Arizona’s first graphic novel is autobiographical, prompted by the death of her estranged father from a drug overdose. Her surprising designation as next-of-kin meant having to make a dramatic decision about organ donation. This leads to a somewhat obsessive analysis of the ethics of organ donation. Are brain-dead addicts after an overdose serving as a supply of a valuable resource, namely organs? Is there an imbalance between those giving organs and the recipients? This is a moving and often irreverent exploration of grief and family – highly recommended.
Category: grief
The Valley Of Vengeful Ghosts – Kim Fu
Simply put – Kim Fu is an excellent writer. This is a story of grief and loneliness, of excruciating isolation. Eleanor is increasingly unmoored after her mother’s death. And it is delicious irony that she is a clinical psychologists, ostensibly offering useful advice to virtual clients. The purchase of a new house is an unmitigated disaster. And there are ghosts: what is real? Overall, a troubling and surreal story, so reader – be warned.
Whistler – Ann Patchett
Simply put, this is a fantastic book. Daphne, a 53-year-old married woman, has a chance encounter with Eddie in an art museum; Eddie was briefly her step-dad when she was 9 years old (so 44 years ago). This is a superb relationship story, of the choices that people make and the choices that are made for them. There is a quiet simplicity to Patchett’s storytelling that remind me of Anne Tyler (high praise) There is transcendent writing about memory, and even lying as an act of kindness. This is one of Patchett’s best books about loss and enduring love – highly recommended. Thanks Amy, for this book.
A Far-Flung Life – M. L. Stedman
Simply put, this is a very fine book. First, there is the context. Place – Western Australia, with an outstanding description of the physical geography of a one million acre sheep station that accommodates 20,000 sheep. There is profound isolation, heat and insects, and the terrifying consequence of a cyclone. Time – principally 1958-59 and a decade later. And second, there is a compelling human element. What is the human cost of multiple tragedies? How do “survivors” cope with paralyzing grief and guilt? What about self-forgiveness? This is an epic novel that has breathtaking scope. Thanks to Catherine for this recommendation.
PS: Ms. Stedman previously wrote the acclaimed The Light Between The Oceans.
A Truce That Is Not Peace – Miriam Toews
This exceptional book is hard to describe – a stream-of-consciousness memoir, perhaps, featuring electrifying honesty. There are questions like why does she write? There are letters to a silent sister. And there is profound melancholy when acknowledging the suicides of her father and sister (Page 31: “I was crazy with grief, guilt and dread”). But there are very funny excerpts about a European trip in 1988, and hilarious observations about the current domestic life in her multi-generational Toronto home. Bottom line- this is a powerful story that is both heart wrenching and joyful, in other words, Ms. Toews at her best.
The Homemade God – Rachel Joyce
Ms. Joyce is an exquisite writer, and this book is one of her best (along with The Music Shop). Four siblings travel to Italy because of the unexpected death of their father. At the Lake villa, they also meet the much younger woman their father has married recently. This is a relationship story, about fragile familial bonds, the paralysis of grief, about beauty and pain. The writing is beautiful and very evocative, so be warned: tears will emerge. Overall, this is a moving, insightful and imaginative story with a brilliant ending. Highly recommended.
Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt
Tova is a 70-year-old widow grieving the recent death of her husband and the disappearance and presumed death of her son more than 30 years ago. At its core, this is a relationship story, and remarkably, a key relationship is with Marcellus … a giant Pacific octopus living in a Washington State aquarium. The storyline sometimes come perilously close to the plot of a soap opera (there is a happy ending, after all) but remains a charming and witty story.
Tell Me Everything – Elizabeth Strout
Sometimes a new book by a favourite author can only be described as an exquisite pleasure. Ms. Strout’s novel returns to the town of Crosby Maine with a beloved cast of characters: the iconic Olive Kitteridge, lawyer Bob Burgess, and the author Lucy Barton. This is a story of empathy and pathos; the intimacy of shared stories and experiences; the importance of being seen so one’s life is not unrecorded; the paralysis of grief; the relationship between friendship and love; loneliness, sadness and beauty; and finally the significance of the very human desire to leave a mark on the world.
Before The Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi
A small basement cafe in Tokyo offers time travel, to travel back in time subject to specific rules. For example, nothing that is done in the past can change the present, and the duration of the trip is brief, limited to as long as it takes for a cup of coffee to become cold. Given these profound constraints, what is fascinating is the motivation for time travel as explored in four scenarios. Thanks Amy, for this book.
