“What a wordsmith! What a work of depth and breadth! What a world newcomer Cathy Marie Buchanan brings to propulsively glittering and gorgeous life in The Day the Falls Stood Still. Few first novels exhibit the mastery, maturity and majesty of Buchanan’s riveting fictional debut, a heart-wrenching, soul-racking, spell-binding tale interwoven with guts, anguish and glory guaranteed to remain in readers’ minds.”—The Globe and Mail
“A wonderful love story. . . . Buchanan weaves Niagara Falls’ history and her storytelling together masterfully.”—Elle
“[The Day the Falls Stood Still] stands on its own elegant prose and the vibrant voice of its narrator.”—USA Today
“This assured Ontario Gothic story deserves to take its place beside the best novels of the First World War.”—National Post
“Set against the resounding backdrop of the falls, Cathy Marie Buchanan’s carefully researched, capaciously imagined debut novel entwines the romantic trials of a young couple with the historical drama of the exploitation of the river’s natural resources. . . . a transporting novel that captures both the majesty of nature and the mystery of love.”—Barnes & Noble Recommends Selection citation
“Buchanan’s debut novel keeps you in its grip until the final page.”—American Booksellers Association IndieNext citation
“Buchanan combines storytelling with reportage of a legendary riverman creating a story as mesmerizing as staring at the river as it plunges over the falls.”—Publishers Weekly (US)
“This first novel abounds in romance and charm. Buchanan, a Niagara Falls native, was raised on the region’s lore, and she conveys its beauty and terror with deep understanding. Local legends pervade the story, lending it a nostalgic, other-wordly quality.”—Quill & Quire
“Historical fiction readers will appreciate the excellent period detail, especially the depiction of the era’s social mores, and the romance between Bess and Tom .”—Library Journal
“Anyone who cannot read this book in one sitting has a heart colder than Niagara Falls in February.”—Catherine Gildiner, author of Too Close to the Falls
“Filled with beautifully written passages about love and life, interspersed with historical references to the industrialization of the Niagara River and the people who shaped the town as we now know it.”—Waterloo Region Record
“An ambitious, sweeping love story. . . . Put on your late-summer To Do List for sure.”—Buffalo News
“It is a novel to savor.”—Historical Novel Society
“Buchanan’s prose is elegant.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A powerful debut novel of one family’s struggle played out against the back drop of Niagara Falls.”—Book Time (UK)
“Poignant and beautiful. . . .a page-turner which is sure to have you hooked until the very last sentence.”—People’s Friend (UK)
“More than just a captivating historical novel about the Niagara Falls. It is a highly spiritual tale of family, love, loss, class, early environmentalism and the battle fought to make citizens aware of the natural sacrifices made in the name of progress.” —Publishers Weekly (UK)
