Clearwater
Coteau Books / 3 April 2014

Clearwater by Kim McCullough Published by Coteau Books Review by Alison Slowski $19.95 ISBN 978-1-55050-565-8 The novel Clearwater tells the difficult coming-of-age story of a young woman and her friends who go with her on a journey of self-discovery, and ultimately of hope for the preservation of memory. Claire is a fifteen-year-old when she first moves to a small airport town up in northern Manitoba with her mother and her older siblings Daniel and Leah in the early 1980’s. Here she meets Jeff, a solitary figure who lives next door with his parents. As Claire and Jeff’s friendship develops and they spend a great deal of time together, Claire doesn’t notice how unhappy her sister is with the move, though her brother does. As two violent acts happen, bringing events to a head in the small Northern town, life begins to spin out of control for Claire, Jeff, Daniel, Leah, and Leah’s boyfriend Shane. The group of young people begin to question their grip on reality, their place in the world, and their place among each other as friends and family. McCullough’s delicate dialogue puts the reader right into the action, showing the tenuous, tense conversations with one suffering from…

Building a Legacy
Coteau Books / 3 April 2014

Building a Legacy: Edmonton’s Architectural History by Ken Tingley, with Lawrence Herzog Published by Coteau Books Review by Keith Foster $39.95 ISBN 978-1-55050-545-0 Every city deserves to have its own coffee table book displaying its heritage structures and architectural marvels. Building a Legacy: Edmonton’s Architectural History is a shining example of how such a book can be organized. This 234-page hardcover book shows Edmonton’s history through hundreds of black and white and colour photos of its buildings. Lawrence Herzog, who has photographed and written about the city’s history for more than a quarter of a century, took many of the photos, supplemented by photos from the City of Edmonton Archives. Author Ken Tingley’s narrative is well-researched and well-written. Each chapter covers a period from the fur-trading days at Fort Edmonton up to the 21st century. He also includes an index and glossary of architectural terms. The book provides basic information on each building, such as its address, date of construction, and date of its designation as an historic resource. Tingley then gives a fascinating narrative background on the buildings and the people involved with them. Tingley notes some of the city’s more colourful characters, and this is where the book…

Baba’s Babushka: A Magical Ukrainian Wedding

Baba’s Babushka: A Magical Ukrainian Wedding By Marion Mutala Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing Review by Alison Slowski $14.95 ISBN 978-1-927756-06-5 Baba’s Babushka: A Magical Ukrainian Wedding is an engrossing picture book, rendered in beautiful detail by author Marion Mutala and artist Amber Rees, that tells the heartwarming tale of a young woman named Natalia. Natalia, aided by the memory of her grandmother, goes on a magical journey to learn more about her family’s – and people’s – rich history. During Natalia’s walk down memory lane, she visits all the important moments which involved her grandparents’ time together as young people. The story details her grandparents’ courtship, including the meeting of their two families before and during their seven-day Ukrainian wedding. Mutala uniquely and accurately depicts the Ukrainian customs that are special to a couple’s wedding, such as the gift- or pumpkin-giving before a couple agrees to marry, and the giving of sheshkeh, pinecones made of dough, to welcome their guests in their village to their wedding. Most special of all, this book incorporates the tradition of the korovai, the traditional braided wedding bread, into its mention of the festivities. The inclusion of a korovai recipe in the back…

Fists Upon A Star

Fists Upon A Star: A Memoir of Love, Theatre, and Escape from McCarthyism by Florence Bean James, with Jean Freeman Published by University of Regina Press Review by Keith Foster $34.95 ISBN 978-0-88977-260-1 “Speak up!” This was Florence James’s admonition to aspiring actors. It was something she often did herself, speaking up on behalf of the deprived and downtrodden. Fists Upon A Star is Florence’s autobiography, assisted by her former student and co-worker, Jean Freeman. The title comes from a poem by Stephen Vincent Benét. The book includes an index and 28 black and white photos of productions that Florence directed. Florence details the excitement and perils of live theatre. Once, dressed in a new gown – she always bought a new gown for opening night – she was waiting in the wings for the curtain to rise when the theatre caught fire. At its core, this is a story of love between Florence and her husband Burton, and especially the love they shared with live theatre. They were a dynamic duo acting in tandem, perfectly complementing each other. Together, they formed their own company, the Seattle Repertory Playhouse. They also made innovations that were ahead of their time, including…

Goldeye and Funnyfin
Wild Sage Press / 3 April 2014

Goldeye and Funnyfin by Fannie Kahan Illustrated by Sharon Kahan Published by Wild Sage Press Reviewed by Alison Hayford $25.00 ISBN 978-0-9881229-4-9 Three-year-old Eli is not an avid reader. But when his granny (me) brought him a copy of Goldeye and Funnyfin, Eli was entranced—along with seven-year-old Theo, who can read Harry Potter books all by himself. There’s something about this simple story and its delicate watercolour illustrations that catches and holds the attention of young children. Fannie Kahan created Goldeye and Funnyfin for her own children years ago. It’s a story in the classic tradition of folk tales, in which a main character undertakes a quest and, in the process, makes discoveries about the larger world and about her- or himself. Goldeye and Funnyfin are two small fish. Goldeye decides they should build a house. Funnyfin says “fish don’t live in houses,” but Goldeye prevails, and off they go on their quest. As they search for a way to build a house, the two fish encounter fellow sea creatures—Willa the Whale, Sammy the Swordfish, Octavia the Octopus, and others, large and small, happy and sad, good-natured and grumpy. In the end, as in all good folk tales, Goldeye and…