Crossings was Betty Lambert's only novel; published by Pulp Press in 1979, it was revolutionary for its frank and unsettling portrayal of Vicky, a female writer in Vancouver in the early 1960s, an educated and intelligent woman who struggles to come to terms with herself as she navigates an emotionally abusive relationship with Mik, a violent logger and ex-con. Their physical, often violent affair offers an honest and unflinching look at relationships and female suffering. The book caused a furor when it was first published, and in fact was banned from some feminist Canadian bookstores. At the same time, it was widely acclaimed by critics and writers, including Jane Rule, who wrote: "This portrait of an artist as a young woman should stand beside Alice Munro's Who Do You Think You Are and Margaret Laurence's The Diviners as a testimony of the courage and cost of being a woman and a writer."

Out of print for more than twenty years, this new edition of Crossings will introduce this Canadian classic--and remarkable writer--to a new generation of readers.

Includes an introduction by novelist Claudia Casper (The Reconstruction and The Continuation of Love by Other Means).

Betty Lambert was a renowned Canadian playwright and English professor at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her most famous works were the childrenâ??s play The Riddle Machine, the radio play Grasshopper Hill, the comedy Sqrieux-de-Dieu, and the dramas Under the Skin and Jennieâ??s Story, which was adapted into the film Heart of the Sun in 1999. Betty Lambert passed away in 1983.

Betty Lambert's profile page

A hilarious, reprehensible, moving book, brilliantly written.
-Jane Rule

Jane Rule

That rara avis, the novel that makes you say, now here's a real novelist ... Crossings is a powerful novel of a woman discovering herself. And we discover a powerfully talented writer.
-The Globe and Mail

Globe and Mail

I've read few novels with characters as particularized and whole, perceptions as amusing and alive. It takes the basic Canadian-fiction starter kit and assembles it with a lightning wit and energy that make the results wholly agreeable ... Crossings is a superbly realized novel.
-Douglas Hill

Douglas Hill

Lambert's dialogue is razor-sharp and rich in brilliant subtext, making a statement that's both loud and subtle. Crossings is smart, witty, and still relevant in the twenty-first century. It is truly a gem, so worthy of republication to honour Vancouver in its 125th year.
-Geist

Geist