Hold Fast

Published in 1978, Hold Fast is Canadian author Kevin Major’s debut novel. Upon its release, the book received critical acclaim, going on to be awarded the Governor General’s Children’s Literature Award, as well as the Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year Award and the Ruth Schwartz Award. A panel of experts from across Canada have declared the book the second-best children’s book of all time, the first being Anne Of Green Gables.

The narrative follows Michael, a fourteen-year-old boy living in Newfoundland who has just lost both of his parents to a car accident involving a drunk driver. Narrated from Michael’s perspective, the novel provides the reader with an intimate glimpse into the mind of a child struggling to survive in a world geared for adults. After the death of their parents, Michael and his seven-year-old brother, Brent, are forced to go their separate ways, as their extended family determines their new living arrangements. It is decided that Brent will live with their Aunt Flo and their grandfather, staying in Marten, the small town in which the boys grew up. Michael is set to travel to St. Albert to live with his Aunt Ellen, Uncle Ted, and his cousins, Curtis and Marie. He remarks that St. Albert is supposed to be a city, even if it is a small one, and will certainly be a big change from the small town where he grew up. This move from rural to urban, as well as the distance created between Michael and those he is closest to provides the novel with its central conflict from which the rest of the narrative stems.

In moving to St. Albert, Michael promises to give it an honest try. However, soon finding that it is more difficult to adjust to city life than he imagined, he finds himself yearning for his hometown of Marten. In spite of the fact that he and his friends grew up fantasizing about life in the big city, the prevalence of fast food restaurants and shopping malls carries little appeal for Michael. He reflects that growing up in Marten, he always had something to do, and he and his friends found ways to amuse themselves in spite of the lack of amenities. In school, he expresses a desire to learn about the land and the water that surrounds them, his own natural habitat, demonstrating his appreciation for the land and the natural environment.



Michael’s interests often make him a target for school bullies, and after telling a story in history class in which he and his brother found Beothuck artifacts near their house, Michael is taunted by a group of boys led by Lewis Kentson. It turns out that Michael also made an ally in the telling of his story, as Gerard, a classmate who was impressed with his knowledge of Beothuck stands up for Michael and offers the teacher an explanation when they find him and Kenston pushing each other in the hallway. After this, Michael takes on the reputation of a school hero, and he finds a new group of people whom he soon calls friends. He refers to them as the “bus people,” as they commute every day from a place called Simon’s Bay. He also grows closer to his cousin Curtis, who previously thought of Michael as a simpleton.

As the friendship between Michael and Curtis grows, they discuss Curtis’s father and the way he rules their household with an iron fist. Curtis admits that he is sometimes bothered by his father’s behavior and tempted to tell him off. The tension between Michael and Curtis’s father escalates, coming to a head when Michael is suspended from school. Michael got into a fight with Kenston who made crude comments about Michael’s girlfriend. Kenston ended up in the hospital with a concussion. Michael realizes that his Uncle Ted has no interest in hearing his side of the story, and is more concerned with how his nephew’s actions might affect his car dealership.

After this event, Michael decides he has had enough of life in St. Albert, making the sudden decision to return to Marten. Michael tells Curtis about his plan, and Curtis decides that he will go with him. As they attempt to make their way to Marten, they find that their age poses an obstacle, as they are regarded as suspect, particularly by a security guard in the airport. Michael laments the fact that he is discriminated against for his age and his background. The boys eventually make it to Marten, but upon their arrival, Curtis realizes that he will soon have to return to his family in St. Albert, and Michael finds out that his grandfather is terminally ill.