We get it. Some books aren't exactly comfortable to read, but they're important to read nonetheless. And a lot of times, even though the subjects might be a bit grueling and hard on the heart, we learn something amazing and precious. These seven books by Canadian authors are some of our favourites - and surprisingly uplifting - but you might need to read them with wine and chocolate.
by Margaret Atwood
This book has been one of my favourites for many, many years. Margaret Atwood cannot do much wrong by me, it’s true, but I still think this is one of her best works. Cat’s Eye is the story of renowned painter Elaine Risley, who comes to Toronto, the city of her youth, for a showing of her art. She is flooded by memories of this city that shaped her and the people in it, who inspire her artwork in ways that are controversial and disturbing.
I think it would be difficult to find a woman who hasn’t been painfully affected by complicated friendships during childhood. The subtle, specifically feminine style of bullying that Elaine endures during fifth grade – bullying that almost ends in tragedy – is something I think we all can relate to. Those moments haunt Elaine into middle age, when she has a turning point and begins to view them with compassion and understanding.
Of all coming-of-age books, this one has been important to me, including the message that letting go of the past is the key to moving on. The terrible ways that girls can treat other girls, the ugly side of romantic relationships, and the importance of kind adults in every child’s life are the main themes that Atwood beautifully weaves in between descriptions of art and eras. A must-read for any woman who still harbors a grudge towards a frenemy, or a bad boyfriend. Let it go, let it go.
by Emma Donoghue
Do you love reading about the terrors of being abducted, crazy men who keep women captive, and the children who are a result of rape? No! Of course you don’t! Who would? But Room is more than just a terrifyingly sad novel about a little boy who has lived his entire life in a room, where he was born from his abducted mother who was raped by her captor.
GOD. Just writing that made me feel ill.
Room is a novel that is about hope, maternal love, and resilience. I will admit that I made it one chapter in before tearfully crowd-sourcing on Facebook whether to continue reading, or cut my losses and cry in a corner for a while. Believe me, you will want to read right to the end. It’s a book about how beauty can come from the most horrible situations, and it will keep you thinking long after you finish the last page.
by Rohinton Mistry
I love books where the most unlikely characters find themselves somehow involved in each other’s lives. It’s just like the real world, where we are all six degrees of separation from each other; it’s a small world after all. It’s a delight when book characters are intertwined in unexpected ways, and A Fine Balance is a perfect example of this. Set in 1970s India, during the Emergency, A Fine Balance tells the story of the “State of Internal Emergency” and highlights the caste system that affected all relationships in that country.
The subject matter is terribly depressing – forced castration for men of a certain caste, is one cheerful example - and man’s inhumanity to man is stunning, but the book is somehow uplifting and beautiful. It’s a book that shows how someone who has nothing can still remain hopeful in spirit, and it makes me feel badly for complaining that I couldn’t find my favourite flavour of whitening toothpaste at the drugstore.
by Heather O’Neill
Disclosure: my EIC made me include Lullabies for Little Criminals in my list. I would have probably put it on the list anyway, because it really is an extraordinary book. A woman in my prenatal class recommended this to me, and I think that baby I was pregnant with was nine before I actually read it. The premise wasn’t in the least bit appealing to me, and perhaps it won’t appeal to you either: Baby, a thirteen-year-old girl of no fixed address living with her heroin-addicted young father, becomes prey to the local pimp who specializes in young prostitutes.
Yeah, I know. I felt the same way. But this book is actually a tenderly written story of salvation and inner strength, and although the reader will want to jump inside the novel, slap the junkie father, and wrap Baby up in a blanket of love, it is ultimately a worthwhile and thought-provoking read. It made me think about the complexities of filial love and addiction, and the ability to change your own destiny.
by Camilla Gibb
I first read Sweetness in the Belly years ago for my long-defunct book club, but I couldn’t remember anything about it. When I picked it up to re-read, I realized why: I had never finished it, having become nearly sick while reading a chapter describing female circumcision.
On the second reading, I pushed past my extreme distress and discovered that this book is an incredible work of art, shedding light on the Ethiopian political upheaval, famine, and resulting refugee crisis that we all may remember in the early 1980s and is sadly still relevant today. It is a love story, a story about alienation and community, and a lesson in compassion and tolerance, all wrapped up in one beautiful, stark book.
by Claire Cameron
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you left your two-year-old in the wilderness with only your five-year-old as a guardian, and then you died after being mauled by a bear? No, probably not.
That is the plot of The Bear. Five-year-old Anna witnesses the death of her parents via a bear attack while camping, and while the children survive, they need to get to safety. I am a person who is in a semi-coma by 9pm, but I found myself reading voraciously into the wee hours because I needed to know how it ended. It is an adrenaline-pumping, can’t-put-it-down book that is written from the point of view of Anna, which makes it that much more poignant. It’s a book about survival and healing, even under the direst of circumstances.
This book is one of many reasons why I never camp – that, and the lack of walls and running water – because it is loosely based on the true story of a predatory black bear in Algonquin park. It is also not to be confused with Bear by Marion Engel, the Governor General Award Winning novel about a woman in Northern Ontario who has a sexual affair with an actual bear. That book probably deserves a post all on its own.
by Richard Wagamese
The legacy of residential schools in Canada is a source of shame and nation-wide sorrow. It is difficult to contemplate, difficult to discuss, and difficult to read about. However, we must learn from our mistakes in the past, and Indian Horse is not only important for healing, but it is also heart-achingly beautiful.
Weaving together the very Canadian themes of hockey and wilderness, this book follows the story of Saul Indian Horse, a gifted hockey player who suffers at the hands of those he is entrusted to, and is the victim of racism and cultural displacement. Indian Horse doesn’t shy away from atrocious details of abuse, addiction, and alienation, but it is ultimately a story of everyday magic and mysticism. I believe this book should be part of every Grade Twelve curriculum, as a catalyst to understanding and change.
Printer-friendly version