Alistair MacLeod musters all of the skill and grace that have won him an international following to give us No Great Mischief, the story of a fiercely loyal family and the tradition that drives it.

Generations after their forebears went into exile, the MacDonalds still face seemingly unmitigated hardships and cruelties of life. Alexander, orphaned as a child by a horrific tragedy, has nevertheless gained some success in the world. Even his older brother, Calum, a nearly destitute alcoholic living on Toronto's skid row, has been scarred by another tragedy. But, like all his clansman, Alexander is sustained by a family history that seems to run through his veins. And through these lovingly recounted stories-wildly comic or heartbreakingly tragic-we discover the hope against hope upon which every family must sometimes rely.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

阿利斯泰尔·麦克洛德（AlistairMacLeod，1936－2014），加拿大著名小说家、短篇小说家、教授，在加拿大享有“作家中的作家”之美誉。麦克洛德出生于加拿大萨斯喀彻温省，早年有渔民和伐木工经历，后长期任温莎大学文学系教授。他的文学创作数量并不多，曾出版有短篇小说集《失去血缘的赠礼》（1976），《飞鸟带来太阳和其他故事》（1986）。他的短篇小说内容极其丰富且紧凑，完全可以拓展为长篇。他写作的速度不快，但用语精湛，每个词、每个句子、每个段落都经过反复推敲，使作品获得了诗一般的精炼和韵律。爱尔兰作家科姆·托宾(ColmToibin)将这两本书选入现代图书馆的“1950年后两百大英文小说”，并称之为“选书计划中的最高峰。”