop of their respective struggles was both captivating and poignant. I loved the way their unique dialogue was presented and readers will feel the dynamics between the lines. The exploration of cultural misunderstanding and the challenges faced by Indigenous communities was an incredibly poignant touch that is really focused on and never used as a gimmick, fostering genuine empathy and understanding. As the characters navigated adversity and sought connection across borders, I found myself deeply invested in their journey, rooting for their love to transcend the obstacles in their path. Overall, Let Evening Come is a recommended read and a compelling tale of love, resilience, and the human capacity to overcome adversity amidst cultural divides."
—Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite
Let Evening Come can be described as a coming-of-age story but it’s far more layered and intricate than that. Although the burgeoning romance between Sadie and Stefan is at its nucleus and Osborne pitches their exchanges perfectly; nuanced, slow-burning, and softly sensual, she uses the complications of their relationship to foreground issues including displacement, colonialism, and racism. And, from these wider, societal themes, she explores the personal challenges of identity, grief, and resilience in the face of adversity. It sounds a little complex but it isn’t. Osborne’s wonderfully textured prose, measured tone, and lightness of touch ensure Let Evening Come is a captivating and thought-provoking read that flows with easy fluidity.
—Rose Auburn
About YVONNE OSBORNE
Yvonne Osborne is a 5th generation Michigander who grew up on the family farm under the tutelage of a grandmother who loved Shakespeare before Shakespeare was cool. After college and a stint in the Buckeye State, she and her husband moved back to the farm founded by her great-great-grandfather. Her poetry and short stories can be found in The Slippery Elm Literary Journal, Flapper Press, Third Coast Review, Full of Crow, Midwest Review, Great Lakes Review, and in various anthologies. Let Evening Come is her debut novel. For more, visit her at yvonneosborne.com
