Every town out here has a story it tells to keep you out of the bush.
This book is what happens when someone doesn't listen.
From the oil fields of Alberta to the dark timber of Quebec to the storm-battered coast of Vancouver Island, Beneath the Pines follows ordinary people into the places the campfire stories warned about. Workers who hear...

An inherited house on Vancouver Island.
An old apple orchard near the water.
A quiet place to rest.
At first, it works.
Days fall into a rhythm—beach runs, salt air, familiar faces. The town is small, watchful, and kind in its own way. The orchard sits just beyond the yard, uneven and overgrown, its trees leaning where they please.
Pets start to go...

A boy is sent across the river to spend the summer with his extended family.
At first, it feels ordinary: farm work, long days, crowded kitchens, local markets, and the constant presence of machines and land that demand attention. The family operates by rules that are never explained. Strength is expected. Control is assumed. Certain instincts...