My favourite author, Miriam Toews! She’s my author crush. She writes the novels I wish I could write. The Flying Troutmans is her fifth novel, she has written one non-fiction book and three other fiction novels – one of which, A Complicated Kindness, won the Governor General’s award in 2004, won CBC’s Canada Reads competition and was shortlisted for the Giller Prize.
I just really connect with her writing style; it’s reality mixed with sarcasm and dark humour, what more could I ask for? Her books are all character-driven, my favourite, and are written with such clarity and assurance that they develop into real people; I feel I know them. Most of her characters have reached a low point in their lives: teen motherhood, depressed Mennonites, mayor of the smallest and most insignificant town in Canada, but always manage to find the humour in life, the humour in their own situations. This particular book is not my favourite of hers, but it still maintained my interest and her position as my favourite author. And Bonus: It’s also signed! She came to a local bookstore and I actually spoke to her! Probably one of my top 20 moments.
This novel is about Hattie, the main character, and her dysfunctional family/life. She has recently returned to Canada from Paris after she receives an SOS call from her 12-year-old niece, Thebes. Her sister has fallen into yet another bout of manic depression and neither Thebes nor her brother, Logan, can handle it on their own anymore. She commits her sister into the hospital and becomes overwhelmed by the assumed guardianship of her niece and nephew. She decides to embark on a road trip to find their missing father, jumping off the few clues she has of his location.
This becomes the typical road trip novel, where characters learn about themselves and each other, but, once again, her characters are unforgettable. Thebes spends her time in the back of the van making large novelty cheques for people she meets along the way, Logan carves poetry into the dashboard and Hattie spends the drive trying to come to terms with the fact that her ex-boyfriend preferred to speak to her telepathically. It’s little details like this that differentiate her novels and make them memorable.
The Flying Troutmans was a really easy and enjoyable read, as all of her novels have been. However, my favourite novel by Toews is Summer of my Amazing Luck, her first novel. See here for a description.
Also, all of her books have been designed to match, so not only are they excellent reads but they look beautiful together on my book shelf! It’s like they were made for me.
Living Literary 