The Witness at the Gates

Told through multiple narrators, The Witness At The Gates is both a political thriller and a family romance. Walter Abbott, thirty-six, works on chemical weapons at a U.S. government weapons facility; his pacifist brother, Henry, holds a daily non-violent protest vigil outside the facility gates. Walter's Canadian-born wife, Elizabeth, whose conscience is increasingly disturbed by the work her husband does, begins to wonder if she has married the wrong brother. Set mostly in the year l986, the novel is an exploration of recent history we would do well to remember. Claudia Morrison, now a Canadian citizen, was born and educated in the United States. She has been a politically involved, American-watching ex-patriate since l970. Her works include an acclaimed novel, a collection of stories, and a prize-winning collection of poems.