The Smiling Land

All Around the Circle in My Newfoundland and Labrador

By: Alan Doyle

Narrated 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 are as synonymous with their home province as Alan Doyle is to his—and even fewer once worked as tour guides. In The Smiling Land, Alan reprises his tour-guiding role to welcome the rest of Canada to his home and take readers on an adventure: a freewheeling road trip through Newfoundland, its history, and its culture. From Fogo Island to the Southwest Coast, Labrador to Ferryland, and everywhere in between, Alan's Newfoundland awaits you.

There are visits to windswept coastlines and towering crags, ancient Viking and Basque fishing settlements, and more lighthouses than you can shake a foghorn at. More recent settlements are also part of the itinerary, from burgeoning arts venues and communities to more humble but no less world-class locales, such as Foley's Shed, a jaunty live-music pub that—as its name suggests—happens to be in some guy named Foley's shed. Alan provides savvy insider tips for visitors to St. John's, like how to score fish and chips and a free ride by hopping into the delivery person's car as they drive your food to your desired destination. Or, for the aspiring rum smuggler visiting the Burin Peninsula, how to sneak bottles from the French territory of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon to the shores of Newfoundland. There are dolphin sightings, cliffside hikes among flocks of ocean-plunging puffins, and a pilgrimage to the home of the (late) great auk. And what tour of 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 a celebration of Newfoundland—both its storied past and its ever-vibrant present.

Critic reviews

NATIONAL BESTSELLER
One of the Tyee’s 2025 Holiday Reads
One of CBC’s 45 Canadian Nonfiction Books to Read This Fall

Praise for Alan Doyle:

“Doyle is exuberant, irreverent, hilariously funny, and a heart-on-the-sleeve Newfoundlander. As a writer, he’s all that and a bag of chips. . . . In his own words: Deadly.”
—Michael Crummey, bestselling author of The Adversary and The Innocents

“Doyle’s effortless storytelling will have you on his side from the first page. He writes like he sings: with a sincerity and a love of life that is infectious.”
—Mark Critch, comedian and author of Son of a Critch

“What amazes me is, for all he has seen and done, Alan Doyle has never put another human being down. You won’t be able to put him down either. You will get lost on his account. Lost on a brilliant journey.”
—Ron MacLean, host of Hockey Night in Canada

The Bayman Bard Returns with an Excursion around Newfoundland

I never buy an Alan Doyle book without purchasing the audiobook. Nothing beats the kind, joyful, rhythmic tones of this Newfoundland native and enchanting narrator. This is as close as you can get to Newfoundland without traveling to Canada’s island province. This tour around that island highlights several Newfoundland must-sees. So If you’ve been there and want an audio return or if you dream of visiting someday, this is a lovely chocolate box tour. Enjoy!

A joyful travel memoir! Don’t miss.

This travel memoir is pure joy. Alan Doyle, a native Newfoundlander, is a warm and masterful storyteller as he journeys across his home province and shares what he discovers. In the spirit of Bill Bryson or Farley Mowat, Doyle’s passion for Newfoundland and his intimate grasp of its long, colorful history makes this book a delight to read. It’s far richer than the usual touchstones of Vikings, the Titanic, or Come From Away. I truly smiled my way through it, indeed.

Want another visit to NFLD

I loved the little stoies related with love and humour. I enjoyed how they were woven into geographic, historic and social fabric of the province. One little song here and there would make it even better. This man makes me want to make another trip to his home.

Now i want to go visit

I may be biased but I could listen to Alan read the phone book with his Newfoundlander way of speaking. I’ve listened to his music since the early 90’s and seen him in concert a multitude of times.

That said, he’s a born writer!! His stories are endearing and the way he speaks about him home makes me want to visit.

This book should be promoted by Newfoundland tourism because it’s a detailed account of what to see, where to go and how to get there!!

I had no idea that Newfoundland was so beautiful or so big!!
Thanks for sharing Alan!!

Another gem from Alan Doyle

I’ve been enjoying Alan’s music for at least a couple of decades, and I’ve now listened to all four of his books. Not only should you read this title, you should listen to it in his voice, as it adds so much to the already lively text. A great travelogue around a place. I very much want to visit, even more now. Don’t miss this one.