The Way I Feel by Susan White (Acorn Press) The Way I Feel is Susan White's thirteenth book (8 YA and 5 adult), and this is the first one I've read. The premise of The Way I Feel is what made me pick up this book. It's about a middle-aged woman who suddenly packs up … Continue reading From the Library: a runaway mother, a returned daughter, and secret short stories
I was so happy to be back at Mavillette Beach, after Jennie Morrow took me there in her book Bird Shadows. Situated along the French Shore of Nova Scotia, I spent many summer days there, sometimes in the thick fog--so thick you couldn't see the waterline from where you were sitting if the tide was … Continue reading Nothing In Truth Can Harm Us by Colleen René
This set of four fabulous books are all about women, written by women. Three are historical: sisters live hard in ancient Rome, a daughter goes missing in 1962 Maine, and mothers and daughter clash in 1930s Vancouver. Comedy and death are a perfect pairing in Catherine Newman's book featuring a woman who covers all the … Continue reading From the Library: sisters, friends, mothers, and daughters
The Gunsmith's Daughter by Margaret Sweatman It's 1971 and Lilac Welsh is 18-years-old. She lives in an isolated location near Winnipeg, Manitoba with her parents. Her father--Kal--who was a professor of psychology, was severely injured in Vietnam in 1961, after which he moved his family to this isolated location and became very successful creating fire … Continue reading Two from Gooselane Editions: ‘The Gunsmith’s Daughter’ and ‘This Is the House That Luke Built’
Three of these books are by Nova Scotian authors and one is from Newfoundland. All focus mainly on female characters: mothers, daughters, sisters, neighbours, friends, and even a wellness guru. The Remembering by Susan Sinnott (Nimbus Publishing) The Remembering is about a family in St. John's, Newfoundland. St. John's takes a central place in their … Continue reading From the Library: motherhood, family, girlhood, and wellness
Confessions With Keith is a perfect palate cleanser to something heavy. Written as journal entries by a 40-something woman with a rocky marriage and four busy children, it reminded me of an older, more mature Bridget Jones. Vita is trying to create a writing career while raising four children, and working around a husband who … Continue reading Confessions With Keith by Pauline Holdstock
I flew through this book by Jennifer Dance. It's very readable with wide audience appeal, about family and real family struggles. The story is told through alternating narratives. It begins with Mary as she is admitting to herself that she has Alzheimer's and is trying to write about her past before it's too late. When … Continue reading Gone But Still Here by Jennifer Dance
Contemporary fiction set in Newfoundland and historical fiction set in Nova Scotia. What more could you want? The Wards by Terry Doyle (Breakwater Books) This is my type of book. An ordinary family, characters you get to know so well that you're never surprised by their actions, even when their actions surprise you. The Wards … Continue reading ‘The Wards’ by Terry Doyle and ‘Birth Road’ by Michelle Wamboldt
Four incredible books from Atlantic Canada: one from Newfoundland and three from Nova Scotia. Gruesome murders, foster homes (for both two-legged and four-legged creatures), mothers and sons in critical conditions, a cast of furry (and feathered) characters, and #Snowmageddon. Beneath Her Skin by C.S. Porter (Nimbus Publishing) I don't usually read crime novels, but this … Continue reading From the Library: Lisa Moore, Nicola Davison, Chad Lucas, and C.S. Porter
This book surprised me with its complexity of familial relationships and marriage; the perspectives we have of ourselves versus the ones others have of us. The Winter-Blooming Tree focuses in on the Neiderhauser family in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. [The setting made me realize how few books I've read set in Saskatchewan. I learned that Humboldt--named for … Continue reading The Winter-Blooming Tree by Barbara Langhorst
Consumed by Ink 