A 1998 novel by Canadian author André Alexis (left), winner of the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Trillium Book Award, and shortlisted for the 1998 Giller Prize (it was beaten by Alice Munro's The Love of a Good Woman).

In the first sentences of Childhood, we learn that at forty, narrator Thomas MacMillan is in love with an unnamed "you" (who reappears intermittently throughout the novel), that he has to plan carefully to ensure he has enough to do in a day, and that -- perhaps inspired by the fact his mother and her partner, Henry, died recently -- he has decided to write about his childhood as a means of filling his time.

As the title suggests, Childhood is a sustained meditation on childhood and memory. Set in Petrolia, Ontario (see map at left), and later in the same Ottawa neighborhood as Carol Shields' The Stone Diaries, Thomas -- whose maternal roots are Trinidadian and whose paternity is unknown -- struggles to make sense of his own history. He describes the first twenty years of his life with a mixture of recrimination and nostalgia. His emotional detachment from the most important figures in his early life (his Trinidadian grandmother -- addicted to dandelion wine and the poetry of Archibald Lampman -- and his wayward and restless mother) is unnerving -- we get the sense that at forty, Thomas has arrived at a near-pathologically removed emotional place. But it allows him to assess the lives and personalities of each of these women with humour and forgiveness.

I loved this novel not so much for the story, as for the observations it makes about writing, families, the harm we do to one another within them, and how the passage of time can -- sometimes -- sort all that out. The character of Thomas is a poet, and so -- clearly -- is author Alexis. I could quote so many passages, but here is one of my favourites:

     Poetry's all well and good if you need reasons to go inside, 
but, as you know, I've always needed reasons to go out.  
(How often you've tried to turn my attention to the world, 
and how often I've resisted.  Until I met you, the Ottawa 
Citizen was as much of the world as I could take.)
     I'm not alone, either.  My grandmother should never have 
read a line.  Lampman was her abyss of choice, when she was 
lucid enough to choose -- not much difference between wine 
and poetry, now that I think of it, and she'd have been better 
off without either of them.

This is a short, sweet novel -- highly recommended. There's a good review of Childhood in Quill & Quire -- click here.

INTERNATIONAL BOOKRAY

Rules of this bookray:
1. This is an international bookray -- if you join, you must be willing to ship anywhere.
2. Please journal the book when you receive it, and again when you mail it out -- that way, everyone will know the book's approximate location.
3. If you don't think you'll be able to read this book within a reasonable time of receipt, please let me know before it's sent to you by the previous reader, and I'll be happy to move your name down the list.
4. Whether you have read the book or not, please do not keep it longer than eight weeks.

Participants:
1. honey1982 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - rec'd August 30, 04; mailed September 13, 04.
2. tuff517 - McQueeney, Texas, USA - rec'd September 20, 04; mailed September 27, 04.
3. Readinator - Footscray, Victoria, Australia - rec'd October 5, 04; mailed November 9, 04.
4. Ada2 - North Avoca, New South Wales, Australia - rec'd December 7, 04.
5. Jelicle - Patterson Lakes, Victoria, Australia - June 29/05 PM indicates book was mailed to USA.
6. raralovestoread - Niceville, Florida, USA - rec'd September 13, 05; mailed September 23, 05.
7. jenvince - Sherman Oaks, California, USA - rec'd October 3, 05; mailed October 24, 05.
8. RikkiDD - Dresden, Sachsen, Germany - rec'd December 20, 05.
9. auster - Pontarrón de Quriezo, Cantabria, Spain

I'll be mailing Childhood to honey1982 in Ottawa, Ontario this afternoon. I hope it won't take too long to reach you! (At left: a view of the Fraser River from the top of my street in New Westminster, BC.)

Got the book today and will start it tonight. Can't wait.

Finished the book today. Will be sending it off tomorrow. I actually found it to be a more labourous read, as I found myself contemplating his questions and searching for answers both for him and my own upbringing. The beginning was long and drawn out. The end was short, but well wrapped up. I can't wait to see what others have to say and discuss it more when everyone is finished. Thanks again for the interesting read.

Received this tonight with a beautiful postcard of Ottawa. Will begin it tonight.

The short time I had this book I became attached to it. I find books about family dynamics very interesting. While Thomas's childhood didn't seem all that traumatic to me, each individual is affected differently by all things. I can relate with his idea of looking back on things and seeing them differently than he did as a child. I think some people reach an age where their childhood catches up with them (especially if it was traumatic) and maybe they need to take the time to reflect on it to help it pass back into memory. Very good book. Thanks for sharing! Will send out as soon as I get address for next person in line.

Going in the mail tomorrow for Readinator.

Thanks to tuff517 for passing this along, and to the originator, goatgrrl. I look forward to enjoying this Canadian writer. Shall read and pass on to Ada2.

Thanks very much goatgrrl for sharing this as an international bookring. I read this book over the weekend. I was struck by the main character's view of his world and family and the perspective he gained with time and maturity. I loved the character of Henry and thought he was a wonderful father-figure; it didn't matter whether he was genetically Thomas' father or not in the end.

(I found the long conversations in the quebecois language a real treat as I learnt to speak french in Montreal.)

As someone else said, short and sweet.

Sent to Ada2 in New South Wales, Australia by ordinary parcel post.

Received this 3 weeks ago - my sincerest apologies not to have registered it immediately! I have 3 bookrings to complete before this one, but have some holidays now and I'm hoping to get them read without more delay....

Hope everyone is having a very festive season!

Finally catching up on my reading.....

This is a terrific read and I'm so glad for this bookring and your patience goatgrrl - I would not have had the pleasure of this book otherwise!

There is such a tenderness and sweetness in this book - capturing the feelings of childhood as well as the reminiscences. Goatgrrl's entry calls it a 'sustained meditation' - and that's just what it is. But it also delves into troubled and curious territories. For me, it had a sense of overwhelming loneliness and disappointment, and I found it very moving. Perhaps this was because in his early years Thomas was deprived of recognition and unconditional affection. Anyway, I felt sad throughout the whole book, even when the humour broke through.

Great cast of 'parenting' figures - colourful, eccentric, believable, bizarre - what a childhood!

The book certainly took me on Thomas' journey, but also prompted one of my own as, moved by the poignancy of the book and the soothing pace of it, I remembered and reviewed my own childhood and formative experiences.

Thanks goatgrrl and once again, apologies about slowing the ring down. Will send off to Jelicle asap.....

PMd Ada2 on March 15, 2005 asking for an update on how she's doing with this book -- hope all is well, Ada2!

Hi goatgrrl and fellow-readers,
yes, I am alive and well, but faring very badly with my current bookrings and rays I'm afraid - so I am withdrawing from most of them, at least for the time being. No problems, just a lot on my plate and I'm trying to do some writing (!!), so most of my spare time is being increasingly devoted to that. Also a change of jobs means I don't spend 2 hours on a train - this was such precious reading time....

With Childhood, I did actually mail it to Jelicle a few days after my last journal entry, so I would have expected it to be there by now. I sent it 'Economy Air' - which is supposed to take up to 21 days, but generally gets there in about 10. It should be there by now, so expect it any day.

Summer has ended in my part of the world and we've just had three days of heavy rain. Much needed as we are still on water restrictions because of the sever drought across NSW. I've planted pansies, violas and marigolds for winter, and some bulbs (freesias - my favourite!) in anticipation of next spring. My Canadian and US pals must be enjoying the first kiss of spring. Please accept my pictorial flowers for you all....

Sent a PM to Jelicle on June 18th asking if she's received this book, and - if so - whether she might be in a position to move it along soon. Unfortunately, it looks like it's been lost in the mail ...

Update: received PM from Jelicle on June 28/05 indicating the book is in the mail, but the post office said it may take a couple months to reach the USA.

Hooray! This book arrived in the mail today. I will start reading it as soon as I finish the book I am currently reading.

I enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick read. I would have understood more of the relationship between Katarina and Mr. Mataf if I understood French. ;^) I particularly liked the character of Henry. Here is a passage that I particularly liked:

p.136 Now, in my admittedly personal understanding of Love, it's a time-based phenomenon. I mean, first love and infatuation are glandular matters, and once the glands are sore, there's still breakfast and bad humour, sharp toenails and flatulence, things it takes time to accept in oneself, let alone in another.

Thanks for sharing this book with us, goatgrrl!

Today I am mailing this book to jenvince in Arizona. Enjoy!

It's here!

I had trouble getting into this one, am sending it on.

I had no luck getting an address (or even a response) from deebookfairy, so will move on to the next person.

Am mailing to RikkiDD today.

What a joy! After 3 months swimming alone in a cold ocean the book arrived savely in my letterbox and was rescued immediately.
I will read it very soon.
---------------------------------------------
edit 27th December 2005
I started to read this book a few days ago. I have to admit that I have not so much time for reading at the moment but I try my best not to keep it too long. Please be patient with me.

I finished the book quiet a few weeks ago.
It wasn't that easy for me to read, because André Alexis uses a language which I'm not really familiar with, although my English isn't that bad.
But with the help of a good dictionary I enjoyed this book very much.
I know Ottawa quiet good and I loved the discription of the city and many pictures came up to my mind when reading it.
It is really a good read and brings you close to the story teller.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunatly, also after quiet a few attemps I can't reach auster. So that the book is a ray I wait for a good oportunity to keep it running to someone who is interested in the story.

RELEASE NOTES:

As part of my Lifetime Challenge the book is on its way to the Phillipines

Got this book today from the mail. Can't wait to read it. I've been encountering books about childhood - Coehlo's By The River Piedra... and Murakami's South of the Border, West of the Sun. As I've read, this one's going to be quite a different take on the topic I'm currently interested in. Can't wait to get started.

Thanks RikkiDD and goodluck with your challenge!