Hartley Addison is probably the nicest guy in Port D'espere.

Everybody loves him, even when they disagree with him. He’s never officially run for mayor of his small lakeside town but he keeps getting elected anyway. The town has been an environmental dumpsite for decades and most of his constituents prefer to look the other way. At home, his wife is slowly disappearing before his eyes, and the young reporter he’s taken under his wing is out on the lake every night doing something downright mysterious. When the media circus comes to town chasing a runaway story about Boyd Banta, an escapee from the local poultry plant, Hart wants to believe that help has arrived at last.
Will he finally get some much-needed national attention and possibly a little justice for his contrary citizenry, whether they want it or not?

 What people are saying about King of Hope

Kim Conklin has written an important story for our times with repercussions and relevance reaching far beyond the town of Port D'Espere, Ontario where the story is set. First-rate storytelling keeps the pages turning. Bravo."
Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour.
Port Despere thinks of itself as a 'great place to grow' but behind its picturesque façade, something sinister lurks. Kim Conklin has created a memorable cast of characters who try to make sense of their lives in their own distinct and often quirky way. Before they can make sense of their present, however, each character must first come to understand their town and the hold it has on them."
Heidi LM Jacobs
Author, Molly of the Mall: Literary Lass & Purveyor of Fine Footwear
Winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour.
Conklin's storytelling goes well beyond its real life inspiration though, weaving contemporary environmental concerns with brilliant character building and atmospheric prose to create a fresh take on the Ontario Gothic tradition."
Open Book
The setting and characters are intricately drawn. Conklin’s fictional version of Port Hope is called Port Despere, and like the real place, it’s a quaint lakeside town known for its Victorian homes and natural beauty and wildlife. The story has an ensemble of interesting characters but focuses on just four..."
Frank Kaminski
Resilience.org

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