This is one of McEwan’s best books, one that should be read slowly to savour his exceptional writing. In 2014, an acclaimed poet reads a new poem dedicated to his wife on her birthday, at a dinner party in England. But the poem is never published and so is lost. Over the next 100 years, the world undergoes a collapse of civilization with cataclysmic climate change exacerbated by nuclear wars. So in 2119, an academic in a Humanities Department discovers an astonishing clue in surviving archives. Thus a literary thriller about life and love provides profound insight into human nature.
Category: Genre
Bury Our Bones In The Midnight Soil – V.E. Schwab
Ms. Schwab (author of the fantastic The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue) has created an epic story of three women vampires that unfolds over 500 years! Of course, there is graphic blood lust and killing, but also interesting group dynamics, learned restraint, and conflicted love. Thus there is both monstrosity and humanity; a haunting and worthwhile story about cruelty, grace, jealousy and yes, immortality. Finally, this story of three vampires in contemporary Boston evolves into a pursuit thriller. Truly, a must-read book that I could not put down, so highly recommended.
My Name Is Emilia Del Valle – Isabel Allende
Another excellent novel of historical fiction by Ms. Allende. Emilia is born in San Francisco in 1886 after her Irish mother was abandoned after a brief affair with a Chilean aristocrat. She grows up to become a strong self-sufficient young woman and an independent thinker. She begins to write pulp fiction and then turns to journalism, all using a male pen name. In 1891, she travels to Chile and becomes embroiled in a brutal civil war. Her war experiences are truly harrowing; overall, this novel is spellbinding.
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.
Pick A Colour – Souvankham Thammavongsa
Remarkably, this first novel has been Giller short-listed. Importantly, there is much left unsaid in this accounting of a single day in a Nail Salon in an unnamed city. The three manicurists speak an unnamed language that allows them to talk and gossip freely about their clients. The owner Ning is an self-contained observer, so there is a seductive intimacy to common events. Overall, masterful writing as one might anticipate from a former Giller winner for short stories (How To Pronounce Knife).
Lullabies For Little Criminals – Heather O’Neill
This is Ms. O’Neill’s first novel, written almost 20 years ago and winner of Canada Reads in 2007. Baby is a 12-13-year-old girl living in Montreal with her single father Jules who is entirely irresponsible. Thus, O’Neill captures the exuberance of youth, with some breathtaking bad choices and the absolute lack of a moral compass. This is really a story of a life on the street, completely without self pity. Be advised: this is a gritty story with danger and extreme cruelties, and some sickening realities of feral children and their reckless decisions. A must read.
Valentine in Montreal – Heather O’Neill
This exquisite story was created first as weekly installments in the Montreal Gazette. Valentine was orphaned at age 7 and raised by her grandmother in an apartment connected to the Montreal Metro system. Now age 24, she works at a Berri-UQAM depanneur. A chance encounter with her doppelganger leads to an adventure with the Russian mafia, a composer and a ballet dancer, and even a musical cricket, and there are stops at Metro stations. O’Neill’s fabulous prose creates a fable-like atmosphere, with beautiful illustrations by daughter Arizona.
The Paris Express – Emma Donoghue
In 1895, the Paris Express train begins a 7-hour trip to Paris. Donoghue writes with impeccable detail about the operation of the train but also about the passengers in first- second- and third-class carriages separated by wealth and status. What if an anarchist with a bomb is one of the passengers? Is this train rushing to a catastrophe? So the story shifts from historical fiction to become a thriller. Thus, a story that is impossible to stop reading – highly recommended.
The Book Of Records – Madeleine Thien
Full disclosure: this magnificent book is difficult to describe and, for me, a challenge to read but it is a totally rewarding experience. First, there is Ms. Thien’s exquisite writing. And second, the story is a blend of historical fiction and fantasy. Most of the book takes place in The Sea, an enclave for people in transition, on the way to a “better” place. Lina arrives at age 7 from China with her ailing father, and experiences a fluidity of time with other residents who represent the poet Du Fu, the philosopher Spinoza, and the writer Hannah Arendt. So there is storytelling with sublime writing about such diverse topics as lens grinding (Spinoza) and a breath-taking escape from Europe by Hannah in 1941. So, accept a challenge to read about philosophy – you will be richly rewarded.
What David Read 