Sharon English

This is an intelligent and compelling novel that hits at the heart of the what is happening to society and to the earth in our dire times. Sharon English interweaves stories of three people who are deeply affected by what humans have done to the natural world and to the way we live. Situated in Toronto, two brothers struggle with problems familiar to many of us - trying to figure out who they are and how to live meaningful lives; and a budding biologist attempts to make her way through an educational/scientific institution whose values are not her own. As the book proceeds, the author brings to the fore the beauty and the desperate needs of the earth, the water, and all that needs to change if we (and not just the human "we") are to survive.… (mere)

This short story collection was nominated for the Giller Prize. Set in and around Vancouver, Ontarian (Ontarioite?) author English uses Vancouver itself as a character, with mixed results. As with any collection of short stories, some are better than others. And like most contemporary Canadian literature, there is an edge to most of these stories.

I have to say that this volume, which was published by Porcupine's Quill, has some of the nicest paper I've come across in a book in ages. Luxurious!… (mere)