After thirty-one years as an English teacher, primarily at Caledonia Secondary School in Terrace, B.C., Alan W. Lehmann retired and combined his admiration for the works of Shakespeare with his desire as a teacher to make Hamlet more accessible for Hamlet, The Novel (Lulu 2014), a self-published tale largely told from the perspective of Horatio. The novel opens with the Norwegian Prince Fortinbras arriving at the Elsinore castle claiming Denmark should cede the castle to Norway. Lehmann imagines cotemporary dialogue for all the characters as Horatio ostensibly creates a journal that provides insights into Hamlet's character from an admiring friend. 978-1-4834-2867-3 $30 386 pages.

Alan W. Lehmann's second novel, Inca Sunset (2017), tells the story of the Spanish invader Pizarro's invasion of Peru in 1532, a tale full of cultural conflict, human trust and cruelty; the various influences (both good and evil) of religious dogmas; and human decision in the face of what often seems an unalterable destiny. It also addresses colonialism, and race and gender issues that remain with us to this day.

[BCBW 2017]