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People's
Choice
Which book would you like us all to read?
Send us a note about any work of Canadian fiction you’ve
enjoyed, and tell us why you think it would be a good choice
for Canada Reads. It could be a novel, a short story, a book
of poetry or a play. But, remember, it has to be Canadian.
On this page, we’ll post a selection of the best letters
we receive, and we’ll send a classy Canada Reads book
bag to the writers of the three letters we like best.
Write to canadareads@cbc.ca.
Letters from the Canada Reads mailbox
One of my favorite books is Roch Carrier's Prayers of a Very Wise Child. This
is such a Canadian book. Mr. Carrier has captured the mind of the Canadian child -
whether francophone or English speaking. This book delighted me and made me
appreciate my Canadian-ness in an entirely new way. His description of the typical
Canadian small town and the people inhabiting it, the worries, fears, delights of
its children were so typical of my childhood and I suspect most Canadians. You
will notice I have used the word Canadian many times in this note. This is a
lovely book and I believe truly typifies what it is to have grown up Canadian.
It would serve us all well to read and re-read this charming book. Thank you,
Mr. Carrier!
Valerie Irvine
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I continue to wait for one of your panelists to champion a Robertson Davies book.
May I suggest The Rebel Angels as a starting point? Indeed, I might propose
anything that was penned by Davies but I feel that this tale of “mockademia”
gives us a glimpse into the author's long fascination and experience with the
world of universities and the ivory tower syndrome. It's at once funny,
introspective, and mysterious...and is sure to elicit controversy.
Julien Racette
Ottawa
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You have to love Joy Fielding for her ability to portray the human condition
through her writing style which makes us realize that somewhere, someone has
had the same thoughts about aging, menopause or teenage children. The characters
in her novels seem identical to members of your own family. A definite portrait
of a dangerous stranger always works, as does her sense of humor. The other thing
she does very, very well is that aura of mystery or unease you always feel when
you know that something is going to happen that will not let you go back to that
comfortable space and way of thinking that you were in before you read the novel.
If you need to take one book to the cottage, you want to take one by Joy Fielding
because there is enough escapism; enough reality to hit home and just that wonderful
method of telling a story that is gratifying - because you won’t need a study group
to understand the novel. I am going to recommend Missing Pieces.
Bernice Duguay
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When it comes to Canadian fiction, Ann-Marie MacDonald's talent is unparalleled.
While I have found all of her writings enjoyable, her debut novel, Fall on Your
Knees, was simply addictive. Might I suggest this novel?
In this novel, MacDonald manages to place some of the most complex and interesting
characters in some of the most complex and interesting places, a combination that
reveals so much about individual psychology and social, cultural, familial, and
religious influence. The novel, set in Canada in the early 1900s, also serves as
a rich source of Canadian history; MacDonald has a way of transporting the reader
back in time through the minds of the characters. Finally, MacDonald's fiction
could not seem less fictional; there is a stunning degree of realism here that one
seldom finds with novelists who are perhaps unwittingly still attached to a happy
ending. While many fiction writers willingly and successfully depict the good and
the bad, few have ever had such success depicting the ugly.
Cathy Faye
Toronto
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Just thought I would drop this line to you guys to tell you about a book I just
finished. It’s called White Man's Cotton by R.W Somerton. It is about reverse
discrimination and I found it most intriguing. While I was reading it I was
wondering what somebody who was educated in this field would think about this
work of fiction.
It’s written from the perspective of a white man who has been abducted and forced
to work underground as a slave to a group of black supremacists who want revenge
for the years of slavery their people endured in the Deep South. The setting for
this underground cavern certainly provides the fore barren life that these people
endured and it is a great attempt to mimic the stark reality of a slave’s life in
the south. The bits of hanging flesh from the mushroom picker’s hands are a great
simile to the mutilated hands of the cotton pickers of the south.
Working with the author gave me the opportunity to discuss the various aspects of
the chapters I had devoured the previous night. He is a white heterosexual male who
somehow manages to come up with some pretty strange ideas that work extremely well
in the novel.
Crystal Walsh
St. John's
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I have just read or should I say absorbed the recently released White Man's Cotton
by R. W. Somerton.
This novel is a MUST read. It has villains and heroes. It has the good, the bad
and the ugliness of society. It is a script of reverse discrimination, a story of
role reversal on the days of slavery and yet it goes deeper and further than racism.
It makes you think, it makes you contemplate on life in the past and life in present
day. It gives you empathy for all people.
When I started the book I was consumed by the story. I could not put it down, I had
to finish reading, I had to see what happened! There were so many twists and turns
it just keeps you on the edge, you have to know what is beyond the next page. You
start to live and breath the characters as the story unfolds. You become engulfed
in the storyline.
You take from the story more than the words of the author. You take from the story a
deep appreciation of how things were, how things could have been and how things
actually are.
A most recommended read! Kudos to R. W. Somerton!!
Karen
St. John's
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I'd like to offer Wild Geese by Martha Ostenso. It is a book with a strong and fine
female character in Jude Gare, the daughter of a quietly menancing father, Caleb. In
my 24 years as a teacher of English Language Arts, I have convinced many of my grade
12 English students to read this gem of Canadian literature. Many years ago, my aunt
who was an experienced English teacher told me, and English teacher just starting out,
to read the book again, and not read anything “between the lines” of Caleb Gare's
dialogue. She dared me to see if I'd change my mind about him. So I did. And I
didn't! (Sorry, Aunty!) What a beautifully written and gripping story of family and
relationships gone wrong!
Karen M. Robertson
La Ronge, SK
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I would like to nominate Crow Lake by Mary Lawson as this year's People's Choice.
When I was 18 years old, living in Jamaica, I had to read To Kill a Mockingbird as
part of my G.C.E. for literature. I received a Distinction, much to my teacher's
amazement, as well as my own - I think it was a testament to my teacher's passion
- we also had to study “Julius Caesar” and poetry - Keats, Yeats, et.al.
I moved to Canada in 1975, and went to U of T - I started out with a general science
program, and did graduate with a BSc. In my second year however, I wanted to take a
“bird course”, and decided to take an English Lit course. I think I lasted one or two
months. I was absolutely unable to keep up with the pace - basically, one book a week.
I love to read but have to do it at my own speed.
I think one of the first Canadian authors that I read was Margaret Atwood, The Edible Woman
and then Surfacing. Maybe it was because one of my physiology profs was her brother.
I love reading Canadian authors; Carol Shields, Ian McLelland, Timothy Findlay, Alice
Munroe. Last year I read Helen Humphreys' The Lost Garden and Hubert Aquin's Next
Episode, which I have to say was a challenge for me.
Forever, my favourite book has been To Kill A Mockingbird. Until I read Crow Lake.
It has evoked the same feelings and emotions. I think Mary Lawson is English, but the
novel is set in Northern Ontario and is so full of family emotional interactions, I
absolutely could not put it down. I have given it to a number of my friends to read
who have enjoyed as much as I have.
I think this should absolutely be THE number one novel that ALL Canadians should read.
Cathy Terrier
Greenbank, Ontario
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Bar none, the best book ever written is Anne of Green Gables. One person's opinion,
you say? Here's why:
I am 60 years old, born in Glasgow, Scotland at the end of the war. We had no money but
both my parents loved to read and taught us all the value of a library card. One of the
books my mother always talked about was Anne of Green Gables.
Our education system was one that offered prizes of books to top scholars in each grade
of primary school. I had the great fortune to reach that category at age eight, in addition
to having a fantastic teacher who actually took the kids to a book store to choose their
own books! I was going to choose two modern novels but the teacher suggested Anne of Green Gables.
Because I knew of it, I took her advice and never regretted it.
At age twelve, my own daughter played the role of Diana in a school play of Anne of Green Gables
(the role of Anne was played by a black girl wearing a red wig!). For a grade eight graduation
gift I took my daughter on a trip to PEI to see the sights of L.M. Montgomery's inspirations.
Now my granddaughters have read the books and have made the trip to PEI with their family to
see those same sights. If that does not prove the power of a book, I don't know what does.
My only regret is that my mother only made one trip to Canada after I emigrated from Scotland.
At the time we could not have afforded to make the trip to PEI. How she would have loved it there.
Val Collins
Beaverton Ontario
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It has been a growing relationship with Guy Gavriel Kay's books and myself. Forced upon
all grade 11 students in my English class, I found The Summer Tree a difficult book to
like. But since then, I have picked at his literature and a real warm and cozy friendship
has developed. His latest book, The Last Light of the Sun, is a real treat. Without being
overwhelming, he has told an epic tale through the eyes of a few characters. He has woven
Celtic magic into the story in the proper proportions. Finally, he has made me want to be
a part of the land that he has summoned from his mind. Anyone can enjoy this book, it's an
adult fairy tale and no one can pass that up.
Ryan Thompson
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Life of Pi.
It is no wonder it has won so many literary awards. A true tale of courage,
determination, perseverance and heart.
It is never dull. It does not dwell in self-pity or sorrow. It is surprisingly
light-hearted at times.
It is about making the best of a situation. And, Oh! What a situation it is!
Many thanks to Yann Martel!
Nancy Maki
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I would like to nominate a book for the People's Choice. Do children's books count?
One of my favourite books as a child was The Olden Days Coat by Margaret Laurence.
I received it as a Christmas gift when I was eight years old and was absolutely
enthralled with Laurence's magical story of time travel.
The Olden Days Coat fostered a love of Margaret Laurence's books that has withstood
the test of time for me. I have read her other books time and time again as an adult
and enjoyed all of them thoroughly. Sorting through some books the other day, I found
my much loved copy of The Olden Days Coat and I discovered upon reading it again, I
am still as taken with it today as I was that Christmas when I was eight year's old.
Here's to one of Canada's greatest authors, Margaret Laurence!
Sarah Jane Richer
Winnipeg
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How, oh how, is it possible another year of nominations has passed without David Adams
Richards entering the fray? Sadly, Richards is one of Canada's most overlooked authors.
His book For Those Who Hunt the Wounded Down is one of the most beautiful books I
have ever read and Jerry Bines is easily the most human, most complex, and most stunning
characters ever written. With grace, poise, and affection, Richards slowly brings the
reader into the Mirimichi, where life is often scarred with poverty, violence, and
misunderstanding.
Richards continuously shows he is a master of the English language and great interpreter
of the human condition through his wonderfully uncomplicated narratives; his words are
unpretentious; his stories, honest. For Richards, tragedy is tragedy; life is never
grand for his characters in the Mirimichi, but they live it the best they know how - one
day at a time.
Katherine Skene
Toronto
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One Canadian author, who I personally think is under rated, and is rarely talked about
when Can Lit is discussed, is Charles de Lint. I am drawn to his works of fiction that
blend a modern North American urban setting with European and Aboriginal mythology and
mysticism. This blending of modern fiction and fantasy creates a story environment of
almost limitless possibilities and surprises. I liken him to a Canadian version of
Stephen King, only where King tends to focus on the dark side of humanity and the
spiritual world, de Lint chooses to seek out and highlight the redeeming qualities of
people, and allows mythological creatures to walk freely among us in the shadows and
side streets of our modern world, forcing us to look twice at the world around us.
His characters, which reoccur in numerous novels and short stories, tie together the
bulk of his writings over the past twenty-plus years, into a cohesive and massive
fictional reality. Many of his works are referred to as “Newford Tales”,
named after the fictitious North American city in which most of the tales spring from.
Personally, I prefer his short story collections to a number of his novels, and am
currently enjoying his latest short story collection, called Tapping the Dream Tree.
I would recommend that collection, and most of his other books, to anyone who likes to
think that there is more to life than just the everyday physical world before us, and
that perhaps a step sideways could open up a whole new reality.
Jason L. Dyck
Boissevain, Manitoba
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I would like to recommend David Adams Richards' amazingly moving novel Mercy Among the
Children for the Peoples' Choice. I read it two summers ago as the hype from the
Giller Prize was winding down; though it isn't perhaps the ideal summer read, it's
less light, and far more engrossing than your average beach novel.
Literary award aside, Mercy Among the Children is phenomenal in its ability to pull
the reader into the story. I was living and breathing the story, feeling all the
emotions: the characters' hatred, jealousy and sense of betrayal. This is not a book
one can sit back and say they are glad they don't live life like the characters; this
book sinks its teeth into you and carries you away into the Miramichi world of its
characters. You can almost feel the cold breeze through the walls, and hear the creak
of the house as the frothy ocean breezes try their best to tear it apart. This is a
book of feelings, of being engulfed in those bitter, cold, disastrous life stories,
and of being awed by the human condition. This is a book whose prose fills you up and
erases the rest of the world around you so that all there is to see is the story on
its pages. It has stayed in my memory as one of the most phenomenal and engulfing
stories I have read. I would recommend it to anyone seeking a taste of Canadian literature.
Alison Lennie
Edmonton
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There are so many great Canadian books that it is hard to pick just one. So, to figure
out which would be at the top of my list, I had to think about which book I would most
likely give as a present, and really there was only one winner. Actually it is a set of
two books, and they are the most amazing and beautiful read.
Random Passage and Waiting For Time by Bernice Morgan.
These books illustrate the life in early Newfoundland. Random Passage is told from the
perspective of Lavinia, who unwillingly comes with her family from Britian. They end up
landing in a very small coastal community, and are forced to survive in very harsh and
poor conditions. The characters come alive and are rich and complex. Waiting For Time
expands on Random Passage by decribing the same events but from a different perspective.
It also carries the story into the 20th century.
This story was made into a mini series which was wonderful in its own right, but the
books are wonderful. Once you start reading you won't be able to put them down. You must
read this book!
Alana D. Rice
Prince Rupert BC
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I do not know if Ruth Ozeki meets the qualifications of a Canadian writer. She was born
in the United States, but now she and her husband reside in British Columbia (although
she keeps an apartment in Manhattan).
Her two books, My Year of Meats and All Over Creation are amongst my favorite new
works and she is the new author that excites me the most. My Year of Meats managed
to be about sexism, racism, homophobia, and food politics without sounding like a
propaganda piece. All Over Creation taught me about the politics of GMOs, made me
laugh about the antics of the anti-globalization movement, and dealt beautifully with
the politics of the family - again, without being contrived. She is the best author I
have ever found for weaving contemporary political issues in with a compelling narrative
and characters that stay close to my heart after I have put down the book.
Eliyanna Kaiser
New York, NY (originally from Calgary)
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I read Deafening by Frances Itani about six months ago and ever since I have
been recommending it to people. I especially liked the part of the book dealing with
the husband’s thoughts while in World War I and the wife’s thoughts while at home.
It also explains, without lecturing, what it is like to experience the world as a deaf
person.
Wendy Barker
Winnipeg
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