Jenkins never dreamed he'd live long enough to be dating again. Two years after his wife's death, he's testing the waters and realizing he's still no wiser than a schoolboy. When Jenkins hears his recently widowed high-school sweetheart is in town, he sees a chance to rekindle an old flame. But when her son greets him at the door with a list of rules, the evening already seems to be going up in smoke. Hilarious, touching, and a little saucy, Dating proves that life is full of surprises no matter how old you are.

Dave Williamson has written four previous comic novels, drama for television and stage, reviews and non-fiction. Founder of the Creative Communications program at Red River College, he was Dean of Business and Applied Arts there, retiring in 2006. Dave has served as President of the Manitoba Writers' Guild, Chair of The Writers' Union of Canada, and Chair of the Winnipeg Arts Council. His short fiction collection, Accountable Advances, and his most recent novel, Dating, are both published by Turnstone Press. He lives in Winnipeg.

Dave Williamson's profile page

"A comic look at a generation grappling with aging bodies and young hearts"

All Over the Map with MB Books

"The author has done some research on bereaved men... [that] confirmed his impression that widowers typically revert to seeing themselves as eligible young bachelors. They tend to approach dating with the same mindset they had decades earlier."

Alison Mayes

"Smart, funny, and at times poignant, Dating is part love story, part social history, part coming-of-age novel....clever, touching, and always hilarious. Jenkins's voice stayed with me long after I'd finished."

Prism Magazine (aug. 2012)

In Dating, Dave Williamson often "sketches a world that elicits the smile or even the giggle of recognition."-- Literary Reveiw of Canada

LRC REVIEW - quote

Dating is "inventive" and holds "surprises -- right to the very last page."With its references to the Chocolate Shop, the Highwayman restaurant, the Ivanhoe and other local institutions, Dating will have a special attractiveness for older, nostalgic Winnipeg readers."

Special attractiveness for older, nostalgic Winnipeg readers

Do you remember what it was like when you were first dating? Chances are you (like me) were in your teens -- unsure, hesitant and excited all at the same time. Well imagine going through that decades later. The emotions might be the same, but the physicality of the situation will have no doubt changed, over time.

Winnipeg novelist Dave Williamson explores return to dating...past one's prime