Canada Reads 2016: Book #2: The Hero's Walk

This year's Canada Reads theme is Starting Over.

Anita Rau Badami's novel is not only about starting over; it is a story of hope, renewal, forging on, and looking to the future. 

Here's a brief summary from Goodreads.com:

As The Hero's Walk opens, Sripathi's life is already in a state of thorough disrepair. His mother, a domineering, half-senile octogenarian, sits like a tyrant at the top of his household, frightening off his sister's suitors, chastising him for not having become a doctor, and brandishing her hypochondria and paranoia with sinister abandon. It is Sripathi's children, however, who pose the biggest problems: Arun, his son, is becoming dangerously involved in political activism, and Maya, his daughter, broke off her arranged engagement to a local man in order to wed a white Canadian. Sripathi's troubles come to a head when Maya and her husband are killed in an automobile accident, leaving their 7- year-old daughter, Nandana, without Canadian kin. Sripathi travels to Canada and brings his granddaughter home, while his family is shaken by a series of calamities that may, eventually, bring peace to their lives.  

A strand of Jasmine flower

This novel was a pleasure to read. It is beautifully written with rich, complicated characters. They are well developed and help create interest. There is a gentle plot that is enriched with a few other captivating sub-plots. Badami develops great setting: I could almost smell the strands of jasmine blossom and feel the breeze out on Sripathi's veranda. And while the initial conflict of the death of Sripathi's daughter is a tragedy, the novel does not wallow in doom and gloom.

It's a great read, and entertaining. 

One of the most beautiful scenes is that of the turtles laying eggs on the beach.

When I was a child, my best friends mother told us stories of her as a young girl in Pakistan and how her family would go to the beach to watch the turtles lay their eggs. 

All the Light We Cannot See

2015 Winner of the Pulitzer

What a way to start our 2016 Book Club reading.

We were really fortunate to have chosen All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

Here's a quick summary:

"From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. 

When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge." 


http://www.anthonydoerr.com/books/all-the-light-we-cannot-see/

The book club's discussion today was very fruitful too. Of all attendees, only one hadn't read the novel...Most of the other ladies enjoyed it thoroughly.

The Author...Hope He's Busy Writing
More Fiction for ME!!!

Perfect Place for This Perfect Book

We agreed that is was a rich story that was cleverly woven together. The shifts in time were interesting, and the wide range of characters with different experiences and perspectives was fascinating.

The only lady that didn't enjoy it, indicated that she had heard many stories about traumas of WW2, and as such, didn't enjoy the story. She also mentioned that her reading of the story was often interrupted. In my opinion, it's hard to enjoy any novel that requires some attentive reading if you are constantly having to put it down and attend to other things.

Personally, I devoured this novel over the Christmas break and savoured the last 40-50 pages on the trip down to Playa Del Carmen in Mexico.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch--The Painting that is used
as the novel's central theme 

If I could only take 3 books with me to a deserted island for a one year stint, one of those books would surely be The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. This novel is not to be missed, and is so rich with detail and plot, that it could be re-read and enjoyed anew many, many times over.


Here's a summary by Goodreads:

It begins with a boy. Theo Decker, a thirteen-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his unbearable longing for his mother, he clings to one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.
As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love-and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

Here is the author speaking about her novel:

Notice in the painting above: The goldfinch sits on a perch and is trapped by a delicate but undeniable chain on his right claw. The Goldfinch somehow is able to chain Theo Decker throughout his life also. Loved it. It's winding and  fraught with tension. The characters are well developed and the settings are so well drawn that you can almost smell and taste them. The writing is beautiful, and insightful. It is memorable and certainly one that I recommend.  

The Book Thief Stole My Heart

The last novel for the year for my monthly book club, and I believe we may have saved the best for last with The Book Thief.

Summary thanks to Goodreads:

"It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still. By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found. But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jewish fist-fighter in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and closed down."

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.  The group discussed this novel over lunch at our annual Christmas Book Exchange party. The vast majority of the ladies loved it, finding little fault with the writing or the gripping story.

I thought that it read like poetry at times; Zusak's prose is so beautiful. With Death as the narrator, The Book Thief is a creative and unique wartime story was written from the perspective of a young German girl.

Here is the author with his thoughts:

This novel should be mandatory reading in high school. It is not to be missed. 

The Shipping News for a Second Time!

My family and I traveled to Newfoundland for a summer vacation this year. In preparation for this trip, I began to re-read this lovely novel that takes place in a small fictional fishing village. As a rule, I do not read a novel twice: there are too many books and just not enough time. But I made an exception on this one, and I'm glad that I did.

From my journal entry in May of 1995, I read Annie Proux's Pulitzer Prize winner and enjoyed it.  As  previously mentioned, I have kept a journal of my reading since January 1989.  It was great to flip back through the pages an find my note on this great book. Here's what I said about this novel nearly 20 years ago:

"A fabulous read about a small family that leaves their painful life in the US, and makes the small town life of Newfoundland their new home.  The story centres around the father Quoyle, who works at a small local newspaper covering the comings and goings of fishing boats in and around the island.

It's a terrific look at life in a small, isolated fishing village. There's a great perspective, since the novel is written from the outsiders point of view...like standing outside a cosy, warm home and watching a pleasant scene."

Now that I have visited Newfoundland, my second reading of this lovely novel was much enriched. References to fishing activities and coastal ways of live make more sense. I feel like I might have passed through Quoyle's adopted fishing village, and I know how the island looks when the fog rolls in. I understand what a salt box home is, and I have stood on a fishing slip. Here are a few of my pictures to Newfoundland, which might interest you and lead you to read this Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

Claudio and Trinity, Trinity Bay

Tiny Fishing Village in the Trinity Bay area

Near Bonavista

Trinity at Dusk

Woody Point, Gros Morne National Park

Old Saltbox Home at Woody Point

Socks for Sale at Trout River

Time with Dad in Twillingate 

"Iceberg Straight Ahead"

Low Tide in Wesleyville

Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones--Forgot to post…but here it is anyway!

Here's a summary provided by Goodreads:

On a copper-rich tropical island shattered by war, where the teachers have fled with most everyone else, only one white man chooses to stay behind: the eccentric Mr. Watts, object of much curiosity and scorn, who sweeps out the ruined schoolhouse and begins to read to the children each day from Charles Dickens's classic Great Expectations.
So begins this rare, original story about the abiding strength that imagination, once ignited, can provide. As artillery echoes in the mountains, thirteen-year-old Matilda and her peers are riveted by the adventures of a young orphan named Pip in a city called London, a city whose contours soon become more real than their own blighted landscape. As Mr. Watts says, “A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe.” Soon come the rest of the villagers, initially threatened, finally inspired to share tales of their own that bring alive the rich mythology of their past. But in a ravaged place where even children are forced to live by their wits and daily survival is the only objective, imagination can be a dangerous thing.

So, my mother recommended this novel to me as a charming and heart warming read. For the most part (with a few glaring exceptions), we have similar taste in reading. But on this one, I have to say that it left me flat.

Now, I admit that I do most of my pleasure reading before signing off for the night. There are times in my life, when I fall into be, and really shouldn't be allowed to read. It is in these exhausted stupors that I read and (perhaps) don't see the novel in it's best light. I will not deny that this could be the case here, but here's what I didn't enjoy about the novel.

First, I thought that some of the characters were simplistic. The bible thumping mother…The white english teacher…

[SORRY…I WAS INTERRUPTED ON THIS BLOG ENTRY, AND NEVER FINISHED IT UP. NOW I CAN'T REMEMBER ENOUGH OF THE BOOK TO COMPLETE IT! I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT LIKE THIS CUZ IT'S MY BLOG, SO I CAN!!!]

Book Club Exchange and Update

I've been a bit slow to blog lately, mostly due to the busy holiday season that is upon us. But also, I have been working to learn how to crochet lately. I got it in my head that I wanted to learn, so I shared a cup of tea with my friend Karen, and after a few bumps in the road, she got me going in no time.

I'm proud to say that I've made a few hats and a head band, and I am frantically finishing a bunny and his carrot home--Alex, my son requested this one! It should be done this evening, and safely under the tree for tomorrow night.

I have updated my Book Club's reading list for 2014. If you scroll down, you will find on the left side of the screen, a widget that lists our reading for the upcoming year. We had a great book exchange meeting early on in December. I received A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett. I will be sure to get to it early this year.

My gift from the Book Club 

(Just finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, so I'll be reviewing it very shortly.)

I wanted to share a few random snaps from around town:

My local library's idea of a Christmas Tree. I love it!!!

My Friend Kim's idea of a Christmas Tree (It's Jack Daniels)

My Kids love when I set up my Christmas Village

I took my daughter Abi down to the CBC radio open house called Sounds of the Season earlier this year. She loved seeing how radio is made.  They had a display of the 5 finalists for Canada Reads. Here they are:

I am going to try to read these before the jury debates and selection. I have already read Half-Blood Blues, and will continue with Annabel next.

Also while shopping at VV, I found a quirky looking book that I bought solely based on it's cover: Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. Not sure what it's about, but I want to give it a go!

Looks Like a Bit of Fun!

RU by Kim Thuy

Not sure if it's a subliminal message, but I almost forgot to review RU by Kim Thuy.  Finished it last week, in preparation for my book club meeting in December.

Called a novel, but really only a novella at a "whopping" 140 pages, this autobiographical work tells of Thuy's experiences from Vietnamese childhood through to her immigration to Quebec.

Stylistically, it is not a chronological presentation. The narrative thread jumps back and forth through time, and skips from topic to topic between pages. Many of the pages are a simple paragraph or two on an isolated topic.

It could be read as poetry. Not sure…I think that would have been more fair to the reader who struggles to bring it all together as a logical narrative.

Winner of the Governor Generals award. Who am I to disagree? 

The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy



This novel was one of my reading group's selections. Each year we try to use the Vaughan Public Library's book club reading list to cut down on the number of books that we are forced to purchase. As it turned out VPL had a set of Wayson Choy's The Jade Peony, so we were in luck.

I've read several novels about the Japanese experience of internment in Canada during the second world war, and I found this novel interesting because it depicted the experience of being Chinese during this difficult time in Canadian history. It was an interesting opportunity to examine these events from a different, and threatened perspective.

Here's a quick summary of Choy's novel (thanks to Good Reads):

Author Wayson Choy

Chinatown, Vancouver, in the late 1930s and '40s provides the backdrop for this poignant first novel, told through the vivid reminiscences of the three younger children of an immigrant Chinese family. The siblings grapple with their individual identities in a changing world, wresting autonomy from the strictures of history, family, and poverty. Sister Jook-Liang dreams of becoming Shirley Temple and escaping the rigid, old ways of China. Adopted Second Brother Jung-Sum, struggling with his sexuality and the trauma of his childhood in China, finds his way through boxing. Third Brother Sekky, who never feels comfortable with the multitude of Chinese dialects swirling around him, becomes obsessed with war games, and learns a devastating lesson about what war really means when his 17-year-old babysitter dates a Japanese man.

Mingling with life in Canada and the horror of war are the magic, ghosts, and family secrets of Poh-Poh, or Grandmother, who is the heart and pillar of the family. Side by side, her three grandchildren survive hardships and heartbreaks with grit and humor. Like the jade peony of the title, Choy's storytelling is at once delicate, powerful, and lovely.

The Jade Peony was selected by the Literary Review of Canada as one of the "100 Most Important Books in Canadian History" in 2005. It was also an American Library Association Notable Book of the Year in 1998, and was winner of the 1995 Trillium Award (shared with Margaret Atwood).



The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Happy Easter to All!

This short film (15 minutes) is truly touching. The "short" won the Oscar this year, and I can see why.

I happily shared it with my 5 year old, and he couldn't stop watching it either. 

 Enjoy the story, it's beautiful.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Lemmon

As you may know from previous posts, I recently went on vacation with my family for two weeks. We had a lovely time in Florida, and on a Royal Carribean Cruise. It was truly a beautiful break away. In preparing from our trip, I chose to bring the following books: Mockingbird, Half Blood Blues and Dressmaker of Khair Khana. I read them in this order, and WOW, was it great to finish with such and incredible book!

A  Fabulous Read...
Couldn't Put it Down!

Gayle Lemmon's non-fiction Dressmaker of Khair Khana is spectacular. I couldn't put it down! Ironically, I contributed this book to my Book Club's Christmas Book Exchange party. My friend Anna ended up selecting it, and she tore through it in only a few days. She gladly lent it to me for my vacation, and I'm sure that she knew I would love it!

This is the true story of five sisters living in Kabul, Afghanistan during the invasion by the Taliban in the late 1990's.  Kamila, the industrious leader of the household is determined to earn a living and provide food and shelter for her siblings. Although the Taliban's rigid Sharea laws forbid women to work or attend school, they are forced to use the chadri in public and are not to leave their homes unless escorted by a man. Women are not allowed to speak to men, listen to music, show any of their skin in public.

Kamila Sidiqi: The Dressmaker

Dressmaker showed me how industrious women can be when they are challenged by the system. They find ways to feed and educate their families. They see the obligation to work for the betterment of their society.

Woman Wearing Chadri

The PBS article covering this book is worth a read: PBS Article on Dressmaker.

I was so disappointed in the Canada Reads competition, that eliminated this book so early on in the first round of debates. I think it should be used in schools to educate our youth on the differences that women and children face in different cultures.

I highly recommend this book. It's a MUST READ.

Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

Choosing my traveling novels is a task that I relish. On vacation, I want to be engaged, entertained, and stimulated. I'm not going to read David Baldacci or the likes...I'll just end up snoozing with the book balancing on my nose!!! (although it seemed like half the ship was reading Baldacci or Koontz...ugh.) So this year, I was excited to take Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan on vacation with me.

Being 2011's Giller Prize winner, Half Blood Blues is historical fiction set in the mid 1930's as the German's were gearing up for the Second World War. It is the story of several black German jazz musicians, and what they face as citizens of Germany, who don't fit the mould of Nazi Germany.

Esi Edugyan accepting the 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize
for her novel Half-Blood Blues.

Similar to many musicians, they are most concerned with producing music. Bringing excellent talent together to perform and record is their main focus. They know that the political climate of their country is changing, and they begin to understand that it is best to flee the rising intolerant government.

After much struggle, they secure false passports that will allow them safe passage to France. But once they get to France, they are almost immediately greeted with the German invasion of Paris.

This novel is an exciting look at the lives of black German citizens. (I am embarrassed to admit that I had no idea that there was a black population in Germany during the war.) It showed me a part of history that I did not know existed, and I am glad to have read this novel because I now realise that WW2 represented the plight of so many diverse groups. It is a well written novel by Canadian Esi Edugyan, and I look forward to reading more from her. Here she is reading from her novel and speaking about the writing process...Click on the video thumbnail.

If you'd like to learn more about this exciting author, click on the following link: More info on Esi Edugyan's work. 

Mockingbird...Verdict's In!

Mockingbird, Abi and Me in Lauderdale by the Sea
 Feb 2012

Just back from a 2 week vacation in Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida and I was able to relax, get some sun, play with the kids, and read 3 books! The perfect break!


To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is March's Book Club selection so I started with it. As you may already know (for a previous post), I was not looking forward to reading it again. I had read it in high school, (like most Canadian teenagers do) and I don't remember it being one of my favorites.

This novel is hailed as one of America's greatest works, and I often cringe when this kind of tag line is handed out. When I first read it as a fifteen year old, I was fascinated by the reclusive neighbour "Boo" Radley. I remember wanting to know about the strange man who lived next door and who's mere existence terrified everyone.


Having read it again at 41, I see that Lee's novel captures a feeling of social tension and oppression in the deep south during the 1930's. Through the eyes of a young girl, we see a black man stand trial for a rape that his does not commit, and yet is ultimately convicted.  Atticus, the defending attorney and father of "Scout", represents the moral standard that is revered by all. He remains aloof of the community's weaknesses and personifies justice and tolerance.

Harper Lee in the Court House, Alabama

Written in 1960, Lee's novel is a social commentary that is intended for the current state of racial tension in the USA. Although she sets the novel in the south during the 1930's, her message is clearly geared to the racial tensions of 1960 is the US.

Well, here's where I say what I think...I agree that the message that Lee puts forth is incredibly important: it was important in 1960 and it continues to be important. Mockingbird is an enjoyable read, but it's simplistic and in relation to today's fiction, I found it simplistic. It's not one of my favorites, but it's worth a read.

Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Bush
(he seems to be having a hard time with it!)

Lee won the Pultizer for Mockingbird, but I think the success of this novel was a real curse for her. She attempted but never published again, and found herself living in the shadow of her first work. Nonetheless, she continues to be celebrated as a monumental author.


My bet is that Bush has never read it!!!

To Kill a Mockingbird...Will it Kill Me?!?

Sorry. I'm going to admit this right off: I'm not looking forward to reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It' March's book for my book club meeting, and I am really dreading it. Why you ask?

Well, I read this book in high school, and if I recall correctly I enjoyed it. Since then, Oprah has done a number on books, and the world has gone crazy for lists like the "Best Books Ever" or the "Top 10 Books of all Time". Yikes. Does that ever drive me crazy. First, who has the authority to determine the "best" books? Regularly, when they do surveys and collect everyone's vote, this book often comes out on top. Why I ask?

OK, so I'm sure it's noteworthy, but the "Best Book of All Times"? My theory is this: I think most people have read so few novels, that when they are asked what their favorite book is they really only remember one or two from high school. This novel is often voted as the best book because those that are voting haven't read anything else.

So that's my personal rant. I'd love to hear from anyone with another opinion. I will read Mockingbird, and I will journal my thoughts. I hope that it's great...I'm leery that it will even be in my top 20. Let's see!

The Sisters Brothers--Prize Winner for a Good Reason

BTW: Happy New Year to All! All the Best for 2012...

Just finished Patrick DeWitt"s The Sisters Brothers, winner of the Governor General's Literary Award in 2011 for Canadian Fiction.  I typically enjoy reading the GG Award winner's, and this novel is no exception.

The Sisters Brothers is a very creative story of two brothers who are hired killers (hitmen) in the wild Western Gold Rush era. The main plot is that the two Sister Brothers must find a prospector in California, steal his secret gold finding technology, and kill him. They leave their home town in Oregon City and travel south to San Fransisco. On the way they have many adventures and challenges.

Although I have been told that this is a "western" style novel, I would really hesitate to label this work as a western. There`s a lot more going on than your typical shoot `em up novel. It's central characters, Charlie and Eli, are very well constructed. We understand their personalities and quickly learn to see events from their perspectives.

Through DeWitt`s seemingly effortless writing, he creates a highly entertaining and well written story.  But where many easy reads become mindless, this novel is very engaging and substantial. There are gun fights, whore houses, horse chases, and tense show downs...All great, fun scenes. However, the central protagonist continually struggles with his chosen field of work. Eli is lonely and sick of killing people for his boss, the Commodore. He yearns for closeness and friendship. He struggles with his thought of leaving this work and building a new lifestyle with his brother. He feels trapped, and unable to break away from a life of crime.

I have also included a review by The Globe and Mails Robert Wiersema, who provides greater detail and insight:


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/the-sisters-brothers-by-patrick-dewitt/article555760/

DeWitt has also written a critically acclaimed novel Alutions, which I hope to read in the future.

Thanks to Franca for lending this novel to me. It was her choice of books in the Christmas book exchange. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did!