In which I talk about the final installment of Andre Alexis' Quincunx, the final Giller shortlisted book, the latest from a prolific Nova Scotian author, and the debut of another. Ring by Andre Alexis I think many Andre Alexis fans have been anxiously awaiting the fifth book in his Quincunx. On the other hand, I … Continue reading From the Library: Love, Letters, and Listeners
As with Genevieve Graham's novel, Come From Away, A Circle on the Surface is inspired by the rumours of German U-Boat sailors coming ashore along Canada's east coast during the Second World War. The heart of the novel, of course, is not about German soldiers, but of a marriage and how it is impacted by … Continue reading A Circle on the Surface by Carol Bruneau
Previously, I have read Genevieve Graham's Tides of Honour, which is a love story set during WWI and the Halifax Explosion. Come From Away takes place during WWII, a generation later. Danny and Audrey Baker's children are grown - their three boys away fighting in the war and their daughter, Grace, at home with them. … Continue reading Come From Away by Genevieve Graham
I read The End of Music shortly after reading Most Anything You Please. Both are set in Newfoundland, both involve music as an important part of the characters' stories, and both are set (at least partly) during the war and post-war years. They share many similarities, yet are very different. Where Most Anything You Please … Continue reading The End of Music by Jamie Fitzpatrick
Why do we read war novels? What do we get out of them? One of the reasons I love them is for the history. Each war novel adds to my knowledge of the various wars I've read about. I am always amazed by how much there is still to learn. I also like novels that … Continue reading A Beckoning War by Matthew Murphy
Although these books are both set during WWII, they are completely different from one another. They are also both completely wonderful. Read them! The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne Like everyone else, I read Boy in the Striped Pajamas when it first came out. But then I forgot all about … Continue reading Summer Reading: ‘The Boy at the Top of the Mountain’ and ‘City of Thieves’
Back in May, our book club read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and we all loved it. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells the story of the evacuation and internment camps of the Japanese-Americans during WWII. What I love about this one is that it's told through the eyes … Continue reading The Translation of Love by Lynne Kutsukake
Everyone knows about the Titanic. And everyone knows about the Lusitania (read Dead Wake if you don't). But, what about the Wilhelm Gustloff? The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff is the "deadliest maritime disaster in history". So, why don't we hear more about it? Over 9,000 people were killed in the disaster, an estimated 5,000 … Continue reading Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
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
Literary Wives is an on-line book club that examines the meaning and role of wife in different books that have the word “wife” in the title. Every other month, we post and discuss a book with these two questions in mind: 1. What does this book say about wives or the experience of being a wife? … Continue reading Literary Wives: The Kitchen God’s Wife
Consumed by Ink 