The Smiling Land: All Around the Circle in My Newfoundland and Labrador

by Alan Doyle

From one of Canada's most beloved and celebrated Newfoundlanders comes a rollicking insider's guide to the province, told as only Alan Doyle can tell it.

Few Canadian musicians or authors are as synonymous with their home province as Alan Doyle is with Newfoundland. And now Alan wants to introduce the rest of the world to his home, taking readers on a freewheeling, eclectic trip through the province. From Fogo Island to the Southwest Coast, Labrador to Ferryland and everywhere in-between, Alan's Newfoundland awaits. 

There are plenty of stops along the way to admire the sites and take in the history and culture. Among the stops, a discussion of Newfoundland's eccentric place names, which include Horse Chops Island, Bread and Cheese Cove, and, the (in)famous, Dildo. There are visits to wind-swept coastlines and towering crags, former Beothuk, Viking and Basque settlements, as well as more recent settlements, such as Foley's Shed, a jaunty live-music pub that—as its name suggests—happens to be located in some guy named Foley's shed. There are savvy insider tips, such as how to score fish and chips and a free ride by hopping into the delivery person's car as they deliver your food to your desired destination. And what tour of Alan's Newfoundland could be complete without a short history of what can best be described as "icebergs that look like things," an illustrious history that includes an exact replica of the Virgin Mary that once washed into St. John's harbour, and the more recent—and far less holy—"Dickie Berg," which made international headlines for looking like . . . well, not the Virgin Mary.

Wildly entertaining, informative and brimming with Alan's classic brand of storytelling and romping good fun, The Smiling Land is sure to delight even the most travel-adverse reader among us.

264 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication November 4, 2025

About the author

ALAN DOYLE is a Canadian musician and actor, best known as a lead singer in the Canadian folk-rock band Great Big Sea. In 2012, Doyle released his first solo album, Boy on Bridge, which made the top twenty on the Canadian Albums chart. Alan lives in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Reviews

[Reading_seas0n · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada (Adult) | Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book honestly. Here is my opinion on the book!

There is a special place in my heart for books that share personal experiences and journeys.

As someone who immigrated to Canada when I was in my mid teens, I missed a lot of Canadian moments many have or learn growing up and discovered them through my friends and by accident later in life. One of my goals is to explore Canada, so when I saw this book and the fact that I recognized Alan Doyle (From his play work, please don't be mad it wasn't from his music/band) I requested.
We are showed a map with cute drawing about certain spots at the beginning of the book and as we read we get small information about the backstory of the spots visited and traveled as well as personal moments between Alan & his family on the journey.

I think this will be a sweet book to gift those who love Alan Doyle, who love Canadian Travel/experiences and sweet books that show family travel and history.

Side note: I did wish there were some pictures that accompanied the book as I would have like to see if the descriptions matched in my head.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is obvious how much Alan loves his home province!d this book provided a lovely tour or Newfoundland and its history. It is written just like Alan is speaking to you about his beloved Newfoundland, which makes it even more endearing. I can only imagine the fun he must have had with his family by his side as he made his way through this beautiful province.