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The Big Dig

The Big Dig

Just as fourteen-year-old Lucy is starting to figure out life after her mom''s death, her dad ships her off to Cape John, her mom''s hometown, for the summer. Worse, she has to live with her nutty great-aunt Josie, who doesn''t cook edible food or suffer fools. Soon Lucy meets Colin, freshly moved from the West Coast, who''s digging an enormous hole in his new yard. He spends every day digging deeper in protest of his family''s unilateral decision to move to this tiny oceanside community. As Colin digs in the ground, Lucy digs through her family''s history, and eventually both of them uncover a shocking truth.
The Big Dig asks big questions of its readers: Are secrets ever okay? What defines a family? And can we ever really know our parents? Lisa Harrington''s light and funny voice blends seamlessly with Lucy''s grief, creating an authentic and riveting emotional landscape.

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average rating is 4.8 out of 5, based on 4 votes, book lovers sharing their thoughts

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Jorja Walker

Location:

Dartmouth NS

average rating is 4 out of 5

Time Published

The Big Dig

The Big Dig
By Lisa Harrington
Lucy is a Fourteen year old girl who is overcoming the grief of her Mom and Grandmother. She is finally starting to get her life together but then her Dad decides to ruin her summer by sending her to Cape John. Cape John is her Moms home town and she is going to be staying with her deaf Aunt Josie. Aunt Josie is a horrible cook everything is either under cooked or burnt! Aunt Josie also wears the oddest combinations of cloths which would lead you to believe she was blind instead of deaf. Days go by without Lucy leaving the house as she loafs around doing nothing and watches her strange neighbor dig a hole in his back yard. Finally Aunt Josie forces out of the house to visit the boy next door, his name is Colin and he too is not pleased to be in this small town but unlike Lucy he is not visiting. Colin has decided to stage a protest against his family’s decision to move to Cape John by digging a hole in his backyard. As these two spend the summer together they start to dig through not only the hole but Lucy’s family history where they find a shocking discovery!
I liked how every character had their own special personality and I loved how Colin’s protest is just a hole and his mom is perfectly fine with it because he is outside getting exercise. I rate this book a 4/5.

I recommend this book.

Julia

Location:

Newfoundland

average rating is 5 out of 5

Time Published

Amazing book

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I recommend this book.

Katie Shaw

Location:

Prince Edward Island

average rating is 5 out of 5

Time Published

The Big Dig

I thoroughly enjoyed this. The pop culture references were a hit and the writing was witty.

I recommend this book.

Molly Powers

Location:

Newfoundland and Labrador

average rating is 5 out of 5

Time Published

The Big Dig

This book really resonated with me because of my interest in genealogy. I love learning about my ancestors and how our lives are connected. I relate to the character of Lucy. We could be sisters!

I recommend this book.

Moriya Boyle

Location:

New Brunswick

average rating is 4 out of 5

Time Published

The Big Dig

What a stupefying read! The Big Dig by Lisa Harrington touches on various subjects, such as the loss of a loved one and accepting change. While simultaneously maintaining a witty sense of humour throughout this book! Lucy and Colin- the main characters- navigated an ever-changing world much like ours.

The Big Dig was ✨meticulously✨ crafted, making each page and chapter seamlessly go together. Imagery was frequently used in this book, and having the setting in Novia Scotia increased the familiarity of this novel. I truly only have good things to say!

Since the book took place in the '70s, many pop culture references that were made were unfamiliar to me. This suggests this book would be for more of an older crowd!

If you are looking for an engaging, relatable yet unimaginable story, then I highly recommend The Big Dig by Lisa Harrington!!

I recommend this book.