Kingcome

Kingcome is the village where Mark comes to be vicar. It is the oldest and largest of the native villages in the area, so ancient that the local Kwakiutl myth says it was founded right after the great flood. This area in northwestern Canada is rich in natural resources and beauty, but it is beginning to be troubled by the incursions of the white world on its culture. In particular, there is a slow loss of young people to the white world and an over-riding fear of the elders that their village will vanish as have others.

The Boat

The boat plays a central part in the story, as travel outside the village is very limited without water transport. Much of the time Mark and Jim spend together is on the boat, traveling to remote parishioners, and it is on the boat that Mark gains much of...