Book Discussion-Thursday, February 3

Elise Barack will lead a discussion of February -- the popular, well-received novel  by Lisa Moore, a Canadian author who won a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for her first novel, Alligator.  We will meet at 7:15 pm on Thursday, February 3 in the library's Programming Room downstairs.

February has been described as a quiet, evocative novel that offers a philosophical examination of key human experiences—death, grief, survival, life. It was on the long list for the 2010 Man Booker prize.

On February 15th, 1982 the Ocean Ranger, a semi-submersible oil rig touted as unsinkable and able to drill in dangerous areas, sunk off the coast of Newfoundland in what is considered the worst offshore drilling accident in Canadian history. All 84 crew members died. This is the backdrop for Lisa Moore’s novel which tells the story of one widow, Helen O’Mara, who is left behind with four young children.

The narrative moves back and forth in time; much as we revisit the past in our memories while living in the present and hoping for the future. We learn of Helen’s courtship and marriage, the horrifying details of her husband’s death, and her struggles to raise her children and build her dressmaking business. The story opens in 2008 with Helen enrolled in a yoga class, worrying about her grown son who is expecting his first child, the product of a brief affair. Helen has never come to terms with her husband’s death, and the tragedy of over 20 years ago continues to resound through her family’s life.

For more information on the author's life and works visit:    http://cwip.artmob.ca/contributors/lisa-moore

Please plan to join us for what promises to be an interesting discussion.