In this sequel to the excellent Moon of the Crusted Snow, 12 years have passed since a mysterious cataclysm produced a total blackout. Now, six Indigenous members of a remote northern community journey 500 km south to their original location on the north shore of Georgian Bay. How will anarchy shape their journey? This is a compelling story of resilience and survival that is reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy’s brilliant account of a post-apocalyptic journey in The Road. Highly recommended.
Category: family
Tom Lake – Ann Patchett
Simply put, this is another great novel by Ms. Patchett (her 9th). Lara (age 57) and her three adult daughters are picking cherries at their Michigan orchard. During this time together, Lara shares details from when she spent 4 months at a summer stock theater, specifically about an intense relationship with another actor when she was 24. At its core, this is an insightful relationship story between parents and children, and offers a gentle meditation on youthful love in contrast to married love, and the life parents led before they had children. What do we reveal to our children at different ages and maturity, and what, if anything, is withheld? Fabulous story telling, highly recommended.
Hang the Moon- Jeannette Walls
Previously, Ms. Walls has written autobiographical (The Glass Castle) and biographical (Half Broke Horses) books. This new book is a novel that follows the trials and tribulations of Sallie Kincaid in 1920s Virginia. At ages 17-20, Sallie has to deal with family secrets in rural areas dealing with the prohibition. There are conflicts between what is right and wrong, and legal and illegal. Sallie is both clever and quick, but how will she operate in a world that devalues women?
Happiness Falls – Angie Kim
Ostensibly, this is a missing person mystery: a father goes missing from a Korean-American family (wife, three children). What elevates this story is a unique point-of-view, emphasizing the family impact. Why do people do and say what they do? For a family in crisis, there are many discussions on cognitive psychology. What if suspicion falls on the youngest son who is non-verbal because of autism and Angelman Syndrome? Questions of loss, language and the expectations and assumptions regarding communication abound. Finally, the ending is somewhat enigmatic, as is real life.
Happy-Go-Lucky – David Sedaris
And now for something entirely different: a collection of mostly humorous essays. Sedaris offers wry observations on many topics (e.g., pandemic experiences) but his most poignant essays are about his family relationships, most notably with his elderly father. He is candid and self-deprecating, with the use of wonderful words (one-downsmanship) and phrases (crocheted blanket the colour of sorrow). A very fun read.
The Mountains Sing – Nguyen Phau Que Mai
A sweeping saga of Viet Nam told as stories a grandmother tells her granddaughter. The context is the North, mainly from the 1930s to the 80s. Conflicts abound: internal (north versus south) and external (French, Japanese, American influences). But at its core, this story is about the extreme actions a mother takes to ensure survival of her children.
Fayne – Ann-Marie MacDonald
Full disclosure: this sweeping sage is long (722 pages) but Ms. MacDonald’s exquisite writing makes the reading very worthwhile. The setting: Fayne, an estate straddling the border between England and Scotland. The time: late 19th century. The main players: Lord Henry Bell and wife Mae, and children Charles and Charlotte. The story is rife with family secrets, with cruelty and cowardice in male-female and father-child relationships. A shifting timeline accentuates the drama: highly recommended.
PS: A-MM wrote the wonderful Fall On Your Knees a long time ago.
Homecoming – Kate Morton
In 2018, Jess is an almost 40-year-old who returns to Australia because her elderly grandmother Nora has been hospitalized after a serious fall. At Nora’s house, Jess learns about the Turner Family Tragedy of 1959: the death of Nora’s sister-in-law and her three children in South Australia. Is this a murder-suicide by a distraught mother? What are the family lies designed to protect the ones we love? The story becomes an exciting crime drama that is a compelling read.
Junie – Chelene Knight
First, the context: East-end Vancouver from 1933-39, an area called Hogan’s Alley which is home to Black and immigrant communities. At its core, this brilliant book is about complex mother-daughter relationships: Junie and her jazz singer mother Maddie, and Estelle and her mother Faye. As Junie progresses from age 13-19, her artistic talents bloom despite a disquieting reality. Thanks Amy, for this recommendation: highly recommended.
What David Read 