Latest book from Nova Scotia author Allison Maher is a surprising first entry into adult fiction

Nova Scotia author Allison Maher made the jump from young adult (YA) to adult fiction with her most recent novel, “The Last of the Firsts” and the response from readers has been a surprise for the writer.

“It’s not my first novel I’ve written but it’s the first time that it’s taken off with such incredible trajectory,” Maher said.

“The Last of the Firsts” launched Wednesday in retail stores, but it’s been available for purchase on Amazon.

“In the first month it’s been out, I keep getting these best-seller badges,” Maher said.

Maher was the best-selling women’s writer in Canada during the month, the best-selling YA writer in Canada and had the best-selling Canadian collections.

“That can’t be right,” Maher said in jest during an interview with CTV.

Maher said the book is about a boy named Thor who loses his mother and has to go live with an aunt who might be crazy.

“It’s the journey through the first year of grief,” Maher said. Thor goes through a series of milestones without his mother during the year to get to “the last of the firsts.”

Maher said it is an emotional book.

“I wrote it to be a fantastic story, but, accidentally woven through it are little pearls of information that we don’t ever get to find out about in grieving because we don’t talk about it.”

Maher said she chose the subject of the book because of a friend who lost a parent and couldn’t escape their sorrow. A conversation with another friend, a psychologist, led her to explore the subject of grief.

“Nobody will talk about those things, but they’re completely natural,” Maher said. “Instead of hiding it under the bushes, I thought I should put it in this book and bring it right out so people who are going through the grieving process can say, ‘oh, well, I’m not crazy. This actually does happen to other people too.’”

Maher is also a farmer who is grateful for the break writing has given her from another kind of hard work.

“Fighting with Mother Nature is just a nightmare,” Maher said. “If you just have a little keyboard, it doesn’t need a fence. You don’t have to fence it in. You don’t have to fertilize your keyboard. You don’t have to have 12 other employees that actually show up to work today to pick your keyboard. You can just sit down. It’s great.”

“The Last of the Firsts” is available on Amazon and in stores. For those who missed the first of Maher’s book launch events earlier in the week, the last one will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mic Mac Bar and Grill in Dartmouth, N.S., on Sunday.

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