The split POV in this was executed really well. It didn't feel repetitive, but it gave little connecting pieces that kept you wondering what would happen when the other found out about something. I also liked that this was a romance but both of the main characters were really fleshed out and had their own struggles, motivations, personalities, and people/things that were important to them. That really added depth and made me care about the characters much more than I do with some historical fiction and romances. I was kind of surprised that the magical realism part didn't play a bigger role, but it was still interesting during the pieces it did show up in.

This kind of reminded me of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, except the pacing in this book felt much smoother. It used the time jumps and split POV to keep things moving which I really appreciated and that definitely made me want to keep reading instead of feeling bogged down.

I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of this book and I am so very grateful for it!

I wasn't sure if I'd like the story since it's historical, but given that it has queer representation, that made up my mind!! I found the narrative so engaging!! Whether it was completely historically accurate was beside the point. The characters were well flushed out and felt like actual real people to me. The whole story felt like I was watching a movie. The love story had this aromantic person's heart beat so fast, longing for Kit and Rebekah to bump into each other again!! My mind remained in this story for days and I'm still having difficulty getting out of it.

This is a 5+ stars read for me, through and through, and I can't wait to receive the physical copy I pre-ordered so I can reread and annotate. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Congratulations on such an outstanding debut novel!!!

The first ~40% made me think this was going to be one of my new favorite books but around that mark the story changed completely (plot-wise and setting-wise). I was disappointed because the strong 5 star potential was gone for me! The middle section of this book has a large war/military focus which I didn’t like and wasn’t interested in. There were also some bizarre writing choices in this section. The last ~25% held my interest but not to the extent of the beginning. I can’t even describe how the first ~1/3 of this book made me feel but I loved it and that is what saves this from being 3 stars. I also loved the queer representation which isn’t often portrayed in historical fiction. In general, it’s not often that I find books with non-binary representation and by trans authors and I’m very pleased that NetGalley sent me an email to inform me of this ARC! I would definitely read more from this author.
Bonus points for the mention of my home city: Fredericton 🎉

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Canada and Loghan Paylor for this ARC ebook. The Cure For Drowning will be published January 30, 2024.

Lyrical and haunting; 'Girl of the Limberlost' meets 'Aimee and Jaguar' in this beautiful and doom-shadowed historical romantic triangle between a Canadian doctor's half-French, half-German daughter and the neighbour's two oldest children, starting in southern Ontario on the cusp of WW2, when anyone with a German name is becoming increasingly suspect.

Rebekah, daughter of the expat German doctor and his French-Canadian wife, is slowly adapting to life in a small town near the shores of Lake Huron after her father's practice in MontreaI was diminished by growing anti-German sentiment. The only people she knows are the neighbouring farm's oldest son, Landon, and his conflicted, misgendered sister Kit, whose parents think she is a changeling.

Apart from the initial near-drowning scene, this novel is deceptively gentle, filled with dappled sunshine and softly rippling meadows. The early, tentative steps towards both relationships are delicately crafted, A real treat to read. although.the looming sense of the three young people on a romantic and sexual collision course soon overshadows even the most sunlight idyll.

I identified with all the major characters in some way or other, from the beset doctor to his melancholic, lonely wife, the bisexual daughter struggling with her conflicting desires for love and for stability, in a world where there isn't a language to express her yearnings, let alone support her in dealing with them. The 'changeling child', Kit, coming out as transsexual in a society even less able to cope with 'women who don't keep their place'.. Maybe not so much with Landon who represents the status quo, the ideal to which Rebekah is expected to aspire by virtually everyone in her world... except Kit.

Fascinated as I was by the well-drawn historical backdrop, the ways in which the characters interacted with their era of societal upheaval. what the novel really stands out for is the growing sense of dread about the eventual emotional destruction that I felt sure was coming, even though the author did not overtly foreshadow it.

This is well worth the read for historical fiction fans, for anyone who wants a step back in time to a period of upheaval in Canadian and World history, and an in-depth look at the delicate processes of coming out as your true self surrounded by a society that will do anything to put you back in the box you were assigned at birth.

CW: LGBTQ+, bigotry, post-combat trauma, immigrant struggles

This is such an original and compelling story. I read the entire second half of the book in one sitting. The changeling/nonbinary narrative was handled thoughtfully within its historical (and magical) contexts, and the main characters in particular were nuanced and well-written.

If I were to nitpick: I didn't get the sense of a long period of time passing in the first part of the book. I mostly only noticed this in contrast to the middle/war sections of the book and because, later on in the book, this time is referred to as if it were several formative years (and I think it was actually just a few months). The very end of the book <spoiler>(from when Landon came back)</spoiler> felt a little forced for the sake of the plot, as well. I completely understand the author's choices with wrapping everything up, but I think I would have been equally satisfied <spoiler>if Landon had stayed AWOL and we just did a little fade-to-black on the farm house with Kit, Rebekah, Adelaide, and Caroline</spoiler>.

There are definitely other queer WWII history novels out there, but I enjoyed the uniqueness of this Canadian take with its magical elements.

From the title itself its hard to tell the theme of the story. Thinking of the characters involved in this historical fiction, I tried to tie up the overall story of Kit, Rebekah and several other characters, which brought a multiple POVs in my opinion kinda lost me in some parts of the story.

The depiction of the changing life of Kit and love story that came in as triangle at first was heartbreaking but the author was able to carry it as an overall package of the story.

Overall an average read for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House of Canada for the ARC.

3.5/5 stars

Here we finally are after a few weeks of deciding how to write this review. For a debut novel by Paylor, i couldn’t ask for a more beautiful mesmerizing story but unfortunately the book just fell short. Don’t get me wrong this novel is definitely still at the top of my 2023 reads with a massive 4 stars.

The world building, beautiful. The characters, surprisingly well written developments. Love story, meh. Multi-POV in a chapter, no thanks. Folklore, unfortunately lacking.

Here we go. Lets start off with the fact that even if this book is fiction Paylor does a wonderful job on the history of Canada and World War II. Not only did he capture a sense of how people used to live but also how Queers /non-binary’s were portrayed by hiding who they are. Kit was named a “she” throwout the novel until around the ending when the author changed her pronounced to “they”, at first i thought nothing to it (only a error) but i came to realize it was intentional. Maybe I wish that Paylor took the opportunity to teach us on why this is important rather then skimming over it, or maybe thats how its supposed to be (do not question and just accept it).

The love triangle annoyed the heck out of me and found it almost unreasonable by the end of the book. I must give credit to the author for how the story ended, beautiful.

Multi-POV in a chapter while not knowing who is talking, nope not for me (i give it a 0 out of 10) let’s move on.

Here is why the book did not achieve 5 stars, the folklore. Unfortunately it just landed short for me like something was missing even if it’s a work of fiction and not fantasy, I was left with so many questions. I feel like the possibilities we’re endless to incorporate the magic especially we’re the cabin came to pass, like excuse me i have so many questions!

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for my free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book from the start. Beautifully written story of love, loss and the things we don't say. My favorite book of the last year. Easy read, I enjoyed the characters. I felt like I was right there with them. I enjoyed reading a Canadian author.

I am always so excited to read a book set in my home country. And a romantic historical fiction, with fantasy/mythical elements and queer rep? Sign me up!

The story follows Rebekah, newly arrived to town, and her friendship with the McNair family, most notably siblings Landon, Kit and Jep. Quick side note - Jep has my whole heart. Told in the alternating POVs of Rebekah and Kit, we watch the characters come of age, go to war, make friends, fight for what they believe in, become parents, and so much more.

The Cure for Drowning is gorgeously written. Flowing, descriptive language that makes the settings come alive. I could visualize the McNair farm, the surrounding country side, because the scenes were so richly detailed. I had a harder time picturing some of the war scenes, especially those from Kit’s POV. It took me a while to get all the names of Kit’s squad straight in my head.

The start of the story is genius. High stakes right from the beginning, and I think it showcased the true love and devotion of a family, and siblings in particular. That all comes full circle at the end, with a satisfying conclusion to a fair bit of sibling rivalry.

I was a little disappointed with the magic/changeling aspect of the book. I love fantasy elements, but I don’t think it was used well here. I want to say it was under-utilized (go big or go home) because it didn’t add much to the story. My other thought is that Kit’s queer identity kind of gets explained away as a byproduct of the accident.

Overall I really enjoyed this debut book by Loghan Paylor, and will look forward to reading the author’s future works. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing the ARC of this book. This review is my honest and voluntary opinion..

The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor is a beautifully written coming-of-age romance and historical fiction novel set in Canada centering non-binary and trans characters spanning the years 1939 to ‘53. Most of the story takes place in the fictional town of Harrichford, a small farming community in Southern Ontario. When Kit McNair was ten, on a walk with her brothers, Landon and Jep, she fell through the ice and drowned. Her Irish Canadian mother is able to save her using Celtic magic but she is never the same. She is reckless, prefers boy’s clothes to dresses, and chafes at farm life. When the family of Dr Kromer, a German doctor, move to town from Montreal, both Kit and Landon fall in love with his daughter, Rebekah. She likes both but it is Kit who wins her heart while her parents encourage a match between her and Landon.

However, as the war approaches and anti-German sentiment grows, the family returns to Montreal and, after a fight with Landon, Kit leaves home. When war starts, Landon joins the navy, Rebekah becomes a signal clerk in Halifax, and Kit joins the Air Force under the name, Christopher. During leave in Halifax, Landon encounters Rebekah and the ensuing night together results in a pregnancy and her forced exit from her job.

After the war, Rebekah, unable to return to her home in Montreal moves in with the McNairs and eventually Kit and Landon also return at least for a while. But again events intervene and again the family is split up. Despite it all, though, the story ends on a satisfactory and happy note.

When I first saw The Cure for Drowning on Netgalley, I’m not sure what attracted me to the story. Although I don’t mind historical fiction, romance is my least favourite genre. Perhaps, in the end, it was the Canadian setting and author. Whatever the reason, I am so glad I did because I can honestly say I loved this book.

There's a lot going on in the story and it could have become overwhelming but it never does.it’s told from varying viewpoints, mainly Rebekah and Kit, and I found both of them very likable. There’s a touch of magical realism in the tale and a story about selkies runs throughout, told by different characters, each changing the story just a little to express their own feelings. The section that takes place during the war was fascinating , especially one section that combined the strafing of Kit’s plane with the pain of childbirth that had my eyes glued to the page and my heart racing.

Paylor has published short stories before but this is their debut novel and what an impressive debut it is. I can’t wait to see what they do in the future. But now I will end this review by repeating I loved this book, even the romance.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

The Cure for Drowning was the final book I read in 2023 and am I ever glad I ended the year with this beautiful novel!

A historical fiction set in WWII era Canada with a touch of magical realism, this LGBT love story is about finding yourself, love, and family in turbulent times and how to survive and ultimately thrive. The story follows Rebekah Kromer, a French-Canadian-German whose family must face the rising anti-German sentiment that preluded the start of WWII and Kit McNair, whose Irish immigrant family holds the magic that saves them after a drowning at age ten, living on a struggling farm in rural southern Ontario.

The novel switches between Kit and Rebekah's POVs as they slowly fall in love and deal with the fallout of WWII, of Kit's older brother's affections for Rebekah, and of Kit's finding themselves over the course of the war.

The prose is gorgeous, I sped through the novel in two sittings. Having grown up in the forests of rural Ontario, I could easily imagine the landscapes and felt like they were lovingly described.

I loved the touch of magical realism as a way for the McNair’s to come to terms (or at least just not be bothered) with Kit’s gender instead of the typical monstrous portrayals that seem to pervade literature/films/real life to demonize trans and non-binary people.

Congrats to Loghan Paylor on this incredible debut! I hope many people read this and feel loved and seen.

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada for the eARC of this beautiful novel in exchange for an honest review

I want to first off thank Penguin Random House Canada for sending this ARC my way. I next have to thank the author for writing a book that got me thinking about Canada during WWII. So many books are in Europe. It was so nice to read from a new perspective. I had no idea about enemy aliens and the stigma around being Canadian but not.

Now to the story. I loved the multiple perspectives allowing the overall story to be so well fleshed out. There's one scene that is so gorgeously written between such an extreme dichotomy of war and new life. Overall, I enjoyed the book and it got me to read further as the authors note suggests. I love when I can enjoy a story and also learn.

Heartbreaking and brilliant.

A deeply moving sapphic/queer love story set against the backdrop of WW2, told from the point-of-view of two Canadians struggling to find a place in the world and finding solace in each other.
The prose in this book was vivid and engrossing and the subject matter was often frustrating and sad. This author has a talent for writing deeply descriptive passage, action and emotion without superfluous language or details.

The magical elements were sprinkled throughout and sometimes I wondered if they were truth, legend or it was an after affect of Kit’s almost drowning as a child. You will have to decide this for yourself, and I haven’t come to any conclusions of my own either. Perhaps Kit is a changeling descended from Selkies and there are fairies in the water, perhaps her oxygen deprived brain and imaginative mother merely convinced themselves of it. Regardless I found it fascinating.

One small note about the ending that I struggled with: it seemed very idealized, with Kit and Rebekah living an almost a heteronormative life, raising Rebekah’s daughter. I want to believe that the glossing over of society’s inevitable push back on this was intentional. After reading some of the marketing and author’s notes, I believe it was. But I was left wondering why Kit never really expressed their feelings on this when in their pov. I finally resigned myself to believing that Kit would present themselves to the world how they wished, abandoning anyone who may have known them differently, in order to find any form of happiness at this time in history. So in that, this likely was the only way Kit and Rebekah could have happiness. But it was left very much open to reader interpretation. So I really had to embrace the ambiguity

Don’t go into this thinking it’s a romance though, it’s not, it’s a story of struggle, survival and finally, hope.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy and congratulations to Loghan Paylor for a brilliant debut novel.

This is Loghan Paylor’s debut novel and I think that they did an exceptional job of capturing the audience. Seeing as Paylor lives in Canada, it was only an expected (by me, at least) that the story takes place in the country, and for the most part, it did. I was overjoyed to read about Toronto and Montreal and its people during the war, but sceptical and slightly disappointed that Paylor chose to invent the town of Harrichford as well as other locations, though this is of course my personal opinion. In fact, they acknowledged that this book is a work of fiction with “shifted” timelines and blurred history in order to not “risk overwhelming the narrative with detail.”

The story follows Rebekah and her friendship with Landon, Kit (born Kathleen) and Jep. It is a love story (see: love triangle) that grows and matures over 20 years, prior to, during and post-WWII. It dives into family dynamics. gender identity, homophobia and transphobia, discrimination, motherhood and more. There is also the concept of magic and Celtic folklore sprinkled throughout.

I did find it a bit long, and at times confusing, especially as I did not truly understand the necessity of the magic / folklore in the story. I just think that it was an unnecessary addition, sadly. Also, I don’t care much for action-filled books, and it got too concentrated on the war towards the middle. Finally, I just wish that I got to know the characters better—it felt like their personalities were not deep enough.

Overall, I enjoyed this historical fiction, queer romance book as it was based in Canada, with characters who are not portrayed enough in literature. I do think that I would read Loghan Paylor’s future work.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Canada for a copy of an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. This is a beautiful novel of WWII and a family’s experiences navigating farm life, love, and the war. In this world, fae are real and a trans non-binary character is more or less accepted as presented (and they/them pronouns are used). Very Canadian and very real-feeling despite the magical elements. (One gripe - Halifax doesn’t have a “bay”, it has a “basin” and looking out from Devil’s Battery at the harbour you would not be looking over the bay/basin. Just sayin.)

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review

I really enjoyed reading a book where being trans is celebrated while being treated as normal. It brings hope to see this warm and loving story brought to life in a Canadian setting. Loved it! Great treatment of history and wonderful characters and plot.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Cure for drowning was a sweet queer romance about growing up and learning how to live as your true self. I really liked both of our main characters, Kit and Rebecka and was rooting for them. A lovely story full of twists and turns with a very satisfying ending.

I rarely pick up historical fiction, especially WW2 settings, so this was for me very refreshing. As a French Canadian myself, I really enjoyed the canadian historical setting and the touch of magic and folklore added.

Overall a very nice debut and I’m looking forward to more from this author!

(Thanks NetGalley and Random House Canada for providing this EArc)

Book review of The Cure For Drowning, by Loghan Paylor.

The novel follows a trajectory and intersection of Kit, her brother Langdon and Rebecca, the doctor’s daughter, from the late 1930s until after the Second World War. Kathleen was drowned when she was 10 years old, only to be revived by her mother, rehabilitated, but was never the same. Kit was anything but girlie and acted and dressed as a tomboy and later a man. The war kept people apart causing untold misfortune for many. Kit was wildly adventurous and at one with the land surrounding the farm.
I loved the story and the characters. The first third of the book is very idilic and nostalgically reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables or Dickinson, a love triangle, separate trajectories during the war, and then a thrilling conclusion.
Toronto, Halifax and other familiar locations were an exciting backdrop that weave throughout the book.
I could not put this book down once I started! A modern classic!
5 out of 5 stars!

What a beautiful, heart wrenching, and unique tale of love & heartbreak and all of the things in between. Loghan's debut novel is an incredible story and I look forward to seeing what else they have in store for their readers in the future.

I really enjoyed this story. Following the lives of Kit and Rebekah made this story what it was. It was beautifully written. I think everyone should read it.