Quoyle's life was falling apart. He was obese, he had no friends, his abusive parents killed themselves, his unfaithful wife deserted him, and only her untimely death prevented her from selling their two young daughters into sexual slavery.

He decided to reset by moving to his family home in a small town in Newfoundland.

Quoyle finds work writing for the local small-town newspaper. The editor assigns him to cover local automobile accidents and the shipping news - the comings and goings of ships in the harbor. The latter topic provides the title for E. Annie Proulx's 1993 novel "The Shipping News."

Quoyle does well at his initial assignment and takes on more responsibilities at the paper, including writing a regular column. He gains confidence and begins to assert himself. At the same time, he confronts the abuse suffered by others and by him.

Proulx crafts characters and landscapes with a simple ease. Even minor characters like Aunt Angis reveal secrets that become significant to the story.

The author paints a picture of the small community where the story takes place. Each chapter begins with a description of a knot or a poem or a quote from a mariners' book, which tends to ground the reader in this seaside hamlet. The town is changing from a simple traditional life to modern ways. At the same time, Quoyle goes through a transition and finds his purpose in life. He meets a woman, solves a mystery, excels at his job, and becomes a better father.

It is a path many of us would like to take.