Dear Haider is a debut novel by Lili Zeng. It is told in the first person by Elizabeth or “Liz” as she prefers to be called, a 20-year-old Chinese-Canadian woman living in Montreal who is spending her summer doing a paid internship in Germany. An only child, and a musical prodigy, she was never quite … Continue reading Dear Haider by Lili Zeng (Baraka Books)
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
Three new novels from three established Nova Scotian authors. This is Becca Babcock's second book - I wrote about her first book here. This is Lesley Crewe's trillionth book - I wrote about her last book here. Leo McKay's debut story collection was shortlisted for the 1995 Giller Prize. I wrote about his self-published novel … Continue reading Three from Nimbus Publishing: Lesley Crewe, Leo McKay Jr., and Becca Babcock
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
The Little Brudders of Misericorde is one of those unique books that I so enjoy reading. And that I'm grateful to the publisher (Tidewater Press) for sending to me--like so many other books on this blog--otherwise it might have fallen through the cracks. Spence is feeling isolated after his big move to Montreal from Vancouver, … Continue reading The Little Brudders of Misericorde by David M. Wallace
Rosa's Very Own Personal Revolution by Eric Dupont, translated by Peter McCambridge Eric Dupont seems to have his own distinct writing style. Like Songs for the Cold of Heart, Rosa--while not quite as epic--is whimsical and entertaining. Rosa grows up in a small village on the Gaspe Peninsula - isolated enough to have developed their … Continue reading QC Fiction: Eric Dupont and Vincent Brault
If you ever feel you're in the mood for something completely absurd, out of this world (but in it), something that will make you laugh, wonder what the heck is going on, and reflect on the author's wild imagination, Dirty Birds is your book. All Milton Ontario wants is to spread his wings; leave his … Continue reading Dirty Birds by Morgan Murray
I absolutely loved this story about three Nigerian women who "must address the wounds of the past if they are to reconcile and move forward." The story is narrated by each of the women, alternately. Kambirinachi Kambirinachi believes she is an Ogbanje--"a spirit that plagues a family with grief by dying repeatedly in childhood and … Continue reading Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
The High-Rise in Fort Fierce by Paul Carlucci (Goose Lane Editions) I feel like I read this book ages ago now - I better hurry up and write about it before I forget why I loved it so much. Obvious reasons: The High-Rise in Fort Fierce is made up of interconnecting stories about residents of … Continue reading Linked Story Collections: Paul Carlucci and Martine Desjardins
This is the second book by Catherine Leroux I've read. The first was The Party Wall, which the Shadow Giller jury (of which I am one) chose as their 2016 winner. In both cases I have found that Leroux's books are not just well-written stories (although they are that, too)... they are also cleverly imagined … Continue reading Madame Victoria by Catherine Leroux, translated by Lazer Lederhendler
Consumed by Ink 