Book Review: Potiphar's Wife by Mesu Andrews

By Shantell Powell

Content warning: racism, enslavement, domestic abuse, sexual assault, miscarriage

Mesu Andrews is a Christian author whose books are inspired by her faith. Her novel Isaiah’s Daughter won the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s Christy Award, and her website offers Bible study and ministry.

Potiphar is a figure in both the Quran and the Old Testament of the Bible. He is the captain of the Egyptian Pharoah’s guard and purchaser of the Hebrew Joseph (of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat fame) as a slave. Impressed by Joseph’s abilities and intellect, Potiphar puts him in charge of his household. Potiphar’s wife Zully, who has a reputation for infidelity, attempts to seduce Joseph. When Joseph doesn’t acquiesce, Zully accuses him of rape.

False rape accusations are a hot topic. They’ve been weaponized—extensively used to fire up racist lynch mobs against Black men. They are also a point of contention for those who are predisposed to disbelieve survivors of sexual assault. The tale of Potiphar’s wife is the seminal false rape accusation story, and I wanted to see how it was approached.

Research-wise, this book is excellent. The author does a good job describing the culture, the religion, and the differences between social classes. Xenophobia and religious prejudice are powerful forces in this book, and Egyptian, Cretan, and Hebrew characters regard one another with varying degrees of mistrust or disdain. The book includes a lot of politicking and intrigue, and sexual control and racism are running themes.

I had a difficult time getting into this book. The story is told from multiple points of view with Zully as the main character. I find her to be an unlikeable protagonist, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I have enjoyed books with despicable protagonists before. The problem here is that although I can get inside her head as a reader. I cannot understand what motivates her to make the decisions she does. She waffles like Hamlet but feels two-dimensional. The book begins well before she ever meets Potiphar or Joseph and shows her obsession with returning to Crete. Trapped in a foreign country, life gets worse and worse for her, and when she eventually makes her move on Joseph, the decision seems to come out of nowhere. The choice doesn’t seem to be in character, and I am unable to suspend my disbelief.

I found the other characters more agreeable. I liked Potiphar until about halfway through the book, Joseph seems like a decent enough chap, and Ahira, Zully’s maidservant, is an interesting character too. I think that if one of these other characters had been the protagonist, the story may have been more enjoyable for me to read. I just can’t wrap my head around Zully’s inconsistencies. That being said, other readers have enjoyed Zully’s character very much, so this could just be my own personal taste at play here.

Potiphar’s Wife may appeal to readers of The Red Tent by Anita Diamant or The Hippopotamus Marsh by Pauline Gedge.

Thank you, Penguin Random House, for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: An Expensive Education by Nick McDonell

By Dahl Botterill

Nick McDonell burst onto the literary scene when he was only 17 years old with his debut novel Twelve. It wasn't perfect, but it was very good, even without factoring in the age of its author. Composed of tight and efficient prose reminiscent of Hemingway, it took an up-close look at the intersection between privilege, violence, and drugs. There is an almost journalistic sense of immediacy that made it feel particularly real, and this sense of saturation is something that survived his journey into adulthood.

An Expensive Education, published in 2009, showcases a more experienced writer, and a more experienced human being as well. The characters are a little older, and the setting has grown to encompass the world, but that immediacy is still very present. While the setting of this more-than-a-spy story is very much international, its core revolves around Harvard University—it's the sun around which all the varied characters spin. This core presents another link to McDonell's previous work, in that there is a lot of privilege at work here. As in Twelve, privilege and entitlement aren't universal aspects of the cast of characters, but it provides the framework through which they often interrelate.

An Expensive Education follows several very different characters over the course of its duration. Michael Teak is a Harvard-educated spy, present for the death of a revolutionary named Hatashil and the destruction of a village at the indirect hands of his government. Susan Lowell is a Harvard professor who's just won the Pulitzer for her book about that same revolutionary. Her student David grew up in the aforementioned village while his girlfriend uses her privilege in occasionally misguided attempts to do good while furthering her own prospects. Attempts that will eventually lead her to Teak as well. These characters are surrounded by more students, more professors, more academics and pundits, and shadowy puppet masters.

There are a lot of people to keep track of, and a lot going on, and if An Expensive Education has a weakness, it's that one may find themselves far more interested in what happened to some of these characters than to others. Both in the sense of the plot and characters, the political intrigue is occasionally more interesting than the various machinations of the young American elite, but neither aspect is a total miss, and each certainly benefits from the inclusion of the other. On some level, it's telling a slightly different story than it seems to be, and that is perhaps what makes this book something special. There might not be very many authors that could make both war-torn countries and Harvard campuses feel so lived in; McDonell manages to do both while connecting the two via strands of uniquely terse prose, weaving a signature momentum into the tale.

Book Review: The Irishman's Daughter by V.S. Alexander

By Hayley Platt

The Irishman’s Daughter, written by V.S. Alexander, is a historical fiction tale set in 1845 in Carrowteige, County Mayo, Ireland. 

Readers follow the life of Briana Walsh, daughter of the agent of the property she lives on, called Lear House. The tale spans over eighteen months as Ireland sinks into the famine of the mid-1800s, with food becoming scarce and difficult to come by.

The plot of this novel is fairly slow-moving, following the lives of the characters closely. They are not exceptional people. They are an everyday family trying to survive the blight and trying to escape and grow without becoming casualties of the famine.

The beginning of the book transports the reader directly into the vivid greens and rolling hills of Ireland. We see the towns, villages, and local harbours. After reading a few chapters it is easy to picture the area around Briana and know the place she loves so dearly. As the famine sets in, the detail shifts to describe exactly what a terrible state the majority of County Mayo experiences with the loss of all potato crops. Readers see illness, starvation, theft, anger, sadness, and more. It is easy to feel compassion for the characters in this book because their circumstances are detailed so accurately, and they are not at fault for any of the outcomes.

A high point in the novel is when Briana marries her long-time childhood love Rory. However, not long after their vows they have to decide between their wish to save Lear House and their need leave to save themselves and their future. This impossible decision and the reasoning they use feels very real and easy to connect with. Readers follow Briana and Rory’s storylines through a large portion of the book, and it is not clear how the book will conclude and if a happily ever after will exist for them. 

During the quest to survive, readers are taken on horseback across the countryside to see for themselves the way the residents lived in small rural clusters. The heartbreaking tale challenges readers to picture themselves in similar situations to consider what choices they would make if necessary.  

This book is recommended for lovers of historical fiction, especially if you know some of the history in Ireland or are looking for learn more about how a community may degrade in a famine. 

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy of The Irishman’s Daughter so it could be read and impartially reviewed.

Book Review: Woman Last Seen by Adele Parks

By Jamie Maletta

Adele Parks is one of the top-selling women’s fiction writers in the UK, selling a whopping 4 million-plus books over the last 22 years. Generally a nonfiction fan myself, I’ve been trying to step out of the box, specifically enjoying psychological thrillers that keep me on the edge of my seat throughout. This was my first experience reading Adele Parks’s work, and I was excited and ready to jump into this book!

Woman Last Seen introduces us to Leigh, a beautiful and fun-loving woman, who falls in love with Mark and his two young sons, inevitably marrying Mark and stepping into the “mom” role following the death of Mark’s first wife. Leigh loves her family and is a devoted wife and mother, loving and raising Mark’s two sons as her own. With no known reasoning, Leigh goes missing and finds herself chained in an unknown location, being starved and beaten, with no way out. Leigh recounts her life and what may have led to this, who may have put her there, and wonders if she’ll ever get out. Mark and the boys struggle with Leigh’s disappearance and the inconceivable information that is brought to light following Leigh’s absence. We’re taken on a journey through her life, while her family deals with the unthinkable.

The author really builds a storyline around the backstory and lives of the main characters in the beginning of the novel that felt a little unnecessary in achieving the connection needed to understand each character for the purpose of the book. Once I got into the storyline itself though (around the halfway point), I really started to enjoy it, wanting to read as much as I could. I loved the twists and turns, thinking I had it figured out, but then being pulled in a different direction wondering what would happen next! There were edge-of-your-seat moments, and plot twists that were exciting to read, which is exactly what I look for in a good thriller! For the amount of backstory and time put into the moments surrounding Leigh’s disappearance, though, it wrapped up quickly and suddenly, leaving some loose ends and question marks. I felt no closure in finishing the book. There needed to be more detail and wrap-up as to what happens. I was hopeful for a sequel, thinking maybe the author had decided to release the second part of this story in another book, but it appears her 2022 release One Last Secret is unrelated to her last. I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. That being said, it was an entertaining read and I definitely believe there’s an audience for this book.

Thank you to Harlequin Books for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Friends are Friends, Forever by Dane Liu Illustrated by Lynn Scurfield

By Christine McFaul

Friends are Friends Forever, is a new picture book (2021) written by Dane Liu and illustrated by Canadian artist Lynn Scurfield.

It is Lunar New Year’s Eve. Snow is falling. Grown-ups are bustling around the kitchen cooking silky noodles, crunchy vegetables, and batches of dumplings. Young protagonist, Dandan, and her best friend, Yueyue, are busy with their own New Year’s Eve tradition— - cutting snowflakes out of red paper and turning them into glistening frozen ornaments. For Dandan, New Year’s Eve has always been a special night. But this year, it is all the more special because it’s the last one she will celebrate in Northeastern China. The next day Dandan and her family are moving to America. Dandan has many worries about the people and traditions she will have to leave behind when she moves, but Yueyue is especially hard to say goodbye to. Dandan and Yueyue don’t know when, or even if, they will see each other again. But Yueyue reminds Dandan that no matter where they may end up, “friends are friends forever.”

For Dandan, life in America proves to be unfamiliar and lonely…at first. But when she remembers the parting gift that Yueyue gave her— - a stack of red paper to make their frozen snowflake ornaments— - Dandan finally finds a way to connects with a new friend. And though the next Lunar New Year’s Eve is not exactly like the one that came before, it is still special. It has become a hopeful mix of friends and traditions both old and new.

Liu’s writing is incredibly sensory, evoking the tastes, scents, sounds, sights, and feelings of each moment that she describes. The strength of friendship and tradition is a powerful force throughout the story and balances the author’s exploration of the complex and often bittersweet feelings associated with starting over in a new country. Liu also includes in her back -matter a personal note about her own immigration experience, as well as instructions for how to make an ice snowflake just like Dandan’s (my girls loved trying this one out!).

Scurfield’s illustrations are vibrant, soft, and full of energy. Packed with clever details and subtle emotions, she has a knack for pulling out just the right moments to bring to life— - the poignancy of a hug between two friends saying their goodbyes, a glistening ice ornament hanging from a tree, and family crowded around a table to celebrate traditions.

Friends are Friends Forever is a beautiful and hope- filled book. Given the age of the protagonist (though not stated, she appears to be about six or seven years old) and a slightly higher than average word count, I would recommend this book for the older end of the picture book age range.

Thank you to both Chronicle Books and Raincoast Books for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Plants are My Favorite People by Alessia Resta

By Melissa Barbuzzi

When I heard about Plants Are My Favorite People, I knew I had to get my hands on it. A book about plants with cute illustrations? Count me in! In this book, author (and plant-stagrammer) Alessia Resta (a.k.a. Apartment Botanist) covers everything you need to know to start and grow your plant collection. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned plant parent, this book has something for you!

My favourite part about this book? The plant parent quiz and all the amazing illustrations. The way everything was laid out and written made the book feel warm and made me feel like my best friend was giving me all the best plant tips. I’ve been a plant parent for a little while now and have had my struggles when it comes to certain plants *cough* my fiddleleaf fig *cough* not wanting to behave. Thankfully, I was able to pick up some super handy tips that I hope help me out going forward!

I first started getting into plants because of my mom. Growing up we always had plants around the house and when the weather started getting warmer, you’d always find her outside in the garden. She gifted me my first plant, and I’ve always cherished any plant that is given to me, so this quote from the book made me particularly happy: “Some of my favourite plants are the ones I’ve received from friends because they are associated with that person and that day, and it always brings a smile to my face when I look at those particular plants.”

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It’s a fun and informative read filled with beautiful illustrations. Whether you have one plant or twenty plants, I think there is something in this book for everyone!

Thank you to Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon

By Melissa Khan

Barrett Bloom’s first day of college is disastrous, to say the least. The sheer embarrassment she faces would be enough to make anyone wish for a do-over. So, when Barrett wakes up the next morning—not in the place she fell asleep, but back in her dorm room—she’s surprised to find that it’s September 21st…again! After living through the day again and again, Barrett starts to suspect that she isn’t alone in this frozen pocket of time. She forms a tentative relationship with Miles, the snarky boy from her Physics 101 class, who she discovers has been trapped there for months. Together, the two embark on a journey through time, trying to find their way out of this infinite loop and back to their regular selves.

I’ve always been wary of Groundhog Day-type books because I worry they could become repetitive. The days as Barrett experiences them are interesting and adventurous largely due to how bold Barrett is as a character. Her humour feels authentic, and her voice is charming. From the beginning, I wanted to root for this character. Her feelings about being trapped in a time loop were realistic, whether in her incredulousness, feelings of despair, or hopefulness for all the possibilities it could bring.

The most well-paced and thought-out aspect of the novel was her relationship with Miles, who she couldn’t stand at first. He was the rude boy who humiliated her in class for seemingly no reason and slowly but steadily became closer to her than anyone else had in years. The trauma Barrett experienced from high school that isolated her in the first place didn’t feel like a plot device thrown in just to give her a personality. When the secret of what happened to her unfolded, I found myself near tears, enraged for her. And I wasn’t surprised to learn that Miles shared my reaction. Their romance was sweet and tender, and I loved watching their friendship blossom and grow.

My trick with time travel stories is not to pay too much attention to the hows and whys of what is happening and just enjoy the story for what it is. Suspension of disbelief is the name of the game. I was delighted by the banter between Barrett and Miles and their different approaches to figuring out their predicament. It was so interesting and totally didn’t send me down an existential spiral. However, I do feel like the ending could have been stronger if it didn’t rely as heavily on the “magical” element of theoretical physics. I felt not for the first time reading that some things happen a little too coincidentally, which can take away from better-explained aspects of the story.

I felt giggly reading this story. I smiled countless times as I lived each new day with these characters. It was heartwarming and funny and gave us characters who learned how to be brave and embrace the parts of them that made them unique. I encourage everyone to get to know Barrett and Miles as I did.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster Canada, for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Freezing Order by Bill Browder

By Carly Smith

Freezing Order details the many events—some incredibly surprising and others unfortunately not—in author Bill Browder’s life in relation to tax fraud and money laundering rooted in Russia. The book begins with a recap of Browder’s previous book, Red Notice. Browder’s lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, was beaten to death in a Russian prison. Magnitsky had been investigating tax fraud and money laundering committed by Russian officials, and Putin did not like this at all. As Freezing Order continues, Browder chronicles the ups and downs of working hard to pass the Magnitsky Act, which bans government officials who take part in human rights offences from entering the United States and freezes their assets. Not thinking this is enough, Browder turns to the European Union in hopes of grasping their interest and having the Act passed in EU nations as well. What follows is chaos, including, but not limited to, working with a judge who doesn’t seem to have all his capacities, an attempt of a honey trap on Browder in Monaco, poisonings of his acquaintances, and unexplained passport hiccups.

Browder writes the book like he speaks, which is not to say that the book is filled with colloquial language and casual syntax or grammar. Browder is a smart, well-educated man, and his vocabulary supports this. While he works hard to ensure that readers understand his anecdotes, he does not avoid legal, business, and financial jargon. Photos are periodically included, as well as footnotes, but the story nevertheless can be convoluted at times. This isn’t attributable to poor writing; the story itself is tricky to follow and confusing no matter how it’s presented.

I found myself rereading paragraphs, dog-earring important pages for reference, and making side notes, but this did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. I would have appreciated a glossary and an index and often wished that I could turn to the back of the book and find a page of the names, faces, and most important details of the people Browder writes about. Fortunately, the hard copy offers several blank pages at the back, perfect for jotting down the most important bits.

Unbelievable, jarring, and at times spooky, Freezing Order unveils the power that Putin’s Russia has on the rest of the world. The book’s stories left me with conflicting feelings—cynicism and hope, relief and angst, and frustration, and satisfaction. I felt pulled in many different directions and looked forward to the glimmers of humour that Browder included. Freezing Order is the right book to pick up and delve into when you have  sufficient time and mental energy. You won’t regret having read it.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

By Meghan Mazzaferro

Content warnings: death, animal death, miscarriage, sexism, grief, animal cruelty, animal attacks kidnapping

We have all, of course, heard of Lady Trent, the world’s leading dragon naturalist. But while Lady Trent’s discoveries have been widely published and have shaped our understanding of dragon anatomy and behaviour, she has never gone into detail about her expeditions—until now. For the first time, Lady Trent is compiling all of her experiences into a series of novels, beginning with her childhood and detailing her various adventures (and misadventures) on her mission to learn everything possible about one of this world’s most mysterious creatures.

A Natural History of Dragons is written like a memoir and is told by Lady Trent, an elderly dragon naturalist revisiting the moments in her life that led her to the top of her field. This book explores the young Isabella’s first experiences with dragons and her first expedition to study the creatures for herself. This story balances the whimsy of dragons with a scientist’s eye for detail, exploring dragons not as magical creatures but as animals with all the beauty and terror that comes from studying a wild animal with wings and unusual breath. If you’re a fan of How to Train Your Dragon and are looking for a story with a strong young woman fighting for her passions and studying dragons in all their glory, this book is definitely for you!

The book has a slower pace. It truly reads like a memoir, but Lady Trent has a very distinctive voice, and the balance between young Isabella’s passions and the elderly Lady Trent’s asides and comments on her own actions and the actions of the people around her makes sure that even while the story takes its time, you’ll always be entertained. The pacing might be slow, but it’s also consistent. There is always something happening, whether Isabella is scheming to dissect a tiny dragon or the team is trying to discover a dragon’s nest or a complex conspiracy is being revealed. The plot itself is interesting, mostly following Isabella’s obsession with dragons and the lengths she will go to get to study them. The second half of the book really shines as we begin to see how Isabella will thrive as a dragon naturalist in the future.

I went into this book looking for a story with multiple different dragon species and a person studying them (I wasn’t lying when I said this book has How to Train Your Dragon vibes!), and I really loved Isabella and all the characters’ fascination with dragons as animals to be studied. The book balanced the marvel of dragons as these fantastical creatures with Isabella’s need to understand them from a naturalist perspective, and I enjoyed reading about her experiments and discoveries. I also enjoyed the time period of this book; while the story is set in a fantasy world, it seems to mirror our world around the industrial revolution, and I really liked the story’s exploration of science, the ways in which it was lacking, the technology of the period, and its limitations, and more. And of course, this story explores the sexism and prejudices of the period, and while Lady Trent is still quite young when this story ends, I can’t wait to see her blow away all the men who will underestimate her because of her sex!

This book is only the first in a five-book series, and I, for one, am absolutely obsessed. This book filled a need I never knew I had, and I am so excited to jump back into this world and reconnect with Isabella in the next installment. If you’re intrigued by this premise, don’t worry—it’s a completed series, and all five books are out now for you to read!

Book Review: The Castleton Massacre by Sharon Anne Cook and Margaret Carson

By Erica Wiggins

Content warning: femicide, abuse, domestic violence, stalking

The Castleton Massacre tells the story of the massacre committed by Robert Killins in Ontario, Canada. Robert Killins was a well-educated man working as a minister and went on to kill every woman in his family but one on a night in 1963. Sharon Anne Cook is a university professor and the author/editor of twelve books on Canadian women’s history. Her father is Robert Killins’ brother. Margaret Carson is a retired college instructor and the only female to survive the massacre.

I have always been drawn to true crime books. My pull towards these books was the “why.” Why did this happen, why did they do it—does their brain work differently? The Castleton Massacre caught my attention because I had never heard of it and live only about 4 hours from where it happened and it’s written by family members also trying to make sense of “why.”

“Dad and I are flying to Ontario today to be with your cousins, Peggy and Brian. We anticipate being back in about ten days, but we will call you long-distance when we know more. A terrible thing has happened. Your Uncle Bob has murdered his family, Florence, Gladys, Pearl and little Patsy.”

The authors took the time to carefully research and interview those touched by this story and compiled the information into a succinct timeline. They began with Robert’s family in the 1900s and moved through the years. They carefully included illustrations that help to clarify the details and create a personal connection to this family.

Reviewing true crime stories can be challenging, as the details are generally well known. In this story, the authors use this tragedy to shine a light on how women were treated at the time and how they are still treated. Killens was abusive to this family, verbally, and physically. His wife, Florence, left him and was unable to divorce him. She moved across the country and Robert followed. When she moved in with her new partner, he would build shacks near where they lived to keep an eye on the family. Florence stated on multiple occasions that she was scared for her life. Reading the progressively erratic behaviour that Robert exhibited was terrifying. You can see it escalating, and it is unfathomable that this behaviour was acceptable. Even after the massacre, he was highly spoken of, and it was suggested that Florence “brought it on” by living with a new partner. It was eye-opening, distressing, and heartbreaking to read the account of how these women lived and died.

The statistics in this book are horrifying, and it is a difficult read. I would set it down only to be drawn back in with the hope that my question of “why” would be answered. I felt more of a personal connection to this story, as it came from a survivor and family member of Killens. In telling their story, they shed light on domestic violence, stalking and the lack of resources, especially in rural communities. This is such an important topic and caused me to pause and reflect. I don’t want to say that I enjoyed this book, as this topic is so challenging, but I am coming out better informed and aware of changes that still need to be made. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading true crime.

One final note, while this story is incredibly shocking, I found hope that the two young survivors were taken in by a stable family and able to be supported in adulthood. While this night will never be forgotten, there is a light in them reflecting and creating this book.

Thank you, Dundurn Press, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Never Coming Home by Hannah Mary McKinnon

By Robyn Rossit

Content warning: toxic relationship, kidnapping, addiction, death, violence

After reading and enjoying Hannah Mary McKinnon’s 2021 release, You Will Remember Me, her latest release, Never Coming Home, was a highly anticipated release for me this year. It is a story about Lucas Forester, a man who married the wealthy and sophisticated Michelle. While her wealth was enticing, her lavish spending habits and attitude towards anyone who was beneath her status left something to be desired. Lucas has a plan to inherit his wife’s fortune, but unfortunately, because of an iron-clad prenuptial agreement, this involves taking out a hit on her. Lucas is smart and ensures every track is covered while falling into the role of the grieving husband. However, when a photo and mysterious note appear on his doorstep, he realizes that someone is onto him.

I really enjoyed that Never Coming Home was told from Lucas’ perspective. A thriller told from the villain’s point of view is always a refreshing change from the usual formula. I found Lucas’ narration style reminiscent of Joe from You by Caroline Kepnes. He’s arrogant, intelligent, and a bit of a sociopath. That being said, he is a very unlikeable main character—which he is fully intended to be. He is manipulative and very entitled. But to be honest, all of the characters in Never Coming Home were unlikeable. Michelle looks down her nose at people and mistreats Lucas almost as much as he mistreats her. At one point, I said out loud that the only character I liked was the dog.  

Lucas’ upbringing was less than easy. Brought up by a father who had a gambling problem, as well as an alcohol problem, had him taking care of the two of them much earlier than he should have had to. This was a theme that is woven throughout his story. His obligation was to continue to care for a father who didn’t really take care of him.

For the most part, the pacing of the story is very consistent. Hannah Mary McKinnon is a brilliant writer and really knows how to execute plot twists and turns. Similar to the last book I read by her, I was not able to completely guess the ending. I did find the ending happened a little too quickly, but at the same time, the last few chapters were highly engaging. Thankfully I had no reason to put it down when I got to the final stretch and enjoyed the ending in one sitting.

While Never Coming Home, in my opinion, did not quite measure up to You Will Remember Me, it is still a welcome addition to the thriller genre. It is certainly quite dark and will have readers on the edge of their seats. Hannah Mary McKinnon knows how to weave a dark and twisty story.

Book Review: A Convergence of Solitudes by Anita Anand

By Melissa Khan

Young and in love, Sunil and Hima travel from Partition India to foreign Montreal. Sunil, a dreamer, knows he has so much to offer, but early signs of schizophrenia stop him from reaching his potential. Hima, frustrated with how hard her life has become since journeying away from her home, must do what she can to keep her family afloat. Their older sons have left for school, and their youngest, Rani, is left to grow up in a house and a world where she’s unsure of where she fits. Her only solace is through Sensibilité, a popular Québécois band whose political support for a free province influences their music.

Rani becomes obsessed with Serge, the group’s frontman, and is delighted when she one day stumbles upon the opportunity to babysit his adopted daughter, Mélanie. Years later, Mélanie comes to her office where she works as a guidance counsellor and the two women’s lives become tightly interconnected.

This was a surprising book for me. I did not expect the layers of meaning it could hold. The more I think about the story, the more I realize how deeply these characters could relate to each other. My favourite relationship was between Mélanie and Rani, particularly Mélanie’s ability to make Rani understand how special her family’s history is. It’s common for first-generation Canadians to take for granted the journey and sacrifice their parents made to bring them to this country and disregard the culture they left behind. I understood Rani’s impulse to consider herself Canadian, and more so Québécois. But Mélanie’s struggle with her adoption and hunger for the knowledge of where she came from was a refreshing reminder that our past, and our family’s past, stay with us.

I appreciated the parallel drawn between Partition India and the Quebec referendums. Both Sunil and Hima and Rani got to experience their country divided and the hardships that come with such political unrest. Rani’s ignorance of the struggles her parents faced was depicted so well throughout the novel.  

This novel was certainly character-driven, and I both loved and hated how disjointed the story could be at times. I found myself forgetting little details while reading, which made some of the story confusing. But I liked that it made each part of the story digestible and easy to read. There wasn’t a ton of plot necessarily but it gave a glimpse of who these characters were at that particular part in their lives.

I truly enjoyed reading A Convergence of Solitudes. It forces the reader to look at each character’s perspective and understand exactly where they are coming from. You must first understand their struggles and frustrations so that you may understand their actions. And we see through their triumphs and small moments of happiness that these are enough for a good life.

Thank you, Book*hug Press, for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Last Time I Saw Her by Alexandra Harrington

By Larissa Page

It’s been ten months since Charlotte fled her small town of River John, Nova Scotia without telling anyone where she was going, including her best friend Sophie, who has just been in a brutal and debilitating car accident. Upon her return, she discovers Sophie and her other peers have been struggling in her absence and are not pleased to see her back—as she expected—except for Sophie’s ex-boyfriend Max. As Charlotte and Max reconnect, they discover a lot more has been going on in River John, including on that night a year ago that led to the car accident.

This young adult novel was a great small town thriller. In a town where everyone knows everyone and rumours are endless, it’s hard to believe there are nefarious forces at play—maybe it’s easier to believe when the clues don’t line up. I found the plot relatively believable, which I love in a thriller. While this thriller wasn’t flashy or exciting, I was still hooked and sped through once I got to about the halfway mark.

I really enjoyed the development of the relationships within this novel between Charlotte and Max, Sean, and Sophie. I think the author timed the developments well, just as she timed the small plot twists well. The different clues or surprises that built up the mystery part of the thriller were evenly spaced enough to keep me reading.

I do wish this novel had had just that little bit more, that perhaps it was a little bit deeper, but I find I feel this way about many young adult novels so I feel this may be more a reflection of my feelings on the genre versus this particular novel.

I am from Nova Scotia and therefore always love a locally set story. I felt like this one gave that to me. It was a well-described Nova Scotian small town and that gave me a thrill. The local story, believable plot, relationships I wanted to cheer for, and the well-timed hooks made this a perfect light read for leading into my summer reading time.

Thank you to Nimbus Publishing for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Wildwood Whispers by Willa Reece

By Hayley Platt

Wildwood Whispers by Willa Reece is the author’s adult fantasy debut novel. Her previous works are published under the name Barbara J. Hancock and span many genres including romance and fantasy. 

Wildwood Whispers is the story of Mel Smith, a young woman who grew up in the foster care system. She has one close friend, Sarah Ross, whom she met in one of the homes and stuck with until both were in their twenties. After Sarah’s sudden death, Mel is determined to return Sarah to her home town and is quickly drawn into the quirky and magical town of Morgan’s Gap, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains.

Coming in at just under 400 pages, this felt like a longer book that was on the slow side. The first part of the book is very heavy in description of people and scenery, which will appeal to many readers, but others will appreciate the uptick in the plot in the last third of the story. This book is definitely recommended to people who love to read about the woods and love to visualize the setting of a story as they move through the pages.

This was a true genre-spanning novel; parts of it were fantasy, romance, and mystery all rolled into one storyline. Overall, this mixing of genres was done well, but some aspects (the romance parts in particular) were very minor and could have either been embellished more or taken out and the story would have had the same effect. 

There are a lot of characters who help pull the story together, many with minor roles. At the beginning it is difficult to keep them straight but as the story begins to pick up it becomes easier to keep track of who you need to keep track of.

One consistent topic in this book is the need to protect the environment and our connection with nature. Many readers will be able to relate to the storyline because of this aspect alone.

This book is recommended to readers who love magical realism and books covering multiple genres at a time. This would be a great book for a book club or discussion group, since every person who reads it will pick up on different aspects and come away with their own conclusions about Sarah and Mel’s story.

Thank you so much to Hachette Book Group Canada for the complimentary copy of Wildwood Whispers so that it could be impartially reviewed.

Book Review: Coming Undone by Terri White

By Christa Sampson

Content warning: addiction, self harm, child physical and sexual abuse, suicidal ideation

Terri White is a writer and magazine editor from the UK. Coming Undone is her memoir detailing a very difficult childhood, which she tries to leave behind by building a career that will catapult her into a new life. After working her way up the ranks in London, White eventually lands a dream job with a major magazine in New York. Here, she assumes her life will finally turn around. Unfortunately, the exact opposite happens. All of the trauma White experienced during her formative years, which she never had the opportunity to properly deal with, comes flooding back at a time when she is the most vulnerable she has possibly ever been. 

I enjoy reading memoir, especially when the author is already a writer. White takes this memoir to another level because it reads like fiction. The harsh realities of an abusive and lonely childhood and the difficulties she continued to face into adulthood are written with such realness that you can’t help but be immersed. I was myself, but I found that despite the exceptional writing, the subject matter made it a difficult read and one that you have to be prepared for. As noted at the beginning of this review, there are various content warnings for this text, so it’s definitely not for everyone. It is a gritty read, similar to Wild by Cheryl Strayed, so if you’re a fan of that book, Coming Undone may be a good one for you to pick up. I’m not one to shy away from a difficult read, but as is the case with this book, the subject matter takes a toll on your emotions. For that reason, this is not a book that, in my opinion, can be quickly read or easily absorbed.

Throughout the book, White unapologetically describes her struggle with addiction in such a way that puts the reader in a place of being able to understand it, even if they can’t identify with it. Each chapter weighed heavy on my heart, and I just kept wondering: how is she going to recover? Most of her problems with addiction take place in New York City, a place where she thought she’d make a real name for herself.  While she excelled professionally, the city was a drain on her personal life. New York became a secondary character, and White’s metaphorical adversary. There is a constant push and pull between White and the toll that living in New York takes on her. This is a very unique perspective; every other time I’ve read or watched something that takes place in New York, the city is romanticized. If you’re looking for that in this memoir, you won’t find it. 

For me, the ending of the story is a bit abrupt. Personally, I was expecting everything to be tied up neatly, but in retrospect I don’t think that’s what White was trying to achieve in writing this memoir. The poetic imagery of the ending is superb, and I assume the conclusion was more about White figuring out where she needed to be in a big picture sort of way, and not homing in on one aspect of her life. Overall, this is a beautifully crafted memoir. The subject matter may be hard but pushing your reading boundaries can sometimes yield an unexpected reward.

Thank you to PGC Books for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

Book Review: Hide by Kiersten White

By Meghan Mazzaferro

Content warning: suicide, blood, death, violence, homophobia, racism, classism, child abuse, gun violence, grief, confinement, death of an animal, injury detail

Hide, by Kiersten White, is an adult horror novel in which fourteen people are given the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to compete in a high-stakes game of hide and go seek in an abandoned amusement park with a $50,000 prize. For Mack, this offer is life-changing, and even though entering this game brings her back to the darkest time of her life, she’s willing to do whatever she has to win. She’s an expert at hiding, and this time her life doesn’t depend on it‒or does it?

I’ll preface this review by saying that this is my first experience reading horror. I consider myself a bit of a coward, and I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone with this book. How could I resist a horror novel set in an abandoned amusement park? While I was nervous for the first couple of pages, I have to say I loved this book! I connected quickly with several of the characters and  was constantly guessing and trying to put the puzzle pieces together. Several times, I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was almost always wrong, or at least missing one crucial piece of information. This book was a fun, spooky ride, and while I’ll admit I was never genuinely scared, I was on the edge of my seat and glued to the page.

Once again, I’m unfamiliar with the conventions of the genre, so I can’t speak to what has or hasn’t been done before, but I found this book excelled as a character study. Mack is our primary protagonist, but many of the competitors get developed as we spend time in their minds during the game. We learn their motivations, why they are the way that they are, and what led them to enter this competition. While many of the characters explored in this book are imperfect, with quite a few being antagonists or even villains, seeing into their minds gave the story a level of emotional depth that I appreciated.

The setting is immersive and richly described, and the story moves quickly (the book is only 250 pages). I enjoyed White’s writing style, with third-person narration that occasionally jumped between characters and revealed pieces of the mystery that kept me tense and anxious for the entire length of the story. There were a few instances where a character came into an item that provided lots of information to them and to the reader, and while it did feel exposition-heavy in those instances, it also felt necessary for either the reader to understand the stakes that the characters didn’t yet realize, or to catch the characters up on what the reader had come to suspect. While I don’t think this writing style will work for everyone, I enjoyed it.

The actual horror component of this book, the dark purpose of the amusement park and the game of hide and seek, was really interesting. While it could be considered a fairly standard convention of the genre (I think? Again, I avoid horror like an abandoned amusement park), I found that the driving motivations of the story’s villains were well-explained (but not justified!), which made the story emotionally relevant for today’s political climate. This book touches on racism, homophobia, classism, and more, as well as exploring themes of trauma, PTSD, and finding community, and I feel like each of these topics was well-handled in a novel of this length.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the suspense and thrills, appreciated that I was never genuinely scared, and was pleasantly surprised by the depth and complexity of the story’s main characters.

Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Mouse Seasons by Leo Lionni

By Carly Smith

Author-illustrator Leo Lionni’s Mouse Seasons is a delightful children’s book with a simple rhyme scheme and charming illustrations. In this short read, Lionni uses questions, rhyme, and playful sentences to introduce children to daily and seasonal changes they may see around them. Lionni explores how precipitation, temperature changes, and plants are all a part of different seasons. Instead of taking the “Mother Nature” approach, Leonni attributes the changes in days and seasons to four mice in the sky: Springmouse, Summermouse, Fallmouse, and Wintermouse. He explains their roles in a way that encourages imagination while educating little ones about the differences between the seasons.

Everything about this book is lovely. Each of the spreads has one to two sentences. The font is quite traditional, and at first, the text seems rather small compared to the size of the pages. After making my way through the book and rereading it several times, I found these text choices to be quite appropriate, as they urge readers and listeners to really absorb the illustrations.

The illustrations are bright and cheerful without being overstimulating. They offer lots of opportunities to reflect on the text, ask and answer open-ended questions, and reflect on the characteristics of the various times of the year. Lionni uses texture and colour beautifully. The images are quite captivating, so much so that I found myself flipping through the book to revisit them without necessarily rereading.

Mouse Seasons is suitable for young children, especially around the 4-6 year age range. It’s appropriate for teachers to use at the beginning of a new science unit or as a journal prompt, or for childcare providers to read before or after a trip outside to do some nature exploration. It’s also a good choice for children who live in climates where there are not four distinct seasons. Little ones will surely be attracted to the rhyming words and sweet illustrations, and grownups will take joy in seeing their loved ones enjoying reading time so much.

Book Review: The Rebellious Tide by Eddy Boudel Tan

By Larissa Page

Never quite fitting in to his small hometown in Québec, Sebastian Goh leaves shortly after his mother dies in search of the father who abandoned him. Thirty years after abandoning Sebastian’s pregnant mother in Québec, Kostas is now a Hotel Commander of a luxury liner in the Mediterranean. Sebastian gains a job on board and very quickly discovers the ship is full of class division, oppression, and possibly even worse crimes hidden behind the opulence of the officers’ quarters. Leading a rebellion to give a voice to the powerless staff and crew, Sebastian works through his angry past and determines where his own true choices lie.

The Rebellious Tide was a captivating and transportive read. The settings and descriptions of the different levels of the luxury liner (not cruise ship!), from the lowest levels of “Hades” to the opulent guest quarters, to the dark corners of the crew bar, were well told without being overpowering to the story. The fact that most of the story took place within the confined space of the ship was also fascinating because even as there was movement within the story—both the ship moving around the Mediterranean and the characters moving around the ship—the setting was fairly contained.

I really liked the persistence of the rebellion within the story. The group of characters known as “the powerless” were determined and creative. I love a good story of uprising against oppression and this story delivered that. Additionally, Sebastian and his friends may have been the leaders of the rebellion, but it was clear that the movement reached further and breathed on its own without them as well. This was telling of this type of revolutionary action, and it was well done. 

The one thing I wish had been a bit more flushed out was Sebastian’s character at the beginning. I felt disconnected from him once he started pushing back against the officers simply because the small amount of his character we’re shown at the beginning of the novel didn’t give me enough to understand if this was in character for him or not. As the story progressed we were shown more of his past, which helped. I felt the same about the relationship between Sebastian and Nikos. The feelings of the relationship were pretty clear but the build up to it was lacking for me.

The tie-in of Greek myths, the creativity and determination of the movement/rebellion, and the ability to be transported to the different parts of the ship and story made this a captivating reading journey for me.

Thank you to Dundurn Press for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: As Glenn As Can Be by Sarah Ellis and Nancy Vo

By Meredith Grace Thompson

Sarah Ellis’s wonderful children’s book depicting the life, talent, and stark individuality of the great Canadian composer and pianist Glenn Gould is a joy to behold. Ellis’s words are nestled among the haunting cool-toned watercolours of Nancy Vo, each illustration capturing the essence of the page’s text. This is a book about the necessity and beauty of self-expression, self-love, and self-acceptance, as we look to Glenn Gould for inspiration to be as “us” as we can be.

Glenn Gould, born in Toronto 1932, is a legend of Canadian and international classical music, with his Goldberg Variations becoming a staple of nearly every classical music collection. His talent for the piano and for composition became apparent at a very early age, as did his predilection for what may be called eccentricity. Gould has become well known in Canada and throughout the world for his unique talent but also his poignant disinterest in performance. Music for Gould was a singular occupation in which the audience had little part. Sarah Ellis explores this.

Ellis’s book is rhythmic, moving backward and forward through questioning and answering, listing the likes and dislikes of the growing Glenn who occupies her pages. Glenn is trying to find his way through the strange world that he finds himself a part of, where people can be cruel, where the piano makes perfect sense but he is only allowed to play for a limited time each day, and where animals such as his dog Nicky are cherished friends,  and people look at him as strange for his musical ability but also his insistence on living according to his own comfort. Ellis uses this rhythm of likes and dislikes in a perfect lullaby of reassurance to the reader that their actual self, their self which likes some things and does not like others, is enough just as it is and should be celebrated. The narrative voice speaks to the reader of its own likes and dislikes as much as to Glenn’s.

The narrative follows Glenn as he finds a way to make music the way that he wants to make music. Vo’s illustrations bring this into light as musical notes drift across pages. Vo’s illustrations keep the reader firmly with Glenn, using a cool palette of blues and yellows to allow the reader to sink into the page and hold space with Glenn in his own environment. Despite the possibility of the reader understanding the desire of the audience to clap and bang their feet and cheer, these illustrations and Ellis’s meticulously formed text keep us firmly with Glenn when such things bring discomfort. This tension is exacerbated until finally released as Glenn finds a way to make music in his own way.

As Glenn as Can Be is the story of an individual finding their way into the world in exactly the way that they are able to be. The Glenn of this book inspires readers, children, and adults alike to find a way to do the things that they love in exactly the way that is best for them.

Thank you to Groundwood Books for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Blood Orange Night by Melissa Bond

By Erica Wiggins

In Melissa Bond’s memoir, the journalist and poet describes her journey through addiction to benzodiazepines. A mother to two young children, Bond suffers from terrible insomnia, compounded by losing her job as a magazine editor and the fact that she is growing apart from her husband. She visits her physician and is prescribed a benzodiazepine to help her sleep. Bond takes these pills each night, and as her insomnia continues, her physician increases them until her body starts to fail. Only then does she learn the dangers of taking and stopping this medication.

“The blood orange night turns red and screams through my eyes. The room tilts around me. Consciousness shuts again. Velveteen black. Silence. Time stretches and disappears.”

Bond describes her journey in an open, honest, and accessible way. The story starts off with the birth of her son, born with Down syndrome, followed by a quick second pregnancy with her daughter. This is when Bond first begins having trouble sleeping. After many sleepless nights she sees her doctor, putting her trust in medical professionals the way that many of us do.

I found myself putting this book down and thinking about what I just read, picking it back up and re-reading sentences and paragraphs. Bond drops you into her life. You walk alongside her in her sleepless nights, her fatigue and brain fog. Even just reading about the effects that benzodiazepines can have is completely terrifying. She takes her journey and uses it to shine a light on this family of drugs and what can happen from taking them.

“Among benzodiazepines, Ativan has a relatively high physical addiction potential and is recommended for short-term use, up to two to four weeks only.”

“I’ve been taking Ativan every night for over a year and a half.”

This is such an important topic because these medications are prescribed often, and the serious potential side effects are not well communicated. While this is a memoir of Bond’s journey, she uses the opportunity to teach her readers about this class of drugs, its effects, and how it can be misused. She describes the risk of addiction, the effects of withdrawal, and the difficulty in stopping this medication. She explains her journey of decreasing her dose over time, which can and often does take months, even years. She creates a glimpse into this world, vividly describing losing feeling in her leg, having no energy, experiencing strange smells, and generally feeling unwell. While we are focussing on her journey, there is no choice but to also describe how it affected her relationship with her husband and children, as well as her extended family, who had difficulty understanding this struggle.

It feels hard to describe this book in a way that does it justice. Bond shows vulnerability describing her lowest moments and a strength and resiliency that is admirable. She not only struggled through this journey but also made it public by publishing her story with a goal to spread awareness.

While this story is difficult at times to read, it is so worth it. Thought-provoking and moving, it will leave you better informed and more open to discussing this topic. I would recommend it to anyone who has dealt with addiction or who just wants to learn more. This book will leave you with renewed hope that with more information we can safely use these medications for their intended use.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.