Publisher: House of Anansi
Released: 2011
Pages: 321
Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
In 1982 Helen O’Mara lost her husband, when the oil rig he
was working on sank off the coast of New Foundland. All eighty-four men aboard
were declared dead. Helen was left to care for her young children alone,
pregnant with a baby who would never know his or her father. Helen struggles
with money and loneliness. Helen is now fifty-eight, and still living with the
after effects of her husband’s death. Her oldest son John has called her from the
other side of the world and tells his mother that he’s going to be a father.
The girl was a one night stand, and he doesn’t know much about her.
Review:
February shifts time and viewpoints to give the readers a full
glimpse of the past and present issues. Helen is a likable character, she’s
struggled through tough times, she’s raised her children and now she still
wants to be there for them, during their difficult times. When she reminisces
about the night her husband passes, reader’s hearts will break. Moore doesn’t
spare readers the emotions. Helen has fought to deal with her grief and keep
her life in control. Her son, John has stayed away from relationships and kept
himself free to do as he pleases. When he discovers that he will be a father,
he struggles to come to terms with his new life. He’s determined to help the
mother has much as he can, but he doesn’t have her phone number, and he was not
supportive when she first broke the news to him.
I really enjoyed February, and it has won the Canada Reads
2013 book battle. My only issue with the book was the lack of dialogue. The story
is not told in a linear way, Moore gives readers snipes of life events. If you’re
looking for a good Canadian book to read, this one is worth the time.
Sounds very good. Like it gives the reader a full range of emotions.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes don't mind a nonlinear book, when it's done well, and in this case, I think that it is. I like that there is so much emotion in the opening scenes and that so much goes on in the interplay of the family that Helen has left. Great review today! I will be looking forward to this one!
ReplyDeleteNonlinear is fine but the lack of dialogue seems odd. Still, I'd give it a try since you liked it so much.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep this one in mind for our book club. I like dialogue, but your review and the fact that it won Canada Reads tells me to try this one.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book and i liked the lack of dialogue. very different style and it was fine. i also like the nonlinear telling of.the story. it reminded me of memories. our memories are non linear.i felt like i lived in helens thoughts. this is a love story. moving and descriptive.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book and i liked the lack of dialogue. very different style and it was fine. i also like the nonlinear telling of.the story. it reminded me of memories. our memories are non linear.i felt like i lived in helens thoughts. this is a love story. moving and descriptive.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book and i liked the lack of dialogue. very different style and it was fine. i also like the nonlinear telling of.the story. it reminded me of memories. our memories are non linear.i felt like i lived in helens thoughts. this is a love story. moving and descriptive.
ReplyDeleteI liked this book a lot...and there IS dialogue! It's just rendered stylistically, without quotation marks, which keeps the reader's focus on Helen and at a distance from the character speaking. The non-linear storyline is reminiscent of how our memories rise to surface, and this book is all about memory and how the present too quickly becomes the past.
ReplyDelete