By Fayth Simmons
Written in a first person perspective, At Last Count serves as an important narrative portrayal of an underrepresented mental illness in a contemporary, character-driven novel. It is definitively Canadian, and more specifically, Ontarian, and the landscapes and cityscapes of small-town Amherst Island and Toronto are successfully depicted, serving as appropriate backdrops which the narrative rests upon. The novel centers around Paisley and the internalized thoughts and externalized struggles that she faces as her life is uprooted and she is forced to re-examine and come to terms with traumatic aspects of her past. Paisley is a birder, and birds serve as characters themselves, being objectively central to the novel, and also function as symbols. Their role is surprising and yet also imperative to the identity of the main character. They aid heavily in shaping the setting and add a pleasing additional element.
At Last Count is presented as an amalgamation of genres, blending romance with literary fiction. There is a lot to be gained from Ross Dunn’s work—the characters, though well formed and solid in themselves, arguably serve as representations of larger and more complex themes. The novel is a work of fiction but is very much educational and accurate in its portrayal of obsessive-compulsive disorder and of the varied behaviours of Ontarian birds. The author’s style is straightforward; it is emotive and yet not excessively emotional. Her descriptions are strong, and the linear narrative is clear and concise with room enough left for empathetic rumination by the reader. This is an uncomplicated, enjoyable read and a very important one.
Slightly dramatized character development did, however, detract slightly from the strength and relatability of the narrative, and the conclusion, though seemingly “full-circle” in its arc, lacked some elements of realism. The slightly typical timeline leaves little to reader interpretation, which simplifies the narrative as a whole and causes for a lesser degree of originality.
The incorporation of important and sometimes underrepresented themes, and the distinctly Canadian backdrop, however, add beneficially to the narrative, and as a result it is able to secure the focus of the reader successfully. At Last Count is a worthwhile contemporary read, and a resonant one, and the narrative is able to successfully give a voice to some rarer themes within literature.