A Novel Approach (To Me)

Author: Drew Hayden Taylor

Genre: Literary Fiction

I must say that this book was one of the most surprising and fun reads I’ve experienced in some time.  There seems to be a theme lately of authors looking at mythical characters or gods and then writing about how they would function in today’s world.  Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips and The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan are two such novels that come readily to mind.

In this case, Motorcycles and Sweetgrass presents a wonderful and humorous look at an important figure in Ojibway mythology, Nanabush (the trickster). The story approaches Nanabush as a living breathing and very magical person trying to find his way in the modern world.  The author skillfully uses Nanabush’s arrival in Otter Lake both to explore some re-occurring themes in Native communities, as well as to remind us that the lessons Nanabush teaches are still relevant today. Taylors characters–including Lillian (the matriarch of the family), her daughter Maggie (the Chief), Maggie’s son Virgil (who is struggling to find his place in the world), Maggie’s eccentric brother Wayne, and a host of raccoons with a mysterious vandetta against Nanabush–combine to create a wonderful story that will capture your imagination.

The story is written in a very casual style and mimics the experience of being “told” a good story in the oral tradition. You know you are in for a treat when it begins with

“Hey, wanna hear a good story? Supposedly it’s a true one. It’s a long story but it goes something like this…”

The prologue is a flashback to Lillian’s youth.  We find her swimming in the lake with an unnamed man.  The nature of their relationship is a question that weaves through the entire story.  Taylor lets us know that there is something highly unusual about this man through a converstion that he and Lillian have early in the story:

“It’s your new boyfriend, isn’t it. What do women see in him?” the man asked.

“He’s not my new boyfriend.  He’s just some guy. Don’t be angry. With me or him.”

“Everybody used to talk about me. Now they talk about him. I don’t understand. What’s he got that I don’t.  He’s so depressing. What’s his name again?”

“…Jesus.”

This novel touches such heavy subject matter as the damage done by the residential schools, the difficulties of land claims, threats to native culture, the issues that small communities face, and the conflict of traditional native beliefs with the influence of “white” Christianity.  There is a brilliant dream sequence late in the book that follows a conversation between Jesus and Nanabush.  It offers the hope. The two men come to the agreement in the end that the human heart has the ability to hold both belief systems successfully, reaping the benefits of the good offered by each.

If you were to think, based on the content mentioned above, that this book is a difficult read, you would be wholly mistaken.  Taylor approaches this material in a light and humorous, even affectionate, manner.  His portrayal of the struggles and concerns of a modern Ojibway community is a slice of life, not a lecture.  His writing is fast paced and engaging.  There is an honesty to the way he writes that readers will appreciate.

The highest compliment I can give is that I could hardly put the book down.  It was that good.

Taylor is a multi-talented writer and humorist. He has a flair for irony that Nanabush himself would appreciate. Taylor has been recognized by Knopf Canada as one of the New Faces of Fiction for 2010.  You can read his bio and writing credits on his author page.

Oh yes, there is one more character in the book, albeit a silent character, that I’ve yet to mention. It is the 1953 Indian Chief motorcycle that Nanabush rides.  I thought I’d include a picture.  Even if you’ve never ridden one, you’ll want this particular motorcycle when you’ve finished reading the novel…

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Author: Lindon MacIntyre

Genre: Literary Fiction

I’ll be perfectly honest.  Of all the books I’ve read lately, this is one that I truly hesitated to open. My concern was the heavy subject matter–the sexual scandals of Catholic Priests.  When I read fiction I’m not interested in a lecture. Nor am I interested in reading an author’s political agenda–especially when thinly disguised as a novel. Rather, I’m looking for an escape. I’m looking for descriptions that move me and language that surprises me. I want a great story. After having read this novel, I can now admit that I was wrong to hesitate. There is no political agenda here.  Only a story that will surprise and engage you.

The narrator of this novel is Father Duncan MacAskill and it is his relationship with the Bishop that is referenced in the title. Father MacAskill is valued by the Bishop for his ability to clean up potentially scandalous situations with way-ward priests. As a result, he is shunned and even feared by the other priests who refer to him as the “Exorcist” behind his back. Increasingly, Duncan finds it difficult to balance his duty to the Bishop and the church, with the work he must do to protect them–including cleaning up loose ends with the victims, whom the Bishop coldly refuses to acknowlege:

“Victim, for God’s sake. Don’t make me sick. … They’ll get over it. … We can’t let a bunch of misfits and complainers undermine the Sacraments.”

As a new and potentially very damaging scandal quickly approaches, the Bishop sends Father MacAskill away–primarily to hide him from the media because he knows too much about the priest in question.  MacAskill is assigned to a remote parish in Creignish, Cape Breton very near to where he grew up.  It is his arrival at the parish that brings the narrator to a spiritual crossroad. This is not the first time he’s been sent away by the Bishop as the result of a potential scandal. A secondary story about his first exile, told through exerpts from his journals and filled with his own guilt, is revealed bit by bit. It is the narrator’s internal struggle that truly begins to drives this story forward. As MacAskill spirals downward into depression and alcohol, the edges of his conviction begin to blur and the story of the real man behind the cloth emerges. In true Canadian fashion, strong themes of isolation, confession and contrition weave the fabric of this story.

Some will certainly find the structure challenging as it moves back and forth between past and present. I found the time shifts to be distracting at times. Even so, the novel is well-written and does an excellent job drawing us into the character’s lives and the rich scenery of Cape Breton. That alone, makes this novel a worthy read.

Note: The Bishop’s Man is the winner of the 2009 Giller Prize for fiction. For more information on this novel or on Linden MacIntyre, you can visit his page on the Random House Canada website.

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Author: Kevin Patterson

Genre: Literary Fiction

I picked up this novel because it appealed to both my passion for Canadian literature and my curiosity about life in the Arctic. Similar to one of the characters in the book, I have been guilty of romanticizing the life of the Inuit. If you have done the same, this book will slap you in the face with its honest and stark portrayal of life in the North.

On its surface, Consumption is an interesting tale depicting the life of an Inuit girl named Victoria. We meet her at the age of 10 in the late 1960’s only shortly before she is diagnosed with TB and whisked away to a Sanitarium in Manitoba for treatment. During the time she lives in the “south”, Victoria’s identity fundamentally changes from a child born on the tundra aware of nothing beyond the nomadic hunting life of her family, to a young woman very accustomed to modern conveniences. She returns to her family six years later, unable to speak their language and a stranger in her own community. She is surprised to find that her family has settled into government housing. We soon see that they are utterly and irrevocably changed by coming off the land. This is a haunting and tragic story that will leave you heartbroken.

True to the title, the concept of “consumption” echos in this book on many levels. Consumption is, in its most literal, an alternate term for Tuberculosis and the wasting effect it has on the human body. However, as we peel back the layers of the story we see modern life consuming an ancient culture and its traditions, a doctor consumed by addiction, daughters consumed by the future, and a son by the past. We also find the story of a mine that consumes the natural resources highlighting the ongoing tension between the government and the desire of the Inuit for autonomy. In the end, strong themes around parent-child relationships and isolation are the bones that support this story.

Although the characters are purely fictional, their stories resonate with an honesty that being based on true life events can afford. The author, Dr. Kevin Patterson, travels frequently to the Arctic to practice medicine and is all too familiar with an episode in the 1950’s and 60’s where up to 1/3 of Inuit children were evacuated south to be treated for TB. He uses uses stories told to him by his patients as a jumping off point and makes no effort to soften the edges.  The characters that we meet in this novel are unflinchingly and unapologetically human.

Along with the narrative of the story, this novel contains translated Inuit poetry, and the unpublished manuscript of one of the characters. This “manuscript” is, in essence, a series of essays designed to bridge the gap between the changes to the Inuit culture and lifestyle portrayed in the novel, and their relevance to society as a whole. Although this structure adds interest to the novel, at certain points “the manuscript” begins to feel like a somewhat clumsy attempt by the author to include certain thoughts that he couldn’t quite fit into the narrative.

There is no question that there is an element of social commentary to this novel. However, he manages to fold this gently into a haunting tale that is a rich and satisfying read.

Note: for more information on author Kevin Patterson you can visit his author page on the Random House Canada website.