Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews

This book made me glad I read A Complicated Kindness, purely because it led me to here.  I enjoyed this book so much more than A Complicated Kindness.  It was darkly funny.  The characters were well developed.  The story was interesting. The subject matter is heavy, but it isn't heavy to read.  It is written in such a way that you can find humour without making light of the topics.  It also has prompted me to dig out my copy of Little Miss Sunshine to watch again.  If you enjoyed that movie, you will like this book. 
This is the story of Hattie, 28, who returns home to Manitoba from Paris to help out her sister Min, (who is spiraling in depression) and her kids.  Hattie has just broken up with her French boyfriend and feeling a little lost herself.  Her fly by the seat of her pants plan starts with checking her sister into the psychiatric ward of the hospital and packing up the kids to search out their long lost father.  Thebes (12) is pretty much running the home.  She is trying to cling to any sort of order she can in her  world.  She is a fantastic character, one I won't soon forget.  Her brother Logan (15) has his own share of teen angst that makes sense as the story unfolds. 
I'm pleasantly surprised by this book and would recommend it to others.