Out of his tree

The Boys in the Trees by Mary Swan

Henry Holt & Company 2008, 224 pages

To escape a beating from his father, a small boy takes refuge in a tree. There he finds solace and shelter, and as he carves his initials into the trunk he thinks about his future and the life he is meant to have: how he will have a family of his own to cherish and one day people will know his name.

Towards the end of the 19th century, a now grown-up William Heath settles in Canada with his wife and daughters, becoming a respected member of the community. But when he is accused of embezzlement, he commits a crime that ensures his name will indeed not be forgotten.

This story is told from the perspective of several characters: William’s wife, his daughters and (after the crime) members of the town who are haunted by his actions. What really makes this novel are the small details – the significance of inanimate objects: a locket, a button, a knife, a gun. If you’ve got to have a “whole” story that covers all the bases, then this book may not work for you. But to quote Hilary Mantel (whose endorsement it carries) “stories are never whole.” This is a beautifully written book; it worked for me and I loved it.

Winner of the 2001 O. Henry Award for short fiction, Mary Swan is the author of the collection The Deep and Other Stories. The Boys in the Trees has been long-listed for the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize for fiction. You can find out more at: http://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca

Holiday reading

The Palace of Strange Girls by Sallie Day

HarperPress 2008, 368 pages

It’s the summer of 1959 and the Singleton family (Jack, Ruth and their two daughters) are on holiday in Blackpool. Seven year old Beth, recently out of hospital, is forced to endure being molly-coddled by her mother when all she wants to do is fill in her I- Spy book. Her sixteen year old sister Helen is also struggling with the constraints placed upon her and yearns for independence. Meanwhile Jack, a foreman at a Lancashire cotton mill, has his own secrets and is faced with making a decision which will affect the future of his entire family.

The Palace of Strange Girls gives us a snap shot of a family on holiday and there is a strong sense of time and place. The chapter headings are linked by an I-Spy at the Seaside theme and are very tongue in cheek. A light and enjoyable read that will kiss you quick and squeeze you slowly!

And the winner is ……

The book title that most tickled my fancy was: The Loft Conversion Manual by Ian Rock. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions, there’ll be a bag of bird seed prize on it’s way to Anne Frearson shortly.

Help the pigeon

Why did the pigeon go into the library? Because it wanted a book to read of course! So what title would a pigeon choose? Suggestions in comments and the best one wins a prize.

Cotton pickin’ good

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

William Heinemann 2008, 336 pages

WW II has ended and Henry McAllan has brought his Memphis-born wife Laura and their two children to live on a remote farm in the Mississippi Delta. Laura hates the farm as much as her husband loves it, but tries to make the best of a bad job; there is no running water or electricity and she must endure the constant carping of her cantankerous father-in-law. When Henry’s brother Jamie returns from the war a damaged hero, he forms a friendship with another war veteran – Ronsel Jackson, eldest son of the black sharecroppers who work on the farm – and the stage is set for catastrophe.

This is the story of two families and the damage inflicted upon them by war and racism. Events are relayed from the perspective of six characters but it is Laura’s voice which dominates throughout (which is interesting as she otherwise doesn’t get much of a say in what goes on). As moving as it is engaging, the story simmers and bubbles towards a horrific climax.

Mudbound was the winner of the 2006 Bellwether Prize, an award founded by Barbara Kingsolver for literature of social responsibility; it is Hillary Jordan’s first novel.