I usually opt for fiction to gain understanding and empathy for topics that are far from my own experience, but sometimes I come across works of nonfiction that are just as moving. I found Homes to be especially powerful, perhaps because the story is told from the perspective of the boy who lived it. In 2010, … Continue reading Refugees: ‘The Boat People’ by Sharon Bala and ‘Homes’ by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah with Winnie Yeung
Tag: memoir
Nobody Cries at Bingo by Dawn Dumont (2011)
Looking for an indigenous book or author who makes you laugh instead of cry? Who is able to poke fun at herself, her family, and life on the Reserve while at the same time so obviously showing her love and pride for the same things? This book quickly wormed its way into my heart and … Continue reading Nobody Cries at Bingo by Dawn Dumont (2011)
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Love and learning are similar, in that they can never be wasted. I could have been a lab girl. Except that I imagined my 'lab' would be the ocean. But after reading Lab Girl, I'm not so sure I would have been cut out for it. The amount of time, energy and dedication that has … Continue reading Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
But You Did Not Come Back: A Memoir of the Holocaust by Marceline Loridan-Ivens
I loved you so much that I was happy to be deported with you. But You Did Not Come Back is Marceline Loridan-Ivens's very personal memoir about her time in the death camps and how it overshadowed the rest of her life. She writes it in the form of a letter to her father who … Continue reading But You Did Not Come Back: A Memoir of the Holocaust by Marceline Loridan-Ivens
A Profession of Hope: Farming on the Edge of the Grizzly Trail by Jenna Butler
My husband and I often talk about living a simpler life; growing a lot of our own food, raising our own chickens, owning less stuff. But, like most people, we find it hard to be serious about making the switch; to give up an already established good life for one that is a big question … Continue reading A Profession of Hope: Farming on the Edge of the Grizzly Trail by Jenna Butler
Drunk Mom by Jowita Bydlowska
I want something. This is no ordinary wanting. This is the wanting that has no end... And there's fear behind the wanting - the fear that if the wanting gets denied there will only be pain and the fear itself left. So, why did I want to read a book about an alcoholic mother? … Continue reading Drunk Mom by Jowita Bydlowska
Naked Imperfection by Gillian Deacon
Gillian Deacon is an award-winning broadcaster for CBC Radio, and an environmental writer and advocate. She is the author of the bestsellers There's Lead in Your Lipstick and Green For Life. She grew up in a home that encouraged always being the best you could be, which is exactly how she decided to live her life. … Continue reading Naked Imperfection by Gillian Deacon
The World’s Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne
This book has been on my to-read list since it first came out. I love the title, and the story of this man's life intrigued me. It took me a while, but I finally got to it. In the meantime, I have seen other great reviews for this book. I've provided links to them at … Continue reading The World’s Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne
Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala
At first I thought that Christmastime wasn't the best time of year to read such a heart-breaking book. Then I realized that, given the day the tsunami occurred, it was the perfect time to read it. Sonali Deraniyagala's entire family was killed in the tsunami of December 26, 2004. This book is her story of how it happened … Continue reading Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala
Consumed by Ink 