The Land of Afternoon: A Satire

A wry, sharply observed satire of early‑twentieth‑century Canadian life, this novel treats its characters as pure imagination while aiming a gentle jab at the follies of everyday society. Through the eyes of Marjorie Dilling and the idealized hero Raymond Dilling, the author sketches a world where moral firmness meets the absurdities of market‑day routine. The tone balances playful irony with a sincere curiosity about how ordinary people navigate social expectations.

Set against the icy backdrop of Ottawa’s Byward Market, the story opens on a bitter Saturday morning where snow‑laden stalls overflow with frozen meat, vegetables, and the occasional rattling cart. Marjorie, feeling both out of place and overwhelmed, wanders among bustling vendors until a cantankerous old woman at a hide stall rebuffs her desperate quest for sweetbreads. Their brief, comic exchange hints at the larger cultural clashes the narrative will explore, inviting listeners into a wintery tableau that is as humorous as it is revealing.