In 19 years, you haven’t forgotten to wish me a Happy Canada Day. And you’ve been especially attentive since November 2016, likely hoping the immigration clerks here will put some gold stars on that imaginary citizenship application of yours!
They should give you extra credit for your devotion to Linwood Barclay’s books. I wasn’t expecting you to go full-on-interlibrary-loan and read them in such a burst! You are already a more loyal fan than I am. But I’m glad you enjoyed them. There’s a copy of The Parting Shot heading my way now. And I won’t have to avoid spoilers when I write to you about it!
Finally I’ve read Robb Foreman Dew’s The Evidence Before Her and you were so right: I loved it start-‘til-stop. So rich, yet simple: from Marjoie and Lily’s lemon meringue pie picnic at the lighthouse to the war and the influenza epidemic. Is Washburn, Ohio a real town: is it near Cincinnati?
Maybe I’d rather not know: I’d rather pretend it’s real.
And what a great way of describing her experience of the world, “the calamity of never being able to explain herself”. All of us misfits can relate. And Agnes’ remark, when she says that she’s not ready for marriage – that she’s not a jar of peaches to be snapped up from the shelf – perfect! Her straightforward tone and stalwart feminism reminded me of Valerie Martin’s Property, another we both enjoyed. (I wonder if she and Margaret Atwood are still friends.)
The Dew novel was one of the first books you recommended to me and it sure took me a long time to get to it. Somehow I had the idea it was a tragic story, but it was ultimately hopeful. (Speaking of, I’ve gotten to Killers of the Flower Moon more quickly: more on that next time.) Now I’m rereading Amy and Isabelle, which was new in 1999, when we first started chatting.
It’s every bit as good as I remember, and I’m just going to keep reading, straight through the sequel to Olive K. I know how you loved Olive and I will read the sequel and tell you all about it. Everyone seems to say good things.
I’ll write again later this month and a couple more times before the summer is through: you’ve recommended so many good books to me over the years, and I’m reading some of the ones I’ve missed along the way. Sitting on the porch and in some parks: breathing deeply, feeling grateful. There are a couple of other new books I know you will want to hear about too. Soon!
XO
My friend, Barbara – librarian and booklover – died shortly after Christmas. We met via a listserv dedicated to Canadian literature, a serious venture that inspired us to take our enthusiasm offline, where we exchanged proper letters – mostly about books and cats – for about 19 years. In my mind, our bookish conversation is ongoing.
Oh my heart! What a truly wonderful way to remember a friend by. Books are such a pure beginning to a friendship, and no doubt the conversation is still ongoing, you may not realize it, but I’m sure she’s looking down on you responding to these letters in her own way 🙂
Thanks, Anne. Sharing books and stories can create such a special kind of connection. It’s easy to imagine what some of her responses would be and I know she would be happy to think that she’s still impacting some of my choices (and that she’s still miles – kilometres – ahead of me in Linwood Barclay reading)!
It’s hard to know what more to say, so I will just send you hugs. XOXO
Thanks, Naomi: very kind.
That is a lovely tribute. So sad to lose a book friend.
Thanks, Reese: yes indeed.
Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend and pen pal. I know you’re a wonderful correspondent, so she was lucky to have you. I feel like this series of letters, expanded, would make a lovely gift book. And you’ve even added a title to my TBR! (Property — not sure how I’d failed to hear about this Orange Prize winner.)
Thanks, Rebecca. We had a great exchange in that she was exceptionally interested in Canadian writers and storytellers and I was just-interested-enough in the American writers. I love books of letters. And Martin is very polished, a spare style though, which isn’t always your favourite-est thing, is it? I also really enjoyed Mary Reilly (not quite so spare, but still economical) and Trespass (I don’t remember much about this one, except I believe it was contemporary, unlike the others).
What a beautiful homage to your friend…
Thanks, Lisa.
I am so sorry for the loss of your dear friend. This is such a lovely way to remember her and a beautiful way to celebrate your friendship. We all need people who talk to us about books. You’ve reminded me that I haven’t read enough Elizabeth Strout.
Thanks, Ali. And how time flies when you’re busy chatting about books too. Strout is wonderful: I had included Amy and Isabelle in my list of favourites many years ago and I was a little anxious thinking about returning, that maybe she wasn’t quite SO good back then … but it’s all there – she’s so good.
So sorry about the loss of your friend, but what a lovely way to mark your friendship. x
Thanks, Karen. She would have appreciated backhandedly adding to people’s TBRs even now!
Lovely post, Marcie. You must miss her very much.
Thanks, Susan. I’m enjoying writing these letters to her.
I’m so sorry to hear the sad news about the passing of your lovely friend. This is an incredibly an moving post, Marcie, and a wonderful way in which to celebrate your unique bookish-bond.
Thanks for saying so, Paula.