CanLit

Brother, by David Chariandy

9780771022906

Brother, David Chariandy.     Published by McClelland & Stewart

About the book (from the publisher):

An intensely beautiful, searingly powerful, tightly constructed novel, Brother explores questions of masculinity, family, race, and identity as they are played out in a Scarborough housing complex during the sweltering heat and simmering violence of the summer of 1991. 
     With shimmering prose and mesmerizing precision, David Chariandy takes us inside the lives of Michael and Francis. They are the sons of Trinidadian immigrants, their father has disappeared and their mother works double, sometimes triple shifts so her boys might fulfill the elusive promise of their adopted home. 
     Coming of age in The Park, a cluster of town houses and leaning concrete towers in the disparaged outskirts of a sprawling city, Michael and Francis battle against the careless prejudices and low expectations that confront them as young men of black and brown ancestry — teachers stream them into general classes; shopkeepers see them only as thieves; and strangers quicken their pace when the brothers are behind them. Always Michael and Francis escape into the cool air of the Rouge Valley, a scar of green wilderness that cuts through their neighbourhood, where they are free to imagine better lives for themselves. 
     Propelled by the pulsing beats and styles of hip hop, Francis, the older of the two brothers, dreams of a future in music. Michael’s dreams are of Aisha, the smartest girl in their high school whose own eyes are firmly set on a life elsewhere. But the bright hopes of all three are violently, irrevocably thwarted by a tragic shooting, and the police crackdown and suffocating suspicion that follow.
     With devastating emotional force David Chariandy, a unique and exciting voice in Canadian literature, crafts a heartbreaking and timely story about the profound love that exists between brothers and the senseless loss of lives cut short with the shot of a gun.

A bit of a back story:

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending Penguin Random House Canada’s Fall Preview.  During the event, Christina Vecchiato,  a sales rep for PRHC,  firmly declared David Chariandy’s Brother would win the 2017 Giller Prize. The sentiment was seconded by PRHC’s district sales manager Justin Sorbara-Hosker. At this point, I was kicking myself a little bit. I am fortunate to receive review copies of books from PRHC regularly. Of course, there are limits to their generosity each month and when the opportunity presented itself, I opted for a different book instead of Chariandy’s. (So many books…. so little time!)  During a break in the Fall Preview, I chatted with Christina and Justin and expressed my intention to buy Brother the next day. I was already interested in the novel, but thanks to their strong endorsements buying the book became  urgent.  Justin handed me his copy. “Take it!” he said.   Thank you, Justin. Thank. You!

This week, Brother was longlisted for the 2017 Giller Prize, and shortlisted for the 2017 Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize.

Yesterday, I read this incredible novel, and cannot stop thinking about the perfect beauty of David Chariandy’s writing.

Brother is a timely and necessary story. In a recent Globe and Mail review, Chariandy noted

[he] rarely, if ever, encountered a world resembling his own: the apartment buildings and strip malls, the busy streets and hidden valleys, the sights and smells and tongues that he saw and heard and experienced every day in Scarborough. “There was a very powerful sense that it was not worthy of representation – none of my life. My parents were not worthy of representation. My experiences were not worthy of representation. My neighbourhood – this whole borough – was not worthy, except in bloody newspaper headlines.” He continues: “To read a novel, or anything, set in Scarborough – and affirming that there is life in this part of the city – I think that would have been transformative.”

89746Chariandy has given readers such a gift in offering this view of a community and a family that may, in day-to-day life, be overlooked or judged unfairly thanks to prejudice and stereotyping. The novel shows what life is like for young black men coming up in a world where police harassment and violence are the norm, where they are approached suspiciously and cautiously, or constantly underestimated.  How do people in such situations survive and thrive when so much is stacked against them? Can there be any hope for a decent future?  In NOW Magazine, Chariandy says:

 

“… the point of the novel is really about finding life and creativity in the midst of that violence, and after that violence.”

This is a novel for every reader, and it deals beautifully with themes and subjects of such importance. Anchoring it all is Chariandy’s exquisite writing. For me, this has been a standout read for 2017. I hope you will find your way to this novel, and that you will love it as much as I do.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy reading!

Nightfall, by Richard B. Wright

From the the publisher’s website (many thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the review copy of this new novel):

nightfall-9781476785370_hrFrom the acclaimed writer of the beloved Clara Callan comes a memorable new novel about first loves, love-after-love, and the end of things, set during summer in Quebec City.

James Hillyer, a retired university professor whose life was evocatively described in Wright’s novel October, is now barely existing after the death of his beloved daughter in her forties. On a whim, he tries to locate the woman he fell in love with so many years ago on a summer trip to Quebec and through the magic of the Internet he is able to find her. But Odette’s present existence seems to be haunted by ghosts from her own past, in particular, the tough ex-con Raoul, with his long-standing grievances and the beginnings of dementia. The collision of past and present leads to violence nobody could have predicted and alters the lives of James and Odette forever.

Nightfall skillfully captures the way in which our past is ever-present in our minds as we grow older, casting its spell of lost loves and the innocent joys of youth over the realities of aging and death. The novel is skillfully grounded in observation, propelled by unforgettable characters, and filled with wisdom about young love and old love. Drawing on the author’s profound understanding of the intimate bonds between men and women, Nightfall is classic Richard B. Wright. 

I found Nightfall to be a very thoughtful and contemplative novel.  I enjoyed the exploration of memory, and the perspective on life offered by both James’ and Odette’s arcs, and the idea that our past and present are never really that far away from one another.   I also found strength in Richard B. Wright‘s portrayal of starting over (and second chances) for his two characters, both who are in their 70s. They have come to their renewed relationship with a lifetime of experiences and hurts (so much baggage!), but also with a hope and optimism for love and happiness at a time when it had not really seemed possible.  (If you have ever experienced the joy of a wonderful summer crush/love, and wondered about that person years later, you might really enjoy the vicarious experience offered by this novel!)

5966127I would love to make one suggestion: if it is not fresh in your mind, or you have not previously read it,  check out Wright’s earlier book October first. It’s a terrific read and very connected to Nightfall!

While Nightfall does totally work as a stand alone read, thanks to the many excerpts from October, I feel I would have had a far deeper appreciation for Wright’s new novel had October been more fresh in my mind. Good intentions, and all that – I had planned a re-read of October, but things didn’t work out to allow me that time near enough to the publication of the new book.

At moments while I was reading Nightfall, I found myself thinking about Elena Ferrante, and her wonderful 4-book series, the Neapolitan Novels, which examines life in various stages, from childhood though adulthood.  It may seem an unusual comparison to some readers, but I feel Wright has the same keen observational skills and heightened sensitivity to the world around him. There are some truly beautiful moments in Nightfall.

Happy reading!

 

2015 Reading Challenge – Canadian Edition

Matilda, Roald Dahl; Illustration by Quentin Blake

 

Goal: diversify your reading!

While this challenge encourages you to ‘read Canadian’ (CanLit is fantastic!!), there are so many opportunities here to read beyond your comfort zones. New genres, new locations, new themes, new perspectives – each book you choose to read as part of this challenge has the potential to take you so many places, opening your minds in completely new ways. I would also like to encourage your to read diversely when choosing your authors and books.

The challenge is fairly straight–forward: find a book to read that fits each ‘task’.

With my own reading, I am not going to ‘double-dip’ (or triple-dip, etc.) my book choices. Meaning that I will not use one book for more than one task. Some people may prefer to mix-and-match the tasks, knocking off several tasks with one book. This is absolutely fine!! There are no rigid rules and no scorekeeping: the purpose is completely about having fun and enjoy your reading. You also do not have to complete every task, so please don’t feel any pressure on that front. I am offering 100 tasks (!!!)  in an attempt to provide you with a diversity of choices. With hope, you find many tasks that appeal to you!!

To note: If a task does not specify a Canadian content requirement, you may read any book that fits – a book, or author, from anywhere in the world. (Though it would be great if you tried to focus on Canadian books and authors as much as possible!)

I hope you discover some wonderful literary gems in 2015!

The Tasks:

Settings:
1. Read a book set in British Columbia
2. Read a book set in Alberta
3. Read a book set in Saskatchewan
4. Read a book set in Manitoba
5. Read a book set in Ontario
6. Read a book set in Quebec
7. Read a book set in Nova Scotia
8. Read a book set in New Brunswick
9. Read a book set in Prince Edward Island
10. Read a book set in Newfoundland
11. Read a book set in Nunavut, Yukon, or Northwest Territories
12. Read a book set in an urban centre
13. Read a book with a rural setting
14. Read a book set outside of North America

Book Awards/Events:
15. Read a book which has been nominated for the Giller Prize
16. Read a book which has been nominated Governor General’s Fiction Award
17. Read a book which has been nominated Governor General’s Nonfiction Award
18. Read a book which has been nominated for the Writer’s Trust Fiction Prize
19. Read a book which has been nominated for the Writer’s Trust Nonfiction Prize (Weston Prize)
20. Read a book which has been nominated for RBC Taylor Prize (formerly The Charles Taylor Prize) for Literary Nonfiction
21. Read a book which has been nominated for the Stephen Leacock Medal For Humour
22. Read a book which has been nominated for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize)
23. Read a book which has been nominated for the Commonwealth Prize
24. Read a book which has been nominated for the Booker Prize
25. Read a book that has featured in the The Morning News’ annual ‘Tournament of Books’
26. Read a book that has been featured on Canada Reads
27. Read a book which has been nominated for a National Book Award
28. Read a book by an author who has won a Nobel Prize

Subjects:
29. Read a book which features a Canadian immigration experience
30. Read a book authored by a First Nations writer
31. Read a book that features First Nations experiences
32. Read a book that is considered a Canadian Classic
33. Read a book by a Canadian author
34. Read a book featuring an animal
35. Read a book published by an independent (indie) publishing house
36. Read a book originally published in a language you do not speak.
37. Read a ‘big book’ – a book over 600 pages
38. Read a book you discovered in a Canadian Newspaper
39. Read a book you discovered in a Canadian Magazine
40. Read a book you discovered on 49th Shelf
41. Read a book recommended to you by a Canadian
42. Read a book that features hockey
43. Read a book that features music or musicians
44. Read a book written by an author under the age of 30
45. Read a book written by an author over the age of 65
46. Read a book that features an LGBTQ character
47. Read a book written by an author who identifies as LGBTQ
48. Read a book about family
49. Read a book that has been banned
50. Read a book by an author who is also (or has been) a journalist
51. Read a book that has been a Canadian bestseller
52. Read a book about survival
53. Read a book that has been on your bookshelf for a very long time
54. Read a book published in 2015
55. Read a book published in the 1800s
56. Read a book published in the 1900s
57. Read a book published in the 2000s
58. Read a book set in the future
59. Read a book set in the past
60. Read a book that has been adapted for TV, or the big screen
61. Read the first book in a series
62. Read a book in a series you have already begun
63. Read a book that you think has a beautiful cover design
64. Read a book written by a man, featuring a female main character
65. Read a book written by a woman, featuring a male main character
66. Read a book recommended to you by a friend, or family member
67. Read a book published in the year of your birth
68. Read a book by one of you favourite authors
69. Read a book by an author you have never read before
70. Read a novel that is a coming of age story
71. Read a book that was noted on any 2014 ‘best books of the year’ list
72. Read a book that features illness or disability

Genres:
73. Read a book that is a mystery, or features crime
74. Read a science fiction novel
75. Read a fantasy novel
76. Read a novel which is considered ‘YA’ (published for young adults)
77. Read a poetry collection
78. Read a play
79. Read a book that crosses genres
80. Read a graphic novel, or graphic memoir
81. Read a book about food or drink
82. Read a biography or memoir
83. Read a love story
84. Read a book featuring travel
85. Read a collection of short stories
86. Read a book of essays
87. Read a book of narrative nonfiction
88. Read an epistolary novel, or a nonfiction collection of letters

Seven Basic Plots:
89. Read a book that deals with overcoming the monster
90. Read a book that features a rags to riches story
91. Read a book about a quest
92. Read a book featuring a voyage and return
93. Read a comedy
94. Read a tragedy
95. Read a story about rebirth

Narrators:
96. Read a novel with a first-person narrative
97. Read a novel with a second-person narrative
98. Read a novel with a third-person narrative
99. Read a book that has an unreliable narrator
100. Read a book that features alternating narration

To access a Google Doc. version of this challenge, click here.

 

Happy reading to you all!! Please let me know how your reading goes this year. I would love to know about any wonderful books you discover because of this challenge.

 

Illustration by Jane Mount, Ideal Bookshelf