I finished this several days ago and I’m still trying to decide if everything fit together. The story is largely set in Saskatchewan in 1959, with flashbacks to Vera’s childhood and life after she left home at the age of seventeen. Now in her mid- to late-30s she has a 12-year-old son, Daniel, who she worries obsessively over because of negative big city influences. So she decides to return to her isolated hometown to live with her father. This takes a 56 hour bus ride. I’ll think of that next time I have a long and cramped plane ride!But here’s the catch. Vera and her father Alec are both stubbornly and unreasonably headstrong and neither will back down and admit fault or apologize for their actions, words or decisions. This was true during her childhood and remains so after she returns with son in tow. This son turns out to be a good kid caught between his mother’s expectations and a growing love for a grandfather who becomes his father figure. Right or wrong, Alec’s anecdotes that guide Daniel on his way to manhood are highly entertaining. I felt Vera’s tales were sometimes less successful, though still well told. What ensues is a story of mistakes and broken down family communication. And this is the strength and core of the book. Readers who relish stories centered around family dynamics (Anne Tyler comes to mind) will find much to like in this book. There’s humor and tears. A book that pulls at the heartstrings.
there were many moments in this book which i really enjoyed so much, but there were parts that just didn't come together for me. i was frustrated by the stubbornness and lack of communication going on between alec and vera (father and daughter in the novel). i get it. i do. people really are like this, and it's great to write around two characters like this. i suppose i just feel like more opportunities could have been taken to show more dimensions with alec and vera. they did have moments, and i liked when these were presented in the story. i have read vanderhaeghe before, and loved him. so perhaps my expectations were just too high going into this novel? please know i didn't dislike the book - i did like it. i just didn't love it.
