Away

Speaking as a Canadian of mixed heritage, it's always a bit annoying when our official policy of Multiculturalism forces us to answer the question, "What's your nationality?" Many times over their school years, my kids were told to bring in a dish from or write a report on their nation of origin, an......more

An evocative story. I loved how Irish mythology was weaved into Canadian history.......more

As the opening line suggests, this is a story about women, four generations of them, and their migratory journey from Ireland to Canada. These are mystical women, in touch with the spiritual world, whose men appear in mirages, out of the water or while converting their sorrows into dance. Water is a......more

3.5 stars. This is an intriguing, well-written historical novel. My knowledge of Canadian history is practically nil, so I wasn't even aware that there were so many Irish potato famine victims in Canada struggling for survival during the time of the US Civil War (It turns out, history happened elsew......more

I am often caught between giving 3 or 4 stars to a book, and wish half stars were an option. In my universe (pun intended) 5 stars is reserved for books that are not only well written and creative but that catch me up emotionally and transport me someplace else while I'm immersed in them. 4 stars ar......more