As a girl I have wonderful memories of singing carols in St. Paul’s Anglican cathedral in Toronto with the Havergal choir. One of my favourites was Angels We Have Heard on High. I remember how our voices seemed to rise and collect in those towering, vaulted ceilings, creating a sublime resonance that could bring tears to the most arctic of hearts. In tribute to that memory, but with a fresh, modern jazz vibe, I thought…
Was by Geoff RymanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Geoff Ryman clearly demonstrates his prowess as a writer with his novel Was. This is a tragic exploration of the Dorothy/Oz culture of L. Frank Baum from both an historical and modern perspective. Ryman chooses the voice of a fictional inspiration for Baum’s story, that of Dorothy Gael, who is orphaned due to a diphtheria epidemic, and is sent to live in Kansas with her Aunt…
Keeper’n Me by Richard WagameseMy rating: 3 of 5 stars It is difficult to offer literary comment on a novel which is, in fact, the first published by Richard Wagamese, and second all but autobiographical. Certainly if one were to study Wagamese’s work it would be easy to identify the promising talent of an emerging author with this his first published work. Keeper’n Me offers a great deal to the canon of Canadian literature. There…