The Calyx

About the Book

The book is entitled The Calyx.

The title is an acronym of sorts for the words Canadian Lynx, which in turn serve as a pun for the words Canadian Links. Readers will meet Jed, a Canadian oilrig driller and his antagonizing compatriots who became the links in discovering the truth behind what really happened to Lee Harvey Oswald, on the day he was shot, in Dallas, Texas, 1963.

The setting crosses two borders and journeys throughout Canada, the U.S., Cuba and a tiny island, off the coast of Cuba, called Juventud.

The plot introduces new medicine, new politics and new methods of making friends and love. It celebrates topics of respect, trust (or lack thereof) and a unique appreciation for the relationships that rise and fall between man and woman and man and nature.

Numerous figures of speech permeate the script. A recurring cat motif aids the understanding of theme and a simple but effective drug, used and administered by an innovative 'risk taking' doctor, helps in understanding the meaning of the title. After all, a Canadian Lynx is a cat that possesses unique characteristics just as the Canadian link, Jed, possesses insights and instincts about people that play and have played a significant role in making and 'shaping' history.

The Calyx is a book that ventures outside the box.

If anybody has ever had doubts about anything, The Calyx is a must read! There is no doubt about it!

About the Author

After 15 years of teaching Language Arts, at the junior and senior high school levels, Donald McIlhone (Donnie) has dipped his quill into the ink cartridge' and printed the pages, of his first novel: The Calyx. At the onset, Donnie intended the manuscript to be a teaching tool, for grade 12 students, throughout Canada. As the plot unfolded, however, it became evident that the story would impact readers, everywhere - and at all levels. In his own words: "The topic is universal! The content is not exclusively pedagogical."

Ever since the new Canadian author can remember, the 'conspiracy theory' genre of literature has been one of intrigue and interest. Within the confines, of The Calyx, Donnie reinforces his own theory about what happened to the employee of the Texas Book Store Depository who, on November 22, 1963, changed the world.

The Calyx is based on Donnie's experiences working on an oilrig, teaching school, serving in administration and traveling throughout Canada and the U.S. When he is not working or writing, Donnie is manifesting his ideas, while riding his Pinto, named Rocky. He is currently working on his second novel entitled Samira's Desert. It is a book about 'what if?' It looks at the possibility of a Princess Diana conspiracy. It should be on the shelves in the fall of 2005.

Donald Neil McIlhone was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, grew up in Montreal, Quebec, and now makes his home in Calgary, Alberta. He is a graduate of McGill University, with a BA, the University of Calgary, with a B.Ed and the University of Gonzaga, with a M.A.