The story of Irish immigrants to NY tenements in the 1920s. Parents and siblings die in a fire so Niamh/Dorothy/Vivian at age 9 is loaded onto the orphan train and sent to the mid-west for hopeful adoption which generally becomes indentured servitude. The story is told as 1929-1943 flashbacks as the 91 year old Vivian is telling her story in 2011 to a contemporary participant in foster care. Parts of the story have a somewhat predictable Charles Dickensian feel, especially of the sad story of hopeless and cruel care at ages 9-10 but overall this is a very satisfying read.
Category: Book themes
Tell by Frances Itani
A beautifully written story in the aftermath of WWI, in particular secrets and silence because of with-holding conversations, and the toxicity of internalizing grief. This is a companion story to Itani’s brilliant earlier novel Deafening. Itani is a Canadian literary treasure.
The Family Fang – Kevin Wilson
A fascinating story about parents and their two children, where the parents create performance pieces that involve their children as important players. The events are usually in public shopping malls. As adults, the children deal with the aftermath of their strange upbringing. The story is really about the power of art when art is in conflict with life and love.
Leaving Tomorrow – David Bergen
This is an insightful and introspective book, typical of Bergen’s novels. The first part of the book is a perfect recounting of growing up in rural Alberta. Arthur describes his influences: isolation, books and school, religion, sibling rivalry, and conversations that leave much more unsaid than stated explicitly. The latter part of the book is a coming-of-age story in Paris. Just an excellent read.
The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even by Chris F. Westbury
Two men with OCD talk endlessly about art, first discussing a sculpture of Abraham and Isaac/Ishmael. But most of the book is about a road trip to Philadelphia to see the Marcel Duchamp art piece (the title of the book). Thus there is much discussion of Duchamp and his art. This book is a total hoot.
The Language Of Flowers – Vanessa Diffenbaugh
This is a brilliant book, one of my best reads in the past 6 months. On one level is is a heart-breaking story of the consequences of growing up in foster care without love and affection, leading to feelings of being unworthy of love and affection (officially, attachment disorder). But this is also a story of redemption through flowers, especially by learning the language of flowers to enhance communication and the understanding of the complexity of relationships. For example, yellow roses means either jealousy or infidelity. The main character, Victoria, is a compelling, angry, destructive and often frustrating character who struggles to forgive and be forgiven. Amazing writing but keep a tissue box nearby!
The Rosie Effect – Graeme Simsion
This is the sequel to The Rosie Project. Don and Rosie are now living in NY. Rosie is pregnant and so Don’s already complicated life becomes even more complex. This book describes a common plot line, when an essentially good person makes a mistake and then covers up, resulting in much confusion.
Note from Amy. David reviewed the Rosie Project earlier in the year.
The Love Story of Miss Queenie Hennessy – Rachel Joyce
This is the companion books to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and is even better. A wistful love story about the power of unrequited love. This is a magnificent, albeit sad, read.
For Today I Am A Boy by Kim Fu
An intriguing first book by a writer I encountered at WordFest, Kim Fu. The story is about 4 siblings in a Chinese-Canadian family, 3 sisters and Peter with emerging trans-gender issues. Beautifully written about a complex issue.
What David Read 