Extraordinary., 28 Sep 2003

By	Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews

Alexander MacDonald, the speaker, no longer lives on Cape Breton. An orthodontist, he travels weekly to Toronto to visit his alcoholic brother Calum, named for the family patriarch who came to the island in 1779 from Scotland. As he travels back and forth and reminisces, sometimes in Gaelic, with his much less fortunate brother, many generations of MacDonalds come to life, and we see how these forbears have shaped the two brothers and influenced their different, but shared, destinies.

MacLeod is very lyrical. Like a musician, he repeats certain themes. Gaelic phrases echo throughout, almost like a refrain. First names continue in different generations to remind the reader of historical resemblances and differences. And always, in every generation, he celebrates the dominance of the original Calum MacDonald and of Cape Breton in shaping their lives. MacLeod never stoops to sentimentality, however. His main characters are all macho males living macho lives, and he includes no romantic love story to soften the harshness of life. Still, he has created a warm, loving, and enduring family story that pulses with heart and resonates in memory. Mary Whipple

 Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)

Family ties, 15 Jan 2006

By	Friederike Knabe (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

At one level this novel is the story of Alexander MacDonald, his twin sister and their older brothers, belonging to a family of tremendous loyalty and commitment, steeped in tradition and history. We follow them from early childhood when tragedy befalls them, leaving them orphans, through their adolescent years and to adulthood.

At a deeper level, it is a testament to ‘blood is thicker than water’. The MacDonald trace their roots back to the legendary Calum Ruadh ("the red Calum") and his brood of 12 children who arrived in the New World in the 1770s as one of the early settler families in Cape Breton.

The descendents of the founding father, Alexander and his siblings, remain cocooned in the close-knit family, protected by the strength of family ties and values which help them through the sometimes painful dramas in their lives. The past stays vividly in the minds of all its members; the grandparents reminding the younger generation constantly through stories of lives lived. Time seems "to compress and expand almost simultaneously"; events are repeated to allow the author to present them from different perspectives. Convictions are expressed almost like mottos throughout the novel: “Always look after your own blood” or “We are all better when we're loved”.

While Alexander and his sister, living in the relative comfort of their grandparents’ home, are encouraged and financially supported in their academic ambitions, the older brothers have to fend for themselves. Poverty is their primary school as they struggle to keep themselves and the farm alive. For the young twins a visit to the brothers is always an adventure where no grown-ups rules apply. McLeod portrays the different characters well - reflecting the particular affection that Alexander has for the grandparents. Most intriguing is the other grandfather, a quiet and withdrawn man, who lives by himself having lost wife and only daughter through tragedies. Despite his doubts about himself stemming also from the stigma of being a single mother’s child whose father died before he was born, he exudes strength and compassion and plays an increasingly important balancing role in the life of the family.

To escape increasing financial difficulties, the older brothers leave the island for the uranium mines of Ontario and elsewhere. However, the location of home is never in doubt and it draws them back forcefully. After one of the MacDonald team is killed in the mine, Alexander, having progressed well in his academic studies, drops everything to join the brothers to make up the required number. His action manifests the strong loyalty to the family while allowing McLeod to continue the narration from Alexander’s perspective. Life in the mining community is well drawn in its crudeness and harshness. While there, the MacDonalds are pitched against a group of francophone Quebeckers. Tension and outright hatred between the two leaders add another layer of complexity and provide in the end an explanation for another major story line - the here and now of the day in the life of…

McLeod’s enthralls the reader with his portrayal of the land of Cape Breton, its history and mores. It would be difficult to find a more hauntingly beautiful description of the landscape, of the impact that the seasons have on the surroundings and the ever-present power of the sea. This is a book to treasure and to read more than once. [Friederike Knabe]

 Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)