This is Moth Renwick’s story, a twelve year trying to survive life in the slums of Manhattan in the 1870’s, who must decide to be, or not to be, a whore. Abandoned by her father, and sold to an abusive mistress by her mother, she escapes her tormented life as a lady’s maid and ends up sleeping on the street and learning how to steal to survive. Picked up by a whore-in-training, she is recruited by a madam who rescues young street girls and grooms them to become reputable young virgins to be sold to the highest bidder.

Although the storyline is interesting, and I do sympathize with the horrors experienced by the poor street children of that era, on a literary level, I found the action a bit slow in some parts. The fictitious posts and poems scattered throughout disrupted the flow of the story and often weren’t connected to what was happening.

Overall, I found Moth’s character likeable and courageous, and if I didn’t agree with her decisions, I reminded myself that she was only a twelve-year taking adult decisions.

Ami McKay is a splendid storyteller. The Virgin Cure, although not as compelling as her previous work, is certainly a terrific read.

#review #Canadianbooks #fiction

Thomas Mullen’s powerful historical novel, The Last Town on Earth, is a moving debut from a talented Canadian writer. The setting, Commonwealth, is a small peaceful town of the Pacific Northwest founded by the Worthy family to escape exploitation of mill workers. The deadly Spanish Flu of 1918 has started ravaging surrounding towns and the people of Commonwealth decide to quarantine themselves against contagion. “Guards are posted at the single road leading in and out of the town.” Philip Worthy, the adopted son of the village founder, is one of the guards. Meanwhile, “the ideals that define Commonwealth are being threatened from all sides.” WW1 is in full force, and America’s young enlisted soldiers are being slaughtered left and right. Conscientious objectors are thereby being targeted by ordinary citizens. “The fear of spies is rampant, and the loyalty of all Americans is under scrutiny.” When a lost and hungry American soldier insists on being allowed into the village, the guards must take action. Do they do the honourable thing and come to his aid, thereby risking the possible infection of the villagers? This becomes morality versus survival. They decide to shoot and bury him. An American soldier killed on American soil by American people—who, by the way, have not all registered for the selection process that might send them overseas to war.

A compelling and thought-provoking page-turner about the dark side of human nature in times of war.

A charming look back at the experience of a British evacuee family who takes refuge in a Saskatchewan home to escape the bombings of WW2. We follow Lindy, a ten year old girl, her mother, and a twelve year old male cousin as they try to adjust to life in Canada. The generosity of the Canadian hosts who housed, clothed,entertained, and fed the evacuee families was impressive and a revelation to me. Narrated through the eyes of both the younger, and then the elderly Lindy, it made for a simple and fast read. The narrator's credibility diminishes at the end when she retells her cousin's attempt to escape Canada to return to England. The cousin wasn't forthcoming with the exact details, so the story is narrated according to what Lindy thinks might have happened. Uprooted, A Canadian War Story, is nevertheless a pleasurable middle grade read.

Joseph Boyden’s, , is a wrenching historical novel of the day-to-day lives of two young First Nation Cree men who experience the atrocities of the Great War. Xavier Bird and Elijah Whiskeyjack have honed from a young age their hunting skills in the Canadian woods. Their sharpshooting ability makes them standout from the other infantrymen and they soon become expert snipers. Xavier, although the better marksman of the two, prefers to be the silent observer and spots the German targets for his partner. Elijah, on the other hand, revels in the kill, and soon loses touch with reality. Xavier, grandson of a beloved Cree healer and Windigo killer, is torn between the love and loyalty he has for Elijah, and the need to stop his gratuitous killing sprees.

Woven into their lives is the story of the medicine woman, Niska, Xavier’s Auntie who has kidnapped him at a young age from the grasp of the Residential School to live on the land with her. She represents the dying Cree culture and must help Xavier heal from the horrors of war, and the ravages of his morphine addiction so he can help his people continue on.

This is a tremendously riveting read, not an easy one considering all the realistic and violent images of war, but one that will stay firmly with you.

The road has been long and winding, but at long last my pre-teen novella, Culloo, has now been released in paperback format by Pemmican Publications. It's a brand new cover, but the spirit of the story has remained intact.

Synopsis

Tala can't wait to be thirteen; then no one better tell her what to do. Her nosey neighbour is always checking up on her, and now the Welfare Officer is knocking on her door again and her father isn't home to answer. Tala only has a few hours to find her missing father before she and her brother, Dason, get placed in a foster home.

Her quest brings them to secluded woods where they discover that a group of bear poachers are responsible for their father's disappearance. Can they survive the night alone in woods alive with hungry bears and angry hunters? Will she be able to find her father before the hunters do?

Her adventures bring her in contact with the legendary woodland characters: the pipe-smoking frog-like people and the giant ferocious black bird. These characters are a vivid part of her Mi'Kmaq ancestry, told and retold from one generation to another. They've always existed happily for her in stories, but now, faced with a real-life crisis, they've become surreal and grotesque? She must learn to trust the wisdom of her ancestors if she wants to succeed in her quest to reunite her family.

Available at Pemmican Publications  http://pemmican.websites.ca