Simon Peters, a bookbinder full of theories on everything from heart-broken shrimp to the consciousness of DNA, is hiding from his horrific past in the basement of the Calgary City Library. Enter Minerva, a twenty-two year-old student. Her ghostly resemblance to Simon's dead sister compels him to slowly reveal the shocking story of the various natural disasters that killed his family.

But Simon's story does not add up. When he finds Minerva bleeding on his bathroom floor, he must conquer the tyranny of his own memory and confront what really happened that summer of 1962.&nbspBut the truth proves no less confounding, or tragic, than the original tale.

Nerys Parry's profile page

Nerys Parry's writing has aired on CBC radio and appeared in publications including Queen's Quarterly, and been shortlisted for the Event Non-Fiction Award (2004 and 2007). Parry enjoys straddling the divide between science and fiction; she holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from Queen's and an MFA from UBC. She lives in Ottawa with her husband and two children.

"In&nbspMan and Other Natural Disasters, Nerys Parry demonstrates a powerful talent. She draws the reader into a delightfully strange story with a narrative that is in turns funny and heartbreaking. Parry's deep affection for the infinite wondrous details of our world is evident from start to finish." - Gail Anderson-Dargatz

"Parry's prose is enjoyable and elegant and spiced with clever metaphors." -The Winnipeg Free Press

"Parry is a richly talented writer, and her first novel is anabsorbing, rewarding read." -Kerry Clare, Pickle Me This

". . . find a comfortable place to settle in, and begin reading one of the most intriguing, magical pieces of fiction you've experienced in years." - Aaron, opinionless.com