COMING IN 2027

Guernica Editions presents:​

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Mrs. Mackenzie by Bruce Beaton

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The air conditioner outtake hose in the attic of Mackenzie House Museum comes undone causing a small flood. As Robert assesses the damage he discovers a small cache of hand-written letters: both sides of the correspondence between William Lyon Mackenzie and the heroine of the War of 1812, Laura Secord. The Secords and the Mackenzies were neighbours in Queenston in 1823 when William began his journey to rebellion. It’s an historical goldmine.

There is a bright flash of lightning, and in the corner of the room is the ghost of Mrs. Mackenzie. She needs Robert to read her the letters. She suspects that Mackenzie and Laura Secord have had an “intimate liaison”. Robert agrees to read her the letters on the condition that she tells him about her life. She agrees. The letters reveal the growing political awakening of William Lyon Mackenzie and the loneliness of Laura Secord. Mrs. Mackenzie shares her stories of her experiences of this turbulent time in the history of Canada. Robert will not read her the last letter that will give her the answers she needs until she vows to not destroy the house if it reveals her husband’s infidelity. She agrees and the letter reveals Mackenzie’s deep love and fidelity for his wife. 

Although the discovery of the letters makes Robert famous, he doesn’t tell anyone about meeting the ghost. He knows that this would make him look like a charlatan but he needs to tell someone the truth about what happened. He hides his account of the meeting Mrs. Mackenzie in the attic of Mackenzie House Museum and asks that if ghosts are still not acknowledged as a respectable primary source in the reader’s time, that they wrap his story in something waterproof and return it to the place where they found it.

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STAY TUNED FOR FUTHER DETAILS AND PUBLICATION DATE

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