The Brink of Something Beautiful: A Novel

Bobbi French
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The Brink of Something Beautiful: A Novel

Bobbi French
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Overview

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"This book is an anthem of women: women in strength, women in crisis, women in grief, women in love and most powerfully, women in solidarity with each other. Beautiful, thoughtful, layered. Brava, Bobbi French!" —Virginia Evans, author of The Correspondent

"We meet Ruby Nolan on the day of her husband ’s funeral. What unfolds in this beautifully rendered novel is a portrait of a complicated woman caught between grief and freedom, duty and desire. Bobbi French understands the human heart." —Betsy Lerner, author of Shred Sisters

"This is not a story of heroines or saints, but of women as they truly are: flawed, funny, tender and tough. Between laughter and loss, between what's said and swallowed, French finds the extraordinary in the ordinary. This book is a triumph of resilience and realism, and a necessary reminder of how remarkable the power every 'ordinary' woman has." —Georgia Toews, author of Nobody Asked for This

"In Bobbi French’s second novel, women face complicated choices and their often catastrophic consequences. The Brink of Something Beautiful is a heart-wrenching, yet heartwarming, ode to the brave women who battle stormy waters and find ways to make it safely to the other side. French’s trademark powerful, lyrical storytelling is at play once again." —Jane Doucet, author of Lost & Found in Lunenburg

"Intimate and tender, full of found family, hope, and brave and broken women who stand up for themselves and others with love, laughter and not a small amount of daring. Bobbi French doesn't shy away from the heartbreaking realities of life, while reminding us of the power of connection. This book is a joy." —Charlene Carr, author of We Rip the World Apart

"A massively tender, heart-pounding take on family, gender-based violence, and the messiness of love . . . and how even the smallest kindnesses can cause people to step away from the brink toward something beautiful . . . . Clear-eyed, honest, unsentimental, and wise, this will be the best book you read this year." —Lisa Moore, author of This Is How We Love

Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 5 reviews.

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Reviews

Another rich tapestry of character and insight

"The way Bobbi French builds her characters, weaving beautiful storytelling with threads of gravitas, laugh-out-loud turns of phrase, sneak-up-on-you tears, while using deceptively simple and relatable language is astounding. I thought the perfection of "The Good Women of Safe Harbour" was perhaps unlikely to be matched. . . Bobbi proved me wrong. Beautiful."

Neil (5/5)

Loved this story!

"A story about women of different ages supporting and loving each other, in times of grief and hardship. Heavy and also hilarious at times, I loved it the whole way through."

Jen (5/5)

Read this book immediately.

"Read this book immediately. It is profoundly beautiful. Bobbi French has done it again!"

JudiNS (5/5)

This one will stay with you

"So much to love: Setting (Newfoundland), story (relatable women lifting each other up/second chance/found family), beautiful writing and an emotional ending. All the stars for this book!"

Jenn77 (5/5)

Found family in strong setting

"An absolute masterpiece of character, place and time, with classic Newfoundland ""what-li'l-old-me"" understatement on every page. Ruby escaped her difficult home by marrying Joe, who she liked enough to fuck but not necessarily enough to marry, but there you have it. They rub along over the years until death releases him from chronic pain. Who's the waif at his funeral? Just Maxine, aged out of foster care with minimal expectations for life. She explains to Ruby that Mr. Joe, the prison guard, was nicer to her than anyone when her mentally ill mother took her to visit her father. Ruby is touched, and sees a path to make sense of the hard knock life by being a surrogate mother to Maxine. But Maine's horrible partner has some opinions about that. The plot is excellent but it's the word perfect writing that will have you, as my bookstafriend @readerbythewater says, finding more places to clean in your house just to keep listening. This one will be a strong contender for prizes and should definitely be on Canada Reads. I listened to the audiobook. Dawn Harvey does amazing working-class/ under-class narration, though I wish it was in a true NL accent. Hope Bobbi French comes to my town and gives a reading. Comps are About A Boy, featuring a man who doesn't realize he needs his found family until he's at their whacked-out Xmas; SNAP by Susin Nielsen about an intergenerational crew at anger management training -- so much found fam (so good!), and Elizabeth Strout for literary rendering of life reckoning. Thanks to the author, publisher Harper Collins Canada and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review."

Linda M. (5/5)

Q&A

  • Published date: Apr 21, 2026
  • Language: English
  • No. of Pages: 304
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
  • ISBN: 9781443474375
  • Dimensions: 6.0" W x 0.76" L x 9.0" H

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