An evocative and sweeping family saga about love, loss, and acceptance-set against the backdrop of a traditional Sikh wedding. A sweeping family saga about love, loss, and acceptance-set against the backdrop of a Sikh wedding. On the morning of his nephew's wedding, Devinder Gill is certain the delicate balance of his life will not be upset. Dev is married to Kuldip, and together they have two young children in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood. But Dev also has a secret: an affair with his first love, an Irish Canadian woman named Emily Rice, who recently returned to Canada after nine years abroad. Today, both women will attend the wedding. As the day progresses through the traditional Sikh marriage rituals, the circumstances that led to this precarious situation are revealed through the alternating perspectives of Devinder, Emily, and Kuldip. Dev fails to recognize the building threats-an unwelcome guest, a wandering daughter, a repentant father-and by day's end must accept that he does not have the control over his life that he imagined. Will the balance be maintained, or will the fragile house of cards come tumbling down? A stunning debut by a talented new voice, However Far Away is an unforgettable story about family secrets, painful compromises, and the promises we break to ourselves and others. - Pal's debut collection of poetry, pappaji wrote in a language i cannot read, was the winner of the Henry Kreisel Award for Best First Book. His second collection, pulse, was shortlisted for the City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize and the Stephan G. Stephansson Award for Poetry. - After publishing two books of critically acclaimed poetry in the late '90s and early '00s, Pal took a fourteen-year hiatus from writing. However Far Away marks his return. - Music plays a central role in the book as key dramatic moments are set against a soundtrack of new wave hits. The novel takes its title from the chorus to The Cure's "Lovesong". We're planning to include a playlist at the back of the book highlighting the great music found in However Far Away. - At its core, However Far Away is a love story that will appeal to readers with an interest in CanLit, in music, and in the South Indian, particularly the Sikh community, will find much to like in the novel. - This is a novel about settling, in all its many forms: the decision to create a family and home; the repaying of old debts; the ability to defuse an emotional situation; of geographical relocation; of compromise and acceptance; and of the settler on Indigenous land. It is also a novel about shifting ground, both metaphorical and literal

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