Upcountry: A Novel

JANE SCHUMACHER is a smart, spirited and often profane press secretary to the Governor of New York. Immersed in the thrilling world of political warfare, she is shepherding her popular and charismatic boss for a serious run for the White House. But after a visit to her doctor just before Thanksgiving, she questions whether any of her dreams will come true. Angered and shaken by the news, the high powered political operator abruptly cancels her holiday plans with her handsome Argentinean-born boyfriend to return to her upcountry New York hometown after many years of absence. Upon her arrival, Jane begins to doubt her decision as she encounters reminders from her troubled past. There are awkward reunions with a distant father, and with Joanne, her skeptical, dismissive fraternal twin sister. And then there is Denny, Joanne's vulgar and violent husband of twenty years. But throughout it all Jane remains haunted by the voice of her late mother. Thanksgiving dinner is a disaster, and as she storms from her sister's house, vowing never to return, Jane discovers her sister's painful secret. But return she does only to face a fateful dilemma: should she simply rescue her sister from Denny's evil clutches or take justice into her own hands? But for Jane Schumacher, however, nothing is ever simple. Nothing is cut and dried. The sisters flee the scene and embark on a cathartic journey through the Adirondacks in pursuit of a lifelong mission. And, as they rekindle a love that only twins can feel for each other, they share in a series of shocking revelations. Only then do they discover what is truly important in life-and in death. Set against an engaging backdrop of modern political times, Upcountry is a riveting, page-turning story of sibling strife, of affection and joy, sadness and grief, and finally redemption and rebirth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR R.M. Doyon has been a journalist, writer, publicist and entrepreneur for more than three decades. He began his career with the Ottawa Citizen and the Ottawa Journal before serving as a political reporter and Parliamentary Bureau Chief for United Press International, where he crossed paths with six Canadian prime ministers, multiple foreign leaders, including one U.S president. Throughout a successful career in business, during which he co-founded one of North America's best-known public relations firms, he never lost his love for fiction. In addition to Upcountry, he is the author of Pirouette, a stage-play on the life and times of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and has co-written two screenplays-Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda and The Last Carousel with his wife Shelley. Upcountry, published in 2010, was his debut novel. A sequel to Upcountry, THOU TORTUREST ME, will be published in July, 2013.