Book Reviews
The Strangers by Katherena Vermette
It should come as no surprise that The Strangers, Katherena Vermette’s companion to the multi-award-winning novel The Break, garnered a spot on the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist and the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize shortlist. Revisiting the character of Phoenix, arguably…
Speak, Silence by Kim Echlin
In her latest novel, Giller-shortlisted author Kim Echlin focuses on one landmark trial in 2000, which established that the use of rape as a weapon of war was not just a crime against an individual but a crime against humanity.
A Russian Sister by Caroline Adderson
When The Seagull premiered in St. Petersburg on October 17, 1896, it was received so poorly playwright Anton Chekhov is reported to have fled the theatre to escape the boos and hisses that greeted the ill-fated performance. For those not up on…
A Family Affair by Nadine Bismuth; Russell Smith, trans.
Montreal author Nadine Bismuth’s previous works established her ability to artfully pick apart the intricacies of relationships. Notably, her 2009 short-story collection, Êtes-vous mariée à un psychopathe? (which was nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award and translated into English the following…
The Diamond House by Dianne Warren
How does one measure the worth of a life? By deeds done or money earned? The number of family and friends one holds close? Years lived? And how do these measurements differ when applied to a woman versus a man?…
