Hold Fast

Hold Fast

by Kevin Major

            Michael had the perfect life. At 14 years old, he lived in the small fishing town of Marten in Newfoundland. He knew his friends his entire life and everyone enjoyed similar activities such as playing in the forests or fishing in the ocean. His grandfather, also his mentor, lived a few streets away. Michael also had a younger brother, Brent, who he loved dearly, but would never admit that. He did well in school and liked all of his teachers. But all of that changed suddenly when a drunk driver killed both of his parents. Kevin Major’s brilliant novel Hold Fast explores the coming of age story of a young boy that is forced to become a man overnight after the senseless death of his parents.

After the funeral Michael goes into self-preservation mode, making sure to protect not only himself but Brent as well. Michael hopes that he can stay with his brother and his friends in Marten. He quickly learns, however, that he will have to move to the neighbouring city of St. Albert’s to live with family members who never really got along with his parents.  Even worse, he has to share a room with his strange cousin, Curtis, with whom he shares very little in common.

                When Michael starts school in September he quickly finds himself ostracized because of his background and the way he speaks (slang from Marten). His new classmates tease him relentlessly about his poor upbringing in Marten, purposely pushing all of Michael’s buttons. In addition to problems with his classmates, Michael also struggles to live peacefully with his Uncle Ted who imposes extremely strict rules on Michael and Curtis. The tyranny of Uncle Ted brings Michael and Curtis closer together and they begin to form a close friendship. And there is a pretty girl at the new school that shows an interest in dating Michael…

However, the stress of his parents’ death, the boys’ teasing and Uncle Ted’s harsh regulations finally get to Michael and he begins to fight against those who stand as threats to his pride in himself and his way of life. What are the consequences of these fights? Can Curtis and Michael escape Uncle Ted’s oppressive methods? Will Michael ever return home to Marten to be with his brother and grandfather?

The author of Hold Fast, Kevin Major, was born and raised in Newfoundland. He was an elementary school teacher when he was disappointed in the lack of materials in the English curriculum that reflected the culture of his province. The result was the editing of Doryloads, an anthology of Newfoundland writing. He initially wrote poems and short stories before moving on to novels for young adults. All of his novels integrate the culture of Canada, particularly Newfoundland, in some aspect. Major has written many books including No Man’s Land, The House of Wooden Santas, Gaffer and Ann and Seamus.  His novel, Hold Fast, was an instant Canadian classic and received many awards including the Governor General's Award. A panel of experts from across Canada named it the country's second-best children's book of all time (second only to Anne of Green Gables).