the freeman family - parents, laurel and charles, and daughters, charlotte (14) and callie (9) - accept an offer to live 2 ½-stars, i think. for now.
the freeman family - parents, laurel and charles, and daughters, charlotte (14) and callie (9) - accept an offer to live at a research institute, integrating a young male chimpanzee (charlie) into their family with the goal of teaching him communication through the use of sign language. the freemans are an african-american family. all of the employees of the research centre are white, and the town they relocate to is predominantly white. charles is given a job outside of the centre, teaching at the local high school (which charlotte attends), while laurel becomes the primary caregiver and teacher to charlie. though none of the freemans are deaf, they are fluent in ASL - language charlotte learned as a younger child as she grew to distrust spoken language, and spent time refusing to speak. woven into the alternating perspectives of the freemans' stories in 1990 is the voice of a woman in 1929 who served as one of the first 'specimens' for the institute's first director. the institute's unethical and racist studies come to light in both timeframes.
so there is a lot going on in this debut novel. greenidge covers some big issues: racism, language and communication, history, sexuality, family dynamics, science and religion. in so many ways this is a very timely book and it was a mostly interesting read. i liked greenidge's style very much and was pretty well all in for the story until i hit the open letter from julia toneybee-leroy, founder of the toneybee institute. this open letter totally bisected the story for me and nearly lost me. i understand its purpose, and the voice was certainly distinct... but it completely took away from the flow of the reading for me. i also felt for all the importance language and communication were given in the book they hung as loose threads by the end (unlike, say, Embassytown). i found myself thinking a lot about the ending of The Grapes of Wrath while reading WLYCF. psychologically, morally and socially, there is a lot to think about and unpack in we love you charlie freeman.
i've become a fan of greenidge's in 2016 - google her to read some of the wonderful essays she's had published online this year! she is a very thoughtful, smart, and sensitive writer. i look forward to her next novel and so wish i loved WLYCF more. though, perhaps it will stick with me - i am actually hoping that will happen, as it does sometimes with reads: the more distance from the book, the better it gets. maybe you've had that happen in your own reading too?
I find it a bit of a challenge when reading fiction to find stories that feel completely new or different - that certainly wasn't the case w4 ½-stars.
I find it a bit of a challenge when reading fiction to find stories that feel completely new or different - that certainly wasn't the case with The Portable Veblen. This was such a fresh, fun read, and I really enjoyed this novel a lot. I am sure the word 'quirky' is going to get lobbed out often when people talk about or review McKenzie's novel. And I know that word can rub some people the wrong way... but it's a fitting descriptor. This book is definitely peculiar and unexpected and I very much appreciated these aspects. McKenzie did a wonderful job with her characters (they were so interesting), and the subjects she covered (very smart and compelling)....more
alright...so i had preconceived notions about what this book might be. hearing and reading it labelled 'chick lit', 'romance', 'women's lit', and 'giralright...so i had preconceived notions about what this book might be. hearing and reading it labelled 'chick lit', 'romance', 'women's lit', and 'girls' books club', i was put off. in past instances of reading books that could be boxed in in those ways, i have found them light, angst-y, melodramatic, then neatly, tidily resolved. they haven't been terribly deep or exploratory. sometimes that's totally okay, and even welcomed. but the labels can do a disservice.
labels aside, i kept hearing strong, positive things for moyes' book. having just come off of some serious nonfiction reads, i wanted a book that would be engaging but not taxing. i hoped this would fit the bill, and it did.
moyes is handling a very important and difficult subject at the core of me before you - the right to determine one's own death. in canada, this is a big debate and one i feel needs to be seriously addressed through legislation. i strongly believe people are entitled to self-determination - and choosing a dignified death should not be a criminal act, nor should there be so much stigma surrounding death (generally), and one's right to die.
moyes' characters seem genuine - though louisa's 'quirk' factor lost it's charm fairly quickly, and lou's boyfriend needed a punch in the throat. his purpose was not well developed/used, and for me he did not add much to the story at all. will traynor had been a larger-than-life, successful man until he wasn't. (by his own determination.) the supporting characters were interesting and nuanced, adding richness to the story, reflecting well families and every day life. it did end up all a bit neat and tidy, and the wealth of will traynor, and his parents, made things unrealistic to most people. so those were a few of my grumps on the story. but overall, i think moyes has succeeded in creating a good novel, dealing with an important subject and done so in a way that makes it highly accessible to all readers. books like this - fiction, well done - can help in the conversations about a person's right to die, and may help the discussions become easier.
also, moyes offers a shoutout to the awesome flannery o'connor, so you gotta love a writer with excellent taste in writers. :)
another novel i read on this subject, earlier this year, is the fantastic All My Puny Sorrows, by Miriam Toews. this was a stronger book for me - the writing is better, the story goes deeper and the humour is not silly. where the two novels forked, i think, has to do with the perspective of the narrators. in AMPS, the main character is the sister of the woman who want to take control of her own death. they have a lifelong, deep connection which resonates throughout the book. in MBY, the main character only has a 6 month relationship with the man who would like to choose his own death. though we get a bit of a voice from will's mother in MBY, the depths of emotions and strengths of the relationships are not as well-developed in moyes' story. so toews' book is definitely my preference and is, in fact, my favourite read of 2014 at this point.
having said that, though, i do recommend both novels - each helps to serve the subject in a memorable way. plus, i hear me before you is being adapted for the big screen...so you may as well read it first. i am thinking this adaptation will affect viewers the same way The Fault in Our Stars has...but the book is always better, even if a film is great....more
Atul Gawande is a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a staff writer for The New Yorker. i have been aware of him and his work for several yeaAtul Gawande is a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a staff writer for The New Yorker. i have been aware of him and his work for several years now, but this is the first opportunity i have taken to read him. this is a wonderful book - important and necessary, it feels like required reading. gawande writes with warmth and compassion while recognizing the disastrous state of affairs that exists in how our society has evolved to handle dying, death and end-of-life care. (he is fairly U.S.-focused since that is his home, but i believe the issues he writes about are as problematic and relevant in other countries in the western world too - certainly it is the case in canada, where i am located.)
while much of the book focuses on old age and decline, i think it would be a mistake to read this book as only relevant to that segment of society. gawande allows room for discussions about chronically and terminally ill people no matter their ages. in fact, one of the people he highlights is a 34yo woman. i share this in an attempt to remind you that death and dying are something we will all come to (spoiler alert?), and gawande's book is a great encouragement for conversations that need to be had with family members and loved ones. emotions, of course, make this kind of talk really hard, but because something is really hard does not mean it should be avoided. difficult choices at or near the end-of-life, while not ever easy, may be more bearable when people are acting with understanding and clarity about what it is that is wanted - whether for themselves, or for a family member. "endings matter", says gawande.
gawande's book also serves as notice -- doctors (and medicines) are, for the most part, utterly ill-prepared to navigate the treatment of death and dying with their patients. too many old people in the developed world end their lives in hospital, hooked up to machines and surrounded by strangers. that needs to change. gawande works to focus on the idea of what makes life worth living. the answers will be as varied as the people asked. for some, it may be the ability to eat chocolate pudding and watching football on TV. for some it may be the ability to still send email or Skype. through the exploration of hospice and palliative care, gawande shows how longevity is not, in fact diminished in choosing these options. in fact, often life goes on longer than expected and in a more fulfilling way than opting for more aggressive treatments which may, in the end, be doing more harm than good.
through sharing the stories of people gawande had the pleasure of knowing at the ends of their lives, there were certainly moments that caused me to get a little teary. but this wasn't from sadness. i felt so encouraged that people were able to have control and choice as they were reaching the ends of their lives. gawande is so thoughtful in his look at the structures and processes that currently exist. he's also refreshingly honest about his own approaches as a doctor dealing with patients who are terminal, and for whom he wasn't able to muster the fortitude to have the important discussions.
gawande also shares research and case studies which show how helpful and effective different approaches to end-of-life care can be. la crosse, wisconsin is a very interesting study:
The lesson seems almost Zen: you live longer when you stop trying to live longer. Can mere discussions achieve such effects? Consider the case of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Its elderly residents have unusually low end-of-life hospital costs. During their last six months, according to Medicare data, they spend half as many days in hospital as the national average, and there's no sign that doctors or patients are halting care prematurely. Despite average rates of obesity and smoking, their life expectancy outpaces the national mean by a year."
so what happened in la crosse? in 1991 "...local medical leaders headed a systematic campaign to get medical people and patients to discuss end-of-life wishes... [b]y 1996, 85 percent of La Crosse residents who died had a written advanced directive... up from 15 percent."
enjoyable to read about was a residence in upstate new york. a new chief of staff realized that (ridiculously) life was missing, to the absolute detriment of the residents, from the home. his solution: living plants indoors (all previous were fake), gardens, cats, dogs, parakeets and children. the turn around in the people who live here was remarkable. use of medications decreased, activity levels increased, senses of well-being and happiness drastically improved. people were engaged and fulfilled in ways that had been previously missing thanks to regimented institutionalized thinking.
many people may shy away from, or outrightly dismiss this book because they may perceive it to be 'too depressing', or 'too hard'or some may stay away thinking the book is all about assisted suicide. it's not - though gawande does touch on the subject briefly and in a supportive way for certain situations. i really think it would be a mistake to avoid this read. there is such sensitivity and hope in gawande's book. and there are many helpful lessons every reader can take away from gawande's work, in an accessible, practical and empathetic way.
i believe that for many, this will be a life-changing book. i hope that gawande's work will help propel politicians, policy makers, the medical community, and citizens to work for better opportunities for end-of-life care. and i hope it helps you have important conversations with your family, if you have not already done so.
(i am sorry this is not a very good review. i have been deeply affected by this book and love it a lot. it's going to stick with me for a very long time and i know i will revisit it again and again. i will probably be giving it to a lot of people and talking about it too much. but because the book has filled my brain, i am finding it hard to collect my thoughts in a cohesive review. sorry!! basically: READ THIS BOOK! thanks.)...more
miriam toews is one of my most favourite writers, and this new novel is fantastic. FANTASTIC! while we are in familiar territory - a mennonite family miriam toews is one of my most favourite writers, and this new novel is fantastic. FANTASTIC! while we are in familiar territory - a mennonite family not quite doing the mennonite thing 'right', according to their small mennonite town; two sisters who want out/better; parents who are present but elsewhere sometimes - toews is just such a great storyteller. her characters are so real, and funny, quirky, and flawed. her story is full of life and full of heartbreak. the messy and the difficult can be tricky terrains for writers to pull off well in their writing, but toews really does it wonderfully. i feel as though this may be her best novel. for 2014, it's definitely my most favourite read, so far. i am feeingl strongly it will sustain for me for a long time to come. YAY!
i haven't collected all of my thoughts yet, but wanted to post something rather than leaving this space blank.
and here, the poem from which the title of toews' novel was taken, and which features in the book:
To A Friend, With An Unfinished Poem
Thus far my scanty brain hath built the rhyme Elaborate and swelling; yet the heart Not owns it. From thy spirit-breathing powers I ask not now, my friend! the aiding verse Tedious to thee, and from thy anxious thought Of dissonant mood. In fancy (well I know) From business wand'ring far and local cares, Thou creepest round a dear-loved sister's bed With noiseless step, and watchest the faint look, Soothing each pang with fond solicitude, And tenderest tones medicinal of love. I, too, a sister had, an only sister -- She loved me dearly, and I doted on her; To her I pour'd forth all my puny sorrows; (As a sick patient in a nurse's arms,) And of the heart those hidden maladies That e'en from friendship's eye will shrink ashamed. O! I have waked at midnight, and have wept Because she was not! Cheerily, dear Charles! Thou thy best friend shalt cherish many a year; Such warm presages feel I of high hope! For not uninterested the dear maid I've view'd her soul affectionate yet wise, Her polish'd wit as mild as lambent glories That play around a sainted infant's head. He knows (the Spirit that in secret sees, Of whose omniscient and all-spreading love Aught to implore were impotence of mind!) That my mute thoughts are sad before his throne, Prepared, when He his healing ray vouchsafes, Thanksgiving to pour forth with lifted heart, And praise him gracious with a brother's joy!
as the idea of assisted suicide is a topic that i am interested in, this new article caught my attention, and ties in well with toews' novel. i hope this plea makes it to our supreme court.
"Martin Amis once said, “Failure is the story.” That’s always stuck with me. I could have written a book that atoned for my own shortcomings, where I have my character do the right thing. But I thought that would be too … pedantic. And easy. Also it wouldn’t be true to my life. The idea of the uncertainty, the unknowingness, I feel that is a place that the novelist, the poet, and the philosopher can inhabit."...more
this is a tricky one for me to review, given i happen to be in possession of my own leaky body at the moment, and share a long history of ho3.5 stars.
this is a tricky one for me to review, given i happen to be in possession of my own leaky body at the moment, and share a long history of hospitalizations and medical traumas with devaney. so if this 'review' doesn't make much sense, likely it's because this read was much more personal than usual, and that makes the processing of the book a bit trickier in my brain. i also stayed up pretty much all night reading this (it was a bad night), so my brain is pretty foggy as i write this. #TheJoys :)
while i didn't take to devaney's writing voice too well, her experiences and insights are extremely valuable and should be eye-opening and informative for anyone/everyone. devaney lives with ulcerative colitis. her schooling (she has a masters’ degree in critical disability studies from york university, toronto) and work as a health advocate and a patient-expert offers a hugely experienced lens for this story. devaney shares her ordeals as a patient, while offering thoughts on how healthcare could be improved for both patients and practitioners.
while we have had different paths with our diseases and care, there were many spot-on relatable moments in this book. as a patient, much is lost and given up during the processes of diagnoses and treatments. living with chronic illness also hugely affects every aspect of life, beyond the disease itself - even on what could be a called 'good day', 'good' is relative. life can get incredibly small, living with chronic disease. these were the moments in the book with which i felt most engaged. reading how someone else navigates the chaos and awfulness of crappy health and the conveyer belts of hospitals and medical appointments was weirdly reassuring. mostly, i just appreciate that devaney could write about her experiences and put it out there in the world for the benefit of others. the human body is a bonkers and amazing thing....more
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