In the 1920s, Jim, Bert and Rose Evans all move from Newfoundland to Brooklyn, New York, in search of work and a better life, leaving their sister Annie back home in St. John’s. By the Rivers of Brooklyn traces the story of the Evans family across two countries and three generations, exploring the hopes, passions and heartbreaks of those who went away and those who stayed behind.

By the Rivers of Brooklyn transforms into fiction the experience of the 75,000 first- and second-generation Newfoundlanders who once lived in Brooklyn, New York – and the experience of Newfoundlanders throughout history who have gone away to find work and prosperity but never stopped dreaming of home.

Trudy Morgan-Cole is a writer and teacher. Her previous works of historical fiction include The Violent Friendship of Esther Johnson, Deborah and Barak, and Esther: A Story of Courage. She lives in St. John’s with her husband and two children, and teaches English, writing, and social studies to adult learners at The Murphy Centre.

Trudy Morgan-Cole's profile page

"With this novel, Trudy Morgan-Cole has broken new ground. A generational story of Newfoundlanders struggling to make a life for themselves in New York, it is permeated with memorable characters and a strong sense of place. A finely nuanced novel that is a pleasure to read." - Joan Clark, award-winning author of An Audience of Chairs and Latitudes of Melt.

"Morgan-Cole has a fine eye for significant detail, a keen ear for preciseness of time and place and an overall ability to mine the emotions of her characters." - M.T. Dohaney, award-winning author of A Marriage of Masks and The Corrigan Women.

"You will be swept away by this story." - Tina Chaulk, award-winning author of This Much Is True

"By the Rivers of Brooklyn is one of the most satisfying novels I’ve ever read...[it] establishes her as a writer to be reckoned with. I literally could not put it down.” - Helen Porter, award-winning author of january, february, june or July and Finishing School

"A must-read. When I finished the last chapter, I was still hungry for more … Her newest book has taken years of research, and it shows." - Shirley Newhook, The Telegram

"This novel is both meaty and delicate; you can dig right into it, and still find yourself savouring turns of plot, turns of phrase ... The writing is deft and enjoyable." - Joan Sullivan, The Telegram

“The character-driven, Austen-esque By the Rivers of Brooklyn is a deft and impressive work of fiction in which the prose style is spare – controlled and assured … One might contend that Newfoundlanders have rarely been as capably or a truthfully represented on the page as they are here.” - Darrell Squires, The Western Star page as they are here.” - Darrell Squires, The Western Star

"A must-read. When I finished the last chapter, I was still hungry for more … Her newest book has taken years of research, and it shows." - Shirley Newhook, The Telegram

"By the Rivers of Brooklyn is one of the most satisfying novels I’ve ever read...[it] establishes her as a writer to be reckoned with. I literally could not put it down.” - Helen Porter, award-winning author of january, february, june or July and Finishing School

“The character-driven, Austen-esque By the Rivers of Brooklyn is a deft and impressive work of fiction in which the prose style is spare – controlled and assured … One might contend that Newfoundlanders have rarely been as capably or a truthfully represented on the page as they are here.” - Darrell Squires, The Western Star

"With this novel, Trudy Morgan-Cole has broken new ground. A generational story of Newfoundlanders struggling to make a life for themselves in New York, it is permeated with memorable characters and a strong sense of place. A finely nuanced novel that is a pleasure to read." - Joan Clark, award-winning author of An Audience of Chairs and Latitudes of Melt.

"This novel is both meaty and delicate; you can dig right into it, and still find yourself savouring turns of plot, turns of phrase ... The writing is deft and enjoyable." - Joan Sullivan, The Telegram

"You will be swept away by this story." - Tina Chaulk, award-winning author of This Much Is True

“As the years roll by from the 1920s to the 1940s and beyond, the Evans family becomes so complex and the characters so familiar that we almost recognize the stories as our own. Trudy J. Morgan-Cole provides all the details without trying to overstuff the story with historical facts." - Kris Rothstein, Geist

"Morgan-Cole has a fine eye for significant detail, a keen ear for preciseness of time and place and an overall ability to mine the emotions of her characters." - M.T. Dohaney, award-winning author of A Marriage of Masks and The Corrigan Women.