This is an excellent book about two very different women of mixed background/race: an Afghani- American raised in Karachi who moves to Montreal, and a Chinese-Canadian raised in Hamilton. This is a story about relationships, between friends and husbands and children but above all else, it is about the love of music. This is worthwhile reading just for the description of NY jazz in the 1970s.
Category: Book themes
A God In Ruins by Kate Atkinson
This story is told in tantalizing pieces/sequences, alternating between 1925 to 2012. The slow reveal of details is exquisite. The central character, Teddy, is complex, both a WWII hero and yet somewhat cowardly in other aspects of his life. His relationship with his daughter Viola is particularly fascinating; she resents his reasonableness. And there is a big surprise at the end but in retrospect, this should have not been surprising because this novel is a companion to Atkinson’s superb last book, Life After Life.
Powerful storytelling about guilt and, eventually, atonement. The back-story is the aftermath of an environmental disaster. Some First Nations mythology is an attractive feature of this fine novel.
The Damned by Andrew Pyper
Good old-fashioned horror novel: glimpses of the after-life from near-death experiences with “dead” people who can cross-over to plague the living. Mostly just sinister although there is some final violence. And there are twins and dysfunctional families!
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
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his is the best book I have read in the last 6 months. Mitchell creates an epic story, from 1984 to 2043 with intersecting story lines. The first 2/3 sets the stage for the final 1/3, a fantastical story of psychic power, a form of immortality and a cracking conflict between the good guys and the villains. The future turns out to be very dystopian (but not post-apocalyptic). Overall, fantastic story telling. This is my favourite Mitchell book, definitely better than Cloud Atlas which I also loved.
(Amy notes: I’m pretty sure that I’m the one who introduced David to this very fine author!)
Nora Webster by Colm Toibin
This is a beautifully written quiet story about a 45-year-old recently widowed woman living in Ireland (County Wexford) who is conflicted by her need for privacy and the needs of her 4 children, and the attentions of her neighbours and friends. The time is the late 1960s, with approaching social and political changes. Nora is complex, often prickly and usually blunt – a fascinating character.
The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami
A sweeping story of a multi-generational Indian family near Madras: a mean-spirited mother of two, a spinster daughter aged 42 and the older brother Sripathi who is the major figure in this story. Sripathi is married with a stay-at-home son and an estranged daughter living in Vancouver. Sripathi is angry is angry with life: his job; corruption in India; but his major disappointment is his family relationships, in particular his daughter who defied him by rejecting an arranged marriage. All live in a single big house that is decaying literally. A very important element in this book is dealing with change, their declining standard of living. When their estranged daughter is killed in a traffic accident, the 7-year-old grand-daughter (who they have never met) comes to live with them, a fourth generation, forcing them to cope (poorly) with even more change. This is a very fine book about India.
Note: this book is also from the CBC list mentioned above. And later was in the 2016 CBC Canada Reads list)
The Cure For Death By Lightning by Gail Anderson-Dargatz
This is a remarkable book, told in the voice of 14 year-old Beth who is growing up in rural B.C. in the early 1940s. There is exceptional detail in the writing, ranging from the recipes and remedies in her mother’s scrapbook to farming details like milking cows and separating the milk. There is also a very strong magical/mystical element. But be warned, there is some very unpleasant detail, described in a completely understated manner. So, highly recommended but with a warning.
Note: this book is from the CBC list: 100 novels that make you proud to be a Canadian, a superb reading list.
All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki
Who knew that a book about Idaho potato farming could be compelling! Rich characters: people who make poor choices (consistently), sleazy scumbags, radical environmentalists. This is not as good as A Tale For The Time Being, but is a fine read.
What David Read 