Book Nook Club: Canada

January 22, 2012

Dinner With Lisa by R.L. Prendergast

Dinner With Lisa sets place in Canada right after the market crash and great depression that devastated the North American economy in the 1930's. It follows Joseph, an honest, hardworking and generous widower, who has set off to a new city after the death of his wife with his four small children in tow. He decided to move to the city of Philibuster, where his half-brother lived, in an effort to raise his children around some family as well as become employed.

Although he had a letter of employment in hand when arriving in Philibuster, his employer, the crooked Mayor, Westmoreland, decided to give his job away to a family member. Joseph, now desperate for a job, food and a way to support his children continues his daily struggle for survival. Along the way he makes some friends and many enemies. He loses a good friend and almost his children. And he finds love.

It is a story of hope for the hopeless. And for once, the good guy wins.

Predergast's writing is beautiful. He carefully lays out each detail vividly. I know what the city of Philibuster looks like. I can get to the local shop from Joseph's house. But, for my own liking, I found this book to be too slow. With all the description, there was not much room left for dialogue. Long passages of prose left my eyes heavy. Also, most of the action takes place in the last quarter of the book... and the journey to get there is long and tiresome... as I'm sure it was for Joseph as well! Just not my cup of tea.

2 Stars
I received a complementary copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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April 14, 2009

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

This is the story of a family in Nova Scotia during the Great War and the Depression. A very strange family. On the front of the book there is a quote that compares it to something by John Irving. When I saw that, I thought to myself, "that means there's incest." Then I dismissed that thought and decided it must refer to something else. But I turned out to be right.

The thing is, when John Irving writes about incest, as he almost always does, he writes it in such a way as to almost make it seem understandable, forgivable. I think MacDonald did try to do that, owing to the tone of humor and nonchalance she adopts when addressing that situation, but she failed. It was awkward, reading this situation and getting the idea that you're just supposed to be okay with it all. There's also a lesbian aspect, and that goes over much better than the incest did.

Otherwise it was interesting reading. Not impossible to put down, not life changing, not something I'd read again, but interesting.

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January 22, 2012

Dinner With Lisa by R.L. Prendergast

April 14, 2009

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

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