This was Allende’s first novel, published in 1982, and it represents outstanding story telling. The characters are all so vivid: the mercurial Esteban with his legendary temper; three generations of strong women – Clara (a delightful clairvoyant), Blanca and Alba. The story, of course, shows the evolution of the Chilean tragedy; the last 100 pages gives a brutal account of the coup with all the violence, lies and deceit. A great read.
Category: Location / Setting
Wild Rose by Sharon Butala
Butala
writes wonderfully about the beauty of Saskatchewan, especially her descriptions of the grasslands flowing in the wind (e.g. Perfection of the Morning). This book describes the adventures of a French-Canadian newly-wed couple as they travel west from Quebec to homestead in Saskatchewan in the early 1880s. Butala’s description of the isolation and hardship of homesteading is beautifully written and compelling; the bitter cold of winter is especially evocative. The core of the book is a story of resilience for a headstrong young woman, Sophie. This is a great read. (As an aside, Butala has recently relocated to Calgary).
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25842762-wild-rose
Birdie by Tracey Lindberg
This is a really excellent FIRST novel that was undersold in the recent Canada Reads competition. At its heart, this is a book about sisterhood among disparate characters. It is a gritty story with graphic instances of abuse that understandably produces attachment disorder. The story is non-linear with reality and dissociative dream-like states; Bernice wills herself to disappear at one point. This is an excellent book that everyone should read.
A Week In December by Sebastian Faulks
Faulks is a wonderful writer (Birdsong, On Green Dolphin Street) and his latest book is a worthwhile addition. The premise is simple: a diverse group of people are selected to attend a London party, so the book details the back stories. What is fascinating is the diversity: a Polish footballer playing for a new London team; a pot-head son of someone who is receiving an OBE and who needs a crash course in contemporary literature; a greedy hedge-fund manager (so lots about shady banking), and the list goes on – there is a related story of a woman Underground driver, a literate lawyer, and importantly a radicalized British-Muslim young man so a home-grown terrorist attack is planned. There is a wonderful rant about the decline of teaching in schools and so much more. Such rich story-telling – highly recommended.
The Mountains Can Wait by Sarah Leipciger
There are two fine elements in this book. First, it is a BC book: Prince George, tree planting, Vancouver Island. The description of the physical environment is excellent. And second, this is a guy book, with a well-described look at male relationships, especially a father-son relationship with communication issues at its core. Overall, a very good read.
The Lake House by Kate Morton
This book has been on bestseller lists for a long time so I finally decided to read it, and it is excellent. The story is a cold case mystery covering 70 years, involving a missing boy. The setting is mostly Cornwall with some London interludes, and the story telling switches between 1933 and 2003. The plot progresses in stages, so the slow reveal produces different stages of suspicion. The ending also includes some resolved sub-plots which are a bit predictable, but overall this is a very entertaining read.
Crimes Against My Brother by David Adam Richards
Another is a series of DAR books about the Mirimachi River area of New Brunswick, and like the others, this latest book is angst-filled. Friendships are countered by rumour, lies and deceit to create a vicious and manipulative environment. One of the chief characteristics in this story is that key people make incredibly bad decisions. So overall, a nasty story but compelling.
The Hesitation Cut by Giles Blunt
GB is a well-known Canadian mystery writer for the Detective John Cardinal series of books set in Algonquin Bay. The Hesitation Cut is entirely different, an extraordinary book from a psychological point-of-view: a story about obsession and an honest depiction of how prolonged despair can lead to suicide. Not a fun book but a worthwhile read.
Landing Gear by Kate Pullinger
This book was on the CBC Canada Reads Long List. It is a fascinating story of a man who literally falls out of the sky onto a car in a parking lot, and the aftermath on a family in a London suburb. This seems an unlikely premise for a story but suspend disbelief and you will enjoy this book. KP previously wrote the very satisfying Mistress of Nothing, and I enjoyed listening to her talk at the Calgary Writer’s Fest in October 2014.
What David Read 