Canadian Fiction – Scuffed Granny

The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman

A quite traumatic but moving novel told in two narrative strands, one of a young mother, the other the daughter she is forced to give up.

A murder mystery, lightly told with the deft hand of Sydney Preston, which is big on character and well-plotted

The Underpainter is a character study of someone who views life from a distance, never fully engaging in its emotional landscape.

Cam Lang’s novel about the ambitions, past secrets and covert dealings of the folk of Niagara-on-the-Lake is well-executed and entertaining

Yann Martel’s book is surreal at times, but profoundly moving. I loved The High Mountains of Portugal and can’t recommend it enough.