The Capital of Dreams – Heather O’Neill

And now for something entirely different – this new O’Neill book is NOT set in Montreal. It is, in fact, a surrealistic fable. Elysia, a country based on art and ideas, is invaded by the dogmatic and ultra-conservative Enemy. There are two key features of this literary masterpiece. First, how does one survive in  dystopian future, with the arrest of cultural figures like writers and poets? Clara Bottom is a distinguished writer. How can her 14-year-old daughter survive? And so the second theme is the mother-daughter relationship. To be clear, this is a dark fairy tale of betrayal and survival, and there is a talking goose. A highly recommended read, but recognize that this is not a typical O’Neill book.