A page turning look at 21st century loneliness as seen through the eyes of a young freelance writer trying to navigate the gig economy, prescription drugs, dating apps, casual sex and loneliness.
Gritty, honest, horrifying and laugh out loud funny at times while being all too believable. Smith’s first work of fiction in ten years is more than a return to form: it’s a masterclass.
Adult Fiction pr8084627
One of Canada’s most beloved novelists pens her first memoir, one that flouts convention by not employing a linear storyline with the usual progression from childhood through becoming a writer and all that followed.
Instead, Toews give us constant flashbacks, musings, snatches of correspondence quotes from literature, along with her thoughts and feelings about why she writes, a question she’s meant to answer onstage at a forthcoming conference. This will surely disappoint as many people as it thrills (put me in the latter camp) but it’s a short read and contains much to enjoy if approached with an open mind. It reads more like coffee with a friend than as part of a university course’s assigned reading. I’d meet Ms Toews for coffee any time.
Adult Non-Fiction pr7976291