Canadian Writers Abroad

Book Reviews

Review Highlights

Emily Weedon, who lived in Budapest for a year, nearly a decade and a half ago, and exploits some of that experience in Hemo Sapiens, knows how to frame a growing sense of fright by lacing together the various threads of her story through expert pacing and shifting points of view. She also knows that a story of vampirism must be, at its core, a story of seduction…
–Mark Sampson’s review of Hemo Sapiens by Emily Weedon: Hungering for Blood.

The magnet that is one-hundred-year-old Beth is a spry and beautiful widow, a grandmother who doesn’t dress like a grandmother, “her slim figure in red and black, entirely herself in a way so few people are.” She is the jolt of colour and vibrancy and wisdom that Simonds, deprived by the pandemic of winters in Mexico, misses and yearns for.
–Elizabeth Hay’s review of Walking With Beth: Guided by Merilyn Simonds and Elizabeth Hay.

“Fire, it can be said, is aspiration in its purest form: desire burning, and burning desire — to exist, to consume, to grow, to flourish — all as fervently as we do.”
–John Vaillant, Fire Weather (Chapter 5);
reviewed by Wayne Grady.

Good bookshops are more than retail outlets, more even than community centres where writers and readers come together both physically and metaphorically. Bookstores keep alive the intellectual and emotional geist that drives people to write and read books in the first place. …Books unite people.
–Wayne Grady, “Cranky, Obscure, Charming.” Review of A Factotum in the Book Trade by Marius Kociejowski and If It Gets Quiet Later On, I will Make a Display.

It’s 1997, and Ros, 18, is figuring out life, but good luck with that because her free-range upbringing has turned her into a self-obsessed, self-doubting pleaser; a social vampire who presents a curated version of herself while sussing out traits and attitudes to adopt from her better-adjusted peers, such as campus hunk Dutch, cool sophisticate Sue, or the other worldly inmates in her residence.
–Jane Christmas, Review of The Damages by Genevieve Scott.

Really Good, Actually was… really good, actually! While the title reflects the self-deluding protestations of a woman whose personal life is in a downward spiral, I mean it literally. I loved this book.

–Eleanor Proudfoot, Review of Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey.

East Jerusalem
Poppies
(photo: D. Martens)

Remembrance Day Reading

The List of Books Reviewed

  1. D.W. Wilson, Once You Break a Knuckle. Bloomsbury: London 2012. Reviewed by Debra Martens (30 May 2012).
  2. Susan M. Toy, Island in the Clouds. IslandCat Editions 2012, 183 pages. Reviewed by Jane Christmas (6 March 2013).
  3. Sandra Djwa, Journey With No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page.
    McGill Queen’s University Press, 2012, 418 pages.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (4 June 2013).
  4. Adam Gopnik, Winter: Five Windows on the Season.
    Quercus: London, hardcover 2012.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (21 December 2013).
  5. Mavis Gallant, Going Ashore. McClelland & Stewart 2009.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (27 February 2014).
  6. Audrey Thomas, Local Customs. Dundurn: Toronto; distributed by Gazelle Book Services in UK, 2014, 202 pages.
    Reviewed by Charlotte Stein (15 July 2014).
  7. J.William Galbraith, John Buchan: Model Governor General.
    Dundurn 2013. Reviewed by D. S. Proudfoot (27 August 2014).
  8. Patrick deWitt, The Sisters Brothers. House of Anansi 2011.
    Reviewed by Jane Christmas (10 September 2014).
  9. Margaret MacMillan, The War that Ended Peace: How Europe Abandoned Peace for the First World War.  London: Profile Books 2013.
    Reviewed by D. S. Proudfoot (11 November 2014).
  10. Eliza Robertson, Wallflowers. Bloomsbury: London 2014.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (19 November 2014).
  11. Pascale Quiviger, The Perfect Circle. translated by Sheila Fischman (Cormorant Books 2006).
    Reviewed by Jane Christmas (27 November 2014).
  12. Jane Christmas, And Then There Were Nuns.
    Greystone Books, Canada & Lion Books, England 2013.
    Reviewed by Isabel Huggan (3 December 2014).
  13. Anna Snaith, Modernist Voyages: Colonial Women Writers in London, 1890-1945. Cambridge University Press 2014, 278 pp hardcover. Reviewed by Debra Martens (28 January 2015).
  14. Charles Foran, Planet Lolita. HarperCollins 2014.
    Reviewed by Eleanor Proudfoot (19 February 2015).
  15. Demetra Angelis Foustanellas, Secrets in a Jewellery Box.
    Kichissippi Publishing (self-published) 2014.
    Reviewed by Sonia Saikaley (17 June 2015).
  16. Rawi Hage, Carnival. House of Anansi Press: 2012, 289 pages.
    Reviewed by Irene Marques (15 September 2015).
  17. Ann-Marie MacDonald, Adult Onset. Sceptre: London 2014.
    Reviewed by Michelle Smith (1 October 2015).
  18. Kate Pullinger, Landing Gear. Doubleday Canada 2014.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (4 November 2015).
  19. Alan Cumyn, The Sojourn. McClelland & Stewart Emblem Editions 2004. Reviewed by Debra Martens (11 November 2015).
  20. Joseph Boyden, The Orenda. Oneworld Publications 2013.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (20 January 2016).
  21. Mandy Treagus, Empire Girls: the colonial heroine comes of age. University of Adelaide Press 2014.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (8 March 2016).
  22. Yann Martel, The High Mountains of Portugal. Knopf Canada 2016. Reviewed by Hubert O’Hearn (29 March 2016).
  23. Rachel Cusk, Outline. Harper Perennial 2015].
    Reviewed by Kim Reynolds (11 May 2016).
  24. Ann Charney, Life Class. Cormorant Books 2013, 230 pages).
    Reviewed by Sonia Saikaley (1 June 2016).
  25. Dionne Brand, Ossuaries. McClelland & Stewart: 2010, 124 pages. Reviewed by Irene Marques (28 June 2016).
  26. Tess Fragoulis, The Goodtime Girl. Cormorant Books 2012.
    Reviewed by Demetra Angelis Foustanellas (28 September 2016).
  27. Guy Delisle, Chroniques de Jérusalem. Éditions Delcourt 2011. Reviewed by Debra Martens (6 October 2016).
  28. Sharon Johnston, Matrons and Madams. Dundurn 2015. Reviewed by Debra Martens (11 November 2016).
  29. Bronwyn Drainie, My Jerusalem: Secular Adventures in the Holy City. Doubleday 1994, paperback 287 pages.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (5 September 2017).
  30. Sarah Bernstein, Now Comes the Lightning. Pedlar Press 2015.
    Reviewed by Naomi Guttman (13 September 2017).
  31. paulo da costa, The Midwife of Torment & Other Stories.
    Guernica Editions: 2017, 202 pages.
    Reviewed by Irene Marques (2 October 2017).
  32. Mordecai Richler, This Year in Jerusalem: Essays and Reports.
    McClelland and Stewart 1968.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (9 October 2017).
  33. Priscila Uppal, Projection: Encounters with my Runaway Mother.
    Dundurn Press 2013.
    Reviewed by Demetra Angelis Foustanellas (8 November 2017).
  34. Nick Mount, Arrival: The Story of CanLit. Anansi 2017.
    Reviewed by Mark Sampson (14 November 2017).
  35. Granta Canada 150. Reviewed by Debra Martens (17 January 2018).
  36. Chabon and Waldman, eds. Olives and Ash: Writers Confront the Occupation. HarperCollins 2017.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (25 January 2018).
  37. Durga Chew-Bose, Too Much and Not the Mood.
    Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, NYC 2017.
    Reviewed by Naomi Guttman (6 February 2018).
  38. Frances Itani, That’s My Baby. HarperCollins Canada 2017.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (14 February 2018).
  39. Alison Pick, Strangers with the Same Dream.
    Knopf Canada/Penguin RandomHouse 2017.
    Reviewed by Gabriella Goliger (16 May 2018).
  40. Merilyn Simonds, Refuge. ECW Press 2018.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (12 September 2018).
  41. Gabriella Goliger, Eva Salomon’s War. Bink Books 2018.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (20 September 2018).
  42. Margaret Atwood, Burgess Scale: Canadian Writing Landscape of the 1960s. University of Alberta Press 2017 and Tomson Highway, A Tale of Outrageous Extravagance: Imagining Multilingualism. University of Alberta Press 2015. Reviewed by Debra Martens (31 October 2018).
  43. Esi Edugyan, Washington Black. Patrick Crean Editions, HarperCollins Publishers 2018.
    Reviewed by Barbara Sibbald (15 November 2018).
  44. Patrick deWitt, French Exit. Bloomsbury Publishing 2018.
    Reviewed by Jane Christmas (28 November 2018).
  45. Ayelet Tsabari, The Art of Leaving. HarperCollins 2019.
    Reviewed by Aaron Kreuter (22 January 2019).
  46. Catherine Cooper, White Elephant. Freehand Books: Calgary 2016. Reviewed by Debra Martens (4 April 2019).
  47. Isabel Huggan, The Elizabeth Stories, You Never Know and Belonging. Reviewed by Debra Martens (28 May 2019) in Making Home.
  48. Allan Jones, Beyond Vision. McGill-Queens University Press 2018. Reviewed by Sonia Tilson (13 November 2019).
  49. Emily St. John Mandel, The Glass Hotel. HarperCollins 2020.
    Reviewed by Mark Sampson (May 6, 2020).
  50. Tim Martin, Moral Hazards. Friesen Press 2020 (self-published). Reviewed by Roberta Walker (June 18, 2020).
  51. Jane Christmas, Open House: A Life in Thirty-Two Moves.
    Patrick Crean Editions, HarperCollins 2020.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (September 5, 2020).
  52. Kate Pullinger, Forest Green. Penguin Random House Canada 2020.
    Reviewed by Louise Ells (October 8, 2020).
  53. Wade Davis, Magdalena — River of Dreams. Knopf, Penguin Random House Canada 2020.
    Reviewed by Nicholas Coghlan (October 14, 2020).
  54. Sherrill Grace, Tiff: A Life of Timothy Findley. Wilfrid Laurier University Press 2020.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (November 11, 2020) in The Wars.
  55. Jessica Lee, Two Trees Make a Forest. Virago Press 2019; rpt. Hamish Hamilton Penguin Canada paperback 2020.
    Reviewed by Tim Martin (March 5, 2020).
  56. Mary Lawson, Solace. Alfred A. Knopf/Penguin Random House Canada, 2021.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (May 13, 2021).
  57. Kim Echlin, Speak Silence. Hamish Hamilton/Penguin Random House Canada, 2021.
    Reviewed by Tim Martin (June 9, 2021).
  58. André Alexis, Ring. Coach House Books, 2021. Reviewed by Debra Martens (October 14, 2021).
  59. Robert Hilles, A Gradual Ruin. Doubleday, 2004. Reviewed by Debra Martens (November 9, 2021).
  60. Rivka Galchen, Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch. Harper Perennial, 2021.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (November 26, 2021).
  61. Sarah Leipciger, Coming Up For Air. House of Anansi Press, 2020.
    Reviewed by Louise Ells (February 24, 2022).
  62. Eliza Reid, Secrets of the Sprakkar. Simon and Schuster, 2022. Reviewed by Isabel Huggan (March 20, 2022).
  63. Merilyn Simonds, Woman, Watching. ECW, 2022. Reviewed by Jane Christmas (September 21, 2022.
  64. Barbara Lambert, Wanda. Fish Gotta Swim, 2021. Reviewed by Debra Martens (November 11, 2022).
  65. André Forget, In the City of Pigs. Dundurn Press, 2022. Reviewed by Mark Sampson
    (December 6, 2022).
  66. Colin Barrett, Homesickness. Penguin Random House UK, 2022.
    Reviewed by Jane Christmas (January 31, 2023).
  67. Katie Munnik, The Aerialists. The Borough Press, Harper Collins, 2022.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (February 22, 2023).
  68. Nicholas Coghlan, Collapse of a Country: A Diplomat’s Memoir of South Sudan. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2017. Reviewed by Douglas Scott Proudfoot (March 13, 2023).
  69. Monica Heisey, Really Good, Actually. HarperCollins Canada, 2023.
    Reviewed by Eleanor Proudfoot (May 31, 2023).
  70. Emily St. John Mandel, Sea of Tranquility. HarperCollins, 2022; Perennial paper, 2023.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (July 6, 2023).
  71. Paulette Jiles, Chenneville. HarperCollins/William Morrow, 2023).
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (October 2, 2023).
  72. Sarah Bernstein, Obedience. KnopfCanada/Penguin RandomHouse, 2023.
    Reviewed by Eleanor Proudfoot (January 24, 2024).
  73. Catherine Cooper, Lásko . Freehand Books, 2023.
    Reviewed by Louise Ells (February 6, 2024).
  74. Genevieve Scott, The Damages. Verve Books, 2024.
    Reviewed by Jane Christmas (February 28, 2024).
  75. Clark Blaise, This Time, That Place: Selected Stories. Biblioasis, 2022.
    Reviewed by Mark Sampson (March 14, 2024).
  76. Kim Fu, Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century: Stories. Coach House Books, 2022.
    Reviewed by Frances Boyle (June 18, 2024).
  77. Marius Kociejowski, A Factotum in the Book Trade. Biblioasis, 2022 and Nick Thran, If It Gets Quiet Later On, I Will Make a Display. Nightwood Editions, 2023.
    Reviewed by Wayne Grady (September 17, 2024).
  78. Nicholas Coghlan, Sailing to the Heart of Japan: A cruising adventure and how-to guide. Seaworthy Publications, 2024.
    Reviewed by Barbara Sibbald (October 9, 2024).
  79. Steven Price, Lampedusa. McClelland and Stewart, 2019.
    Reviewed by Scott Proudfoot (October 23, 2024).
  80. Derek Webster, National Animal. Véhicule Press, 2024.
    Reviewed by Mark Sampson (November 4, 2024).
  81. Gregory M.W. Kennedy, Lost in the Crowd: Acadian Soldiers of Canada’s First World War.
    McGill-Queen’s Press, 2024. Reviewed by Beverly Boutilier (November 10, 2024).
  82. Menaka Raman-Wilm, The Rooftop Garden. Nightwood Editions, 2022.
    Reviewed by Frances Boyle (December 10, 2024).
  83. Kliph Nesteroff, Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars. Abrams Press, 2023.
    Reviewed by Eleanor Crowder (January 15, 2025).
  84. Sarah Leipciger, Moon Road. Doubleday, 2024.
    Reviewed by Jane Christmas (January 31, 2025).
  85. Carol Shields, The Canadian Shields: Stories and Essays, Edited by Nora Foster Stovel. University of Manitoba Press, 2024. Reviewed by Merilyn Simonds (February 10, 2025).
  86. Anne Carson, Wrong Norma. New Directions Books, 2024.
    Reviewed by Wayne Grady (February 18, 2025).
  87. Tim Martin, Unwinnable Peace. Tidewater Press, 2024.
    Reviewed by Roberta Walker (March 12, 2025).
  88. Wayne Grady, Pandexicon. Greystone Books, 2023.
    Reviewed by Mark Sampson (March 18, 2025).
  89. Eleanor Catton, Birnam Wood. Granta Books, 2023; Penguin Random House, 2024.
    Reviewed by Eleanor Proudfoot (April 8, 2025).
  90. Alan Fisk, Cupid and the Silent Goddess. Page d’Or, 2022.
    Reviewed by Mark Frutkin (April 16, 2025).
  91. Eliza Reid, Death on the Island. Simon & Schuster, 2025.
    Reviewed by Isabel Huggan (August 26, 2025).
  92. John Vaillant, Fire Weather. Penguin Random House Canada, 2023. Vintage paperback 2024.
    Reviewed by Wayne Grady (September 25, 2025).
  93. Anita Desai, Rosarita. Simon & Schuster, 2024.
    Reviewed by Merilyn Simonds (October 1, 2025).
  94. Merilyn Simonds, Walking With Beth: Conversations with my 100-Year-Old Friend. Random House Canada, 2025.
    Reviewed by Elizabeth Hay (October 15, 2025).
  95. Emily Weedon, Hemo Sapiens. Dundurn Press, 2025.
    Reviewed by Mark Sampson (October 30, 2025).
  96. Emma Knight, The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus. Viking, 2025.
    Reviewed by Eleanor Proudfoot (November 17, 2025).
  97. Maxi Dara, A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Cheating Death. Penguin Random House, 2025.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (December 6, 2025).
  98. Mark Sampson, Lowfield. Now or Never Publishing, 2025.
    Reviewed by Eleanor Proudfoot (December 17, 2025).
  99. Anne Hawk, The Pages of the Sea. Biblioasis, 2024.
    Reviewed by Debra Martens (January 14, 2026).
Penguin Random House Canada