Muriellerites

Ken Follett’s gripping, and extremely detailed historical epic, The Pillars of the Earth, takes place in England during the twelfth century. The backdrop is the continuous battle for the English throne between King Stephen and the Empress Maud. Tom Builder, a poor mason, insists on following his dream of building a cathedral. Times are hard and jobs are rare—he ends up starving and freezing with his family in the forest. His wife dries from childbirth and, unable to feed his newborn son, is forced to leave his infant son to die on top of the mother’s grave. Unbeknownst to him, the crying baby is rescued by a monk who brings him to his monastery. Enter the evil Hamleigh family aided by the corrupt Bishop Waleran, the beautiful and independent Aliena who is raped by her suitor, and Jack Jackson, the talented master-builder who finds a way to fulfill Tom’s dream, and the great page-turning saga begins.

This story takes place during the era in England when Church and state walked hand-in hand to govern the land and its people. Priests and churchmen were often corrupt because of the power they had. Women were second-class citizens no matter what class they were in. But in the midst of all the cruelty, the betrayals and the injustice, we find moral, passionate characters that confront the status quo, i.e. Prior Philip, Tom Builder, Aliena, Ellen, Jack Jackson, to name a few. These characters follow their dreams and refuse to give up no matter how bleak their future appears. It is because of these characters that this brilliant epic is such a great and memorable read.

Having read Colleen McCullough's historical romance, THE THORN BIRDS, years back, and having been a fan of the TV series, I decided to reread the 692 page novel to see why I had enjoyed it then. I was reintroduced to the great Australian countryside, to the intensity of sheep farming, to the isolation and hardship of back country living. The description of Australia's vegetation and animal life was vivid and educational. The historical aspect dealing with the Aussie participation in the wars was also well detailed.
What I found lacking,though, was my bonding to the characters. The plot was certainly well crafted with family secrets, betrayals, long-distance romances and timely deaths and births, but I had a hard time getting under the characters' skin. They all mellow after a while and become more likeable, but now I know why I didn't remember what I had liked about it--the characters aren't immortalized for me. A great achievement, without a doubt, and certainly an Australian classic.

This is my second reading of Ann-Marie MacDonald's historical novel Fall On Your Knees and I enjoyed the page turner just as much as the first time. The story is basically a saga of the Piper family living in New Waterford, a small village in Cape Breton Island during the early part of the 20th century. The setting is ordinary but the characters certainly aren't. When James Piper's wife commits suicide after the death of their daughter and grandchild, he brings up his three remaining daughters on his own away from prying eyes. It is a story of harsh love and abuse. The girls must find their way through the brutal reality of living with a parent who claims to have one good daughter, one bad daughter, and one angelic one. Each one must eventually fall on her knees before escaping from the tyranny of his love.
The plot is complex and compelling and the storytelling brilliantly done. I wondered though at the backstory, a journal written by the eldest daughter, Kathleen, added to the end of the novel. It explained a crucial scene that occurred almost in the mid section of the plot. Whatever the reason, this is without a doubt, a great read.

This is Moth Renwick’s story, a twelve year trying to survive life in the slums of Manhattan in the 1870’s, who must decide to be, or not to be, a whore. Abandoned by her father, and sold to an abusive mistress by her mother, she escapes her tormented life as a lady’s maid and ends up sleeping on the street and learning how to steal to survive. Picked up by a whore-in-training, she is recruited by a madam who rescues young street girls and grooms them to become reputable young virgins to be sold to the highest bidder.

Although the storyline is interesting, and I do sympathize with the horrors experienced by the poor street children of that era, on a literary level, I found the action a bit slow in some parts. The fictitious posts and poems scattered throughout disrupted the flow of the story and often weren’t connected to what was happening.

Overall, I found Moth’s character likeable and courageous, and if I didn’t agree with her decisions, I reminded myself that she was only a twelve-year taking adult decisions.

Ami McKay is a splendid storyteller. The Virgin Cure, although not as compelling as her previous work, is certainly a terrific read.

#review #Canadianbooks #fiction

Thomas Mullen’s powerful historical novel, The Last Town on Earth, is a moving debut from a talented Canadian writer. The setting, Commonwealth, is a small peaceful town of the Pacific Northwest founded by the Worthy family to escape exploitation of mill workers. The deadly Spanish Flu of 1918 has started ravaging surrounding towns and the people of Commonwealth decide to quarantine themselves against contagion. “Guards are posted at the single road leading in and out of the town.” Philip Worthy, the adopted son of the village founder, is one of the guards. Meanwhile, “the ideals that define Commonwealth are being threatened from all sides.” WW1 is in full force, and America’s young enlisted soldiers are being slaughtered left and right. Conscientious objectors are thereby being targeted by ordinary citizens. “The fear of spies is rampant, and the loyalty of all Americans is under scrutiny.” When a lost and hungry American soldier insists on being allowed into the village, the guards must take action. Do they do the honourable thing and come to his aid, thereby risking the possible infection of the villagers? This becomes morality versus survival. They decide to shoot and bury him. An American soldier killed on American soil by American people—who, by the way, have not all registered for the selection process that might send them overseas to war.

A compelling and thought-provoking page-turner about the dark side of human nature in times of war.

The Heart of Thomas, a graphic novel written and beautifully illustrated by Moto Hagio, the ‘founding mother’ of shôjo manga, is a fast, albeit complex read. It takes place in “a boys’ boarding school in Germany ... in the mid-20th Century. One winter day, fourteen-year old Thomas Werner falls from a lonely pedestrian overpass to his death, immediately after mailing a single, brief letter to another boy (Juli) at the school.” A new student, Erich, who is an exact look-alike of the dead boy, arrives at the school and creates emotional turmoil. This is a story of young boy crushes in an all male setting. Only kisses are exchanged—no graphic sexual scenes. Love is depicted as spiritual rather than physical.

The graphics themselves are masterful, especially the chapter pages. The boy characters, except for the dark-haired Juli, all seem to look alike with their light curly hair, their round, 70ish eyes and feminine features—or should I say, angelic features? This can be problematic unless you focus on the author’s theme of spiritual love that transcends all physical attributes. This story could easily be rewritten using an all female cast.

A thought-provoking and enjoyable read for manga and traditional readers alike!

A charming look back at the experience of a British evacuee family who takes refuge in a Saskatchewan home to escape the bombings of WW2. We follow Lindy, a ten year old girl, her mother, and a twelve year old male cousin as they try to adjust to life in Canada. The generosity of the Canadian hosts who housed, clothed,entertained, and fed the evacuee families was impressive and a revelation to me. Narrated through the eyes of both the younger, and then the elderly Lindy, it made for a simple and fast read. The narrator's credibility diminishes at the end when she retells her cousin's attempt to escape Canada to return to England. The cousin wasn't forthcoming with the exact details, so the story is narrated according to what Lindy thinks might have happened. Uprooted, A Canadian War Story, is nevertheless a pleasurable middle grade read.

Morgan Llywelyn’s historical novel, 1916, is a wonderful and informative presentation of the Easter uprising of the Irish patriots against their conquerors, the powerful British Empire. The events are all well documented in the Notes and Bibliography at the end of the book, and the characters, both historic and fictional, are described in detail in her Dramatis Personae in the front of the novel. Ned Halloran,  the main character, is an idealistic young man who falls in love with a prostitute and adopts a homeless child. His sister, Kathleen, has immigrated to America and is married to an abusive husband. It is through her close relationship to a Catholic priest that she discovers true love. The fictional characters, as well as the historic ones, “sworn to be free”, must follow their dreams or live a life of regrets. If you want to experience the emotional Ireland, then this is certainly the book to read.

This historical novel takes place in biblical times and tells the story of Basil, a young sculptor illegally sold into slavery. Because of his talent, his freedom is bought back by Luke, one of Jesus' apostles. He is commissioned to create a silver chalice that will hold the cup used by Jesus during the last supper. The author presents a detailed account of the  early struggles of Christianity in the time of the Romans. The characters are well done and the plot, more captivating as the story progresses, includes a touching love story. This is a second reading for me, having read and loved it in high school. It has remained an authentic page-turner to be placed on my shelf of classics.

Joseph Boyden’s powerful historical war novel, Orenda, takes place in the mid-1600 in Lower Canada when First Nations tribes and French Jesuit priests collided with each other in their quest for supremacy. Like all wars then and now, battles were won and lost with gratuitous violence and cruelty. The detailed and vivid description of two First Nations cultures competing for power by any means possible, and the great human suffering and loss of lives involved is haunting and heart wrenching.

The staggering human tragedies experienced by the characters involved as told by a Jesuit priest on a mission to impose his religion on a scared and starving people, by a young Iroquois girl whose visions of revenge are transformed into love, and a Wendat leader who comes to the realization that his vindictive actions may have caused the destruction of his people, are heartbreaking and tragic.

An absolute brilliant read.

Jane Urquhart’s historical novel, The Stone Carvers is about ordinary people dealing with the aftermaths of the Great War and the building of the Canadian War Memorial in Vimy, France. Set in the backdrop of Bavaria, to the countryside of Ontario, and then to France, the characters go to great lengths to overcome the limitations of their mundane lives by building or sculpting monuments to immortalize their past. Father Gstir erects a great stone church in the woods to proclaim his Bavarian religion; Joseph Becker and his son Dieter sculpt beautiful religious statutes to remember past saints, Walter Allward’s builds a colossal memorial in honour of the lives sacrificed in the war. It is via her talent as a wood carver that Klara Becker is able to pay tribute to her past lover whose body has never been found.

There is great movement in the story: immigrants leaving their homes to start over in a new continent, time speeding by and leaving your old self behind—somewhere, some time, you must pause and remember the past or else you will get lost in your journey. Tilman Becker, Klara’s brother who has refused at a young age to be tied to any single place, follows the great flocks of birds as they move over vast areas of the countryside. How long can he survive alone before his past claims him back?

This is a novel of powerful imagery—essential reading for the history buff and lovers of redemptive story telling.

Jane Urquhart’s enchanting novel, Away, is a touching tale of love and abandonment that spans through four generations and covers two continents. Esther, an elderly woman narrates her great-grandmother Mary’s poor beginnings on the northern Irish coastline and her desperate move across the Atlantic to the unforgiving shores of the Canadian Great Lakes.

Her description of the suffering and terrible injustices experienced by the victims of the Irish potato famine was heart wrenching, as was the crude and poor conditions of the Irish settlers living in Montreal’s Griffintown. Not much, unfortunately was mentioned of the horrors of Grosse-Ile where so many Irish immigrants perished

The writing is lyrical and well-crafted, blending the magical and the political with the stark realism of each generation.

The Birth House, Ami McKay’s debut novel is about the struggle of a small fishing village in Nova Scotia trying to come to terms with the advances of modern medicine. Marie Babineau is an elderly Acadian midwife and trusted healer who has seen to the medical and spiritual needs of the village women for years with herbs and spells in exchange for baked goods and local produce. With her young apprentice, Dora Rare, by her side, she fights a continuous battle to keep the old traditions alive. The newly arrived, manipulative Dr. Thomas fights hard to usurp the age-old midwifery with his expensive and often de-womanizing modern treatments.

This is a compelling story of a woman’s need to control her own body and to determine her role in a male-oriented society. Certainly a must read for herbalists and those with a keen interest in the women’s movement.

Joseph Boyden’s, , is a wrenching historical novel of the day-to-day lives of two young First Nation Cree men who experience the atrocities of the Great War. Xavier Bird and Elijah Whiskeyjack have honed from a young age their hunting skills in the Canadian woods. Their sharpshooting ability makes them standout from the other infantrymen and they soon become expert snipers. Xavier, although the better marksman of the two, prefers to be the silent observer and spots the German targets for his partner. Elijah, on the other hand, revels in the kill, and soon loses touch with reality. Xavier, grandson of a beloved Cree healer and Windigo killer, is torn between the love and loyalty he has for Elijah, and the need to stop his gratuitous killing sprees.

Woven into their lives is the story of the medicine woman, Niska, Xavier’s Auntie who has kidnapped him at a young age from the grasp of the Residential School to live on the land with her. She represents the dying Cree culture and must help Xavier heal from the horrors of war, and the ravages of his morphine addiction so he can help his people continue on.

This is a tremendously riveting read, not an easy one considering all the realistic and violent images of war, but one that will stay firmly with you.

In Search of a Revolution, by Christoph Fischer, is not only an important historical drama about the Finnish involvement in WW2, but is also a story about the search for justice, and the pitfalls of blindly following an ideology. Zacharius, a young man from a wealthy family, and his friend Ansgar, the son of a pig farmer, are both idealists looking to make their world a better place but with a different way of seeing things. One is a communist, the other a fascist, but they remain friends regardless of their opposite views. Raisa, a young nurse who befriends both of them, sees first hand the pain and suffering experienced by the innocent victims of those who impose their visions on others, and never hesitates to come to their aid of the wounded.

This book presents a stark view of the horrors of war experienced by a part of the world that is rarely mentioned in out history books, and because of this—an important read.

Set in the American south of the 1940’s, Carson McCullers, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, deals with the spiritual and emotional aloneness of people who are misfits. Biff, the generous Café owner who wears his dead wife’s perfume and collects old newspapers; Mick, the young girl who lives in her inner world of music; Dr. Copeland, the black doctor, whose dream of a better life for his people has driven his own family away; Jake whose forceful communist views make him an outcast; and there’s John Singer, the deaf mute who mourns the lost of a dear friend, and because of his handicap is attributed god-like characteristics.

The author depicts the stark reality of racism, poverty, and the alienation associated with being different. The characters are memorable and the plot, though not fast-paced, is well crafted. A touching story, though not for those who expect a happy ending.