Lake Burntshore: A Novel

by Aaron Kreuter

Overview

A funny and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel about one summer of momentous social and political change at a Jewish sleepover camp

It’s the summer of 2013 and 21-year-old Ruby, a counselor at Camp Burntshore, can’t wait to supervise a rowdy cabin of 11-year-olds, smoke weed by the fire, and argue about which city make the best bagels. But when Brent, the camp owner’s son, hires Israeli soldiers to deal with a staffing shortfall, Ruby, a committed anti-Zionist, must decide if she’s willing to jeopardize her place at Burntshore to fight Brent over the contentious issues of Jewish belonging and settler colonialism, even as she finds herself falling in love with one of the soldiers, the sweetly handsome Etai.

Soon it becomes clear that the conflict is not just about the camp’s internal divisions but also about Burntshore’s relationship with the neighboring Black Spruce First Nation, strained because of Brent’s larger scheme to buy the Crown land surrounding the lake. As campers swim, go canoe tripping, and stage an over-the-top musical, Ruby has to contend with her feelings for Etai while simultaneously trying to save her beloved camp from greed and colonialism. A social satire, romance, and political commentary all in one, Lake Burntshore celebrates the contemporary Jewish world through its most iconic symbol — the often idyllic yet always dramatic summer camp.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770417632
Publisher:	ECW Press
Publication date:	04/22/2025
Edition description:	No Edition
Pages:	408
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Aaron Kreuter is the author of five books, including the poetry collection Shifting Baseline Syndrome, a 2022 finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award. His work has been shortlisted for two Vine Awards for Jewish Literature, a Raymond Souster Award, and a ReLit Award. He lives in Toronto.

Editorial Reviews

Kreuter effortlessly captures the strange, youthful energy of the camp ... Smart prose blends youthful concerns with complex issues in a timely summer read.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Lake Burntshore unpacks the complicated realities of enjoying paradise at the expense of others in compelling and even funny ways. This new novel is fun, intelligent, political and, ultimately, respectful of the land I love so much.” — Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon of the Crusted Snow

“Lake Burntshore is a summer camp story like no other. Ambitious in theme and impressively effective in narrative, this novel brilliantly unpacks the extensive, harmful impacts of colonialism with nuance and care. From Palestine to Ontario cottage country, Aaron Kreuter deftly gives agency to, and celebrates the humanity of, the people of the land. To anyone in a diaspora that’s struggled under oppression for generations, this story hits very close to home. By honouring the land and the people fighting for recognition and justice, Lake Burntshore is both timely and timeless.” — Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon of the Crusted Snow

“What it manages to accomplish is nothing short of remarkable. It is premature to refer to the book as Kreuter’s magnum opus, as he still has a long career ahead, the scope of the novel, the history it packs, and the weight of centuries of choices, all bear down on the characters ... The novel asks hard questions, but is so infused with humanity that the reader will set it down with the satisfaction of having taken a nice summer vacation.” — The Miramichi Reader

“Lake Burntshore hooks you from the beginning. Aaron Kreuter is unafraid to examine our views of displacement and genocide and our relationship with the land. A must-read!” — Christina Wong, author of Denison Avenue

“Funny, frank, and sexy, Lake Burntshore is a richly felt examination of the Jewish diaspora. Aaron Kreuter’s storytelling will transport you to your coziest, most carefree memories while also holding up a mirror to the adult you’ve become. This story really is a summer to remember.” — Gabe Liedman, writer and comedian

From the Publisher

2025-08-05
In Kreuter’s novel, a Jewish summer camp reflects the complicated politics of the outside world.

It’s the summer of 2013 in Ontario, and Camp Burntshore, a sleepaway camp for Jewish youngsters and teenagers, is just starting to buzz with the arrival of campers and counselors. Even the camp’s meticulous program director, Deborah “Debs” Glassman,is caught up in the energy, taking her time to notice the “smell of the woods, the fear and desire, the startlingly fast, startlingly efficacious sensation that this was the best place on Earth.” However, the fun quickly ends for several counselors who are dismissed the first night for smoking cannabis. Twenty-one-year-old counselor Ruby Shacter only narrowly misses expulsion by going the bathroom at just the right moment. The camp’s surprising solution to its sudden counselor shortage is to bring in Israeli soldiers to fill in gaps and offer moments of cultural exchange. Ruby, who’s the treasurer of York University’s Students Against Israeli War Crimes and an outspoken anti-Zionist, doesn’t miss any opportunity to stir debate about the new arrivals. Her position starts to soften, though, after she meets dreamy soldier Etai, who claims to hate the occupation just as much as she does. He refers to Canadian Jews as having “diasporic weakness,” but with a winking grin that starts to win Ruby over. As flirtation evolves into a summer romance, Ruby struggles to justify her political positions and confused feelings—especially in regretful letters to her Palestinian best friend, Seema, back home. Then a second announcement from the camp’s administration sharpens Ruby’s focus: The owner’s son, Brett, plans to acquire undeveloped government land across the river, historically linked to the Black Spruce First Nation.

Kreuter effortlessly captures the strange, youthful energy of the camp, which is overexcited and pleasantly aimless, due to the abundance of nature, weed, and hormones. He takes readers on several bird’s-eye-view tours, dipping into the minds and cabins of various characters to expose their darkest and funniest wishes. Kreuter also plays with perspective by cleverly trapping into the heat of Ruby’s debates about Israeli occupation before zooming out slightly to remind readers of her privilege, as when Seema writes that, for her, camp always meant refugee camp, or when another counselor notes why she cares about Israel: “because the one thing I want this summer is to bang a hot Israeli soldier!” In the second section, the shifts between real-world and campier concerns make it a bit unclear exactly which follies that Kreuter is trying to roast on the campfire. For example, in the latter part of the novel, Ruby’s time at the camp centers on figuring out what the different counselors think about the land acquisition plan—and whether she can make a stand between rehearsals for a production of the beloved musicalTel Aviv! What remains consistent, however, is the author’s masterful characterization. With strong voices like Ruby’s to guide them, readers certainly won’t regret spending a summer at Burntshore.

Smart prose blends youthful concerns with complex issues in a timely summer read.

Kirkus Reviews