Robert Finch arrived in Newfoundland in the summer of 1995 heartsick, directionless, his old life on Cape Cod in tatters. Burnside--traditionally known as Squid Tickle--seemed like a good place to heal. Located in the province's rugged northeast, this coastal village was home to just fifty year-round residents. Drawn by a landscape of low ridges and archipelagos of rocky islands. Finch returned to Burnside each summer for its strong sense of community and the possibility that it might provide a new pattern for his new life.

Offering an exploration of the Newfoundland character and culture, Finch depicts how three generations of the village grappled with the changes of the past century. With characteristically elegant prose and deep sensitivity, he introduces us to Burnside's inhabitants--and to the woman who would become his wife. Summers in Squid Tickle speaks to our era's desire for quietude and a greater connection to the natural world and to each other.