Once Removed (novel)
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| Author | Andrew Unger |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Published | 2020 (Turnstone Press) |
| Publication place | Canada |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| Pages | 272 pp (first edition) |
Once Removed is a novel by Canadian author Andrew Unger published in 2020.[1] Published by Turnstone Press, the book is a satire set in the fictional town of Edenfeld, Manitoba and tells the story of Timothy Heppner, a ghostwriter trying to preserve the history of his small Mennonite town.[2]
At the beginning of the novel, Timothy Heppner is working for the town's Parks and Recreation Department, removing trees and destroying historic buildings to make room for strip malls. He also sidelines as a ghostwriter writing family history and genealogy books for locals, but finds he is losing clients. Eventually, he is tasked with writing a thorough and true history of the town and, along with his wife Katie and the town's Preservation Society, he attempts to preserve the house of a famous local writer Elsie Dyck, who's been cast out of town for writing negatively about it. In the process, he comes into conflict with the town's mayor who is set on gentrification and boosterism.