Book Reviews/A Writing Journey
Category: Canadian 5 out of 5s
Nariman, the aging patriarch of a Parsi family, is shuffled from one family household to another as his ability to care for himself deteriorates. Mistry takes us on a journey through the lives of this Bombay family that is both sad and often funny.
In his classic style, this is probably my favourite of his novels to date, though not the only one I’ve enjoyed.
Arjie is a young Tamil boy unsure of his identity in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo. When racial riots break out in 1983 with the burning and killing of Tamils and their property, Arjie’s life is in danger.
Although this was Selvadrai’s debut novel, its tale has stayed with me more than any other of his more recent novels. To me it’s still his finest work.
This is a collection of short stories written by British Columbian writers. Because Canada has a diverse population, there are tales from Africa, Asia and Europe as well as local stories. The collection contains both fiction and non-fiction and I was proud to include two of my own short stories both set in Tanzania.
Lib, an English nurse, arrives in an Irish village in the 1850s to keep watch over Anna so as to confirm that she doesn’t eat. The child’s fast is driving the faithful on pilgrimages to her house and Lib is suspicious.
This is not only a book about the politics of religion, but blind faith and Lib is determined to get to the bottom of why Anna fasts.
How did this author keep me engrossed in her tale when most of the story is set in Anna O’Donnell’s bedroom? It’s no wonder, this book is beautifully written as well as an intriguing tale.
Read and Write 
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