Subtitle: a memoir of self-discovery. Harry/Harrison is a black child who is adopted by a white evangelical couple in Abbotsford, the BC bible belt. What follows is indoctrination by home-schooling and church fundamentalism, tent revivals, and demon possession and oppression. What is African is explicitly evil. What an adopted Black child learns is shame, confusion and suspicion, and thus is rendered invisible. Can mixed race adoptions ever be successful? Thanks Amy, for this thoughtful memoir.
Category: Genre
Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver
This fascinating book is a retelling of the classic Dickens’ David Copperfield, transposed to contemporary times in rural Appalachia. Demon/Damon has a teenage single mother who subsequently dies. Thus, the story contains crushing poverty, mean-spirited foster care and an indifferent social services system. Most compelling, however, is the descent into addictions prompted by the (mis)use of oxycontin. The perils of Demon’s journey to maturity are profound, given his perception of his own invisibility. Highly recommended.
My Murder – Katie Williams
What an interesting premise for a murder mystery: Lou/Louise, a wife and mother of a toddler, is murdered by a serial killer, and then resurrected by cloning, masterminded by the resurrection committee. But there are unsettling discrepancies between the before and after. What if the murder you have to solve is your own? And of course, VR games are a complicating factor. Overall, a very original and startling book.
The Cloisters – Katy Hays
Context is everything in this fine first novel. The Cloisters is a gothic museum of medieval, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Researchers search for 15th century tarot cards used for divination – telling the future had been the original purpose of these cards. There is a murder, of course, and academic obsession. What is fate and what is choice? Sinister secrets abound and the ending is especially seductive.
East Side Story – Growing Up At The PNE – Nick Marino
This is a sentimental history of the Pacific National Exhibition site, in particular its working class East Side aesthetic. The story is based on personal experiences as a summer employee at the fairground as a 12–17-year-old, plus interviews to obtain anecdotes and historical information about the 17 days of the fair, plus year-round Playland activity and sporting events and concerts at the Empire Stadium and Coliseum. Overall, the PNE was a place for scammers and dreamers.
The Ink Black Heart – Robert Galbraith
Be advised that this 6th book about the London PIs Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott is long (>1000 pages), but given that RG is the pseudonym for JK Rowling, there is impeccable (and necessary) detail. The often-seedy online world and a complex collection of anonymous Twitter aliases creates a real-world story with two murders and multiple conflicts to navigate. Robin and Cormoran’s formidable powers of deduction are tested but their personal chemistry remains deliciously complicated.
Pageboy – Elliot Page
This memoir is subject to the general caveat of a story based on memory. Nevertheless, what is striking in Page’s writing is the brutal honesty. There is shame and self-disgust, fear and panic, confusion and angst that is accentuated by having a public persona as an actor. The book is presented with a non-linear timeline, consistent with memory. There are two dominant narratives: coming out as queer in 2014 at age 28, and then acting on severe gender dysphoria to be transmasculine. Overall, a well-written journey of love, discovery and eventual strength.
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.
The Twist Of A Knife – Anthony Horowitz
A perfectly silly but completely enjoyable murder mystery. As always, context is everything – the London Theatre world. When a nasty theatre critic is murdered, all evidence points to the writer of the play that has been savaged by a review. With the dogged persistence of a detective, much is learned. And as a nod to Agatha Christie, all the suspects are brought together for the big reveal. Overall, the author is a master of misdirection.
What David Read 