STITCH LINES...... Ramblings on life as a quilter, stitcher, traveler, photographer, gardener and lover of books, cats and fine chocolate....

Friday, January 9, 2015

Ready for Another Book Review?

On February 14, 1982, the oil rig Ocean Ranger sank in the Hibernia oil fields of the North Atlantic, off the coast of Newfoundland during a severe storm and all those aboard drowned. Lisa Moore's 2009 novel February fictionalizes the deep physical and emotional grief still resonating years later with those who lost fathers, sons, husbands, brothers and lovers in the tragedy by telling the story of one widow, Helen O'Mara while she struggles to carry on and bring up her young family. Helen is left with three young children, and a fourth on the way.
The novel jumps back and forth in time; back to Helen and Cal's courtship and marriage, ahead to the present (2008) when Helen is in her mid-fifties and still grieving, back to the time of the disaster when Helen finds out Cal has drowned... In some cases this drives me crazy in a book, but Moore has written it so well, and often included a date at the beginning of each chapter, I didn't find it confusing or hard to follow the story.
Over twenty years later, Helen's grief is still profound - she still wonders exactly how things unfolded that night. Was Cal asleep? Or was he playing cards? Was he thinking of her and their children? Did he really understand what was happening? Helen struggles to get on with her life. A sub-plot involves her son John who arrives home unexpectedly with life-changing news.
We all deal with grief differently, it is a very personal process; Moore has captured one woman's journey. A powerful story of love and loss, and the long road back, it was the Canada Reads winner of 2013.

Peace,
Linda

"I think books are like people, in the sense that they'll turn up in your life when you most need them."
~Emma Thompson

5 comments:

Pamela Gordon said...

This sounds like an interesting book Linda. I wish I could settle in to reading but usually only find a book in my hands before bed time when I'm so tired I nod off mid-sentence. :)

Jennifer said...

That would be a good read......sadly my library doesn't have it (just checked) but will keep my eye out for it, just the same.

Art by Rhoda Forbes said...

I read this one, it was a very good read. I have friends here who lost loved ones on the Ocean Ranger.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

A good review Linda, the book sounds appealing.

Kathy said...

I read this last year and loved the Newfoundland local colour. Sad topic covered extremely well by the author.

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