writes about war from a young person's view #bannedbyrussia
On the way back from the homestead we had to do what all Ukrainians do when they’re in this area — we visited the giant pysanka in Vegreville.
Here is my patient husband, who has been immersed in Forchuk lore for days.
When we got back to Edmonton, we realized that we’d brought back a gruesome souvenir:
The next day, we left Edmonton.
We arrived in Calgary for a quick lunch:
And then on to the Rocky Mountains ….
It was an amazing journey over the Rockies, landing in Kelowna on the other side. Here’s what it was like. This flight was two hours:
Kelowna was spectacularly beautiful. We had perfect weather for walking and sightseeing, a wine tour, and just lazing around.
Thanks, Scott and Andrea, for the suggestion to explore Knox Hill.
From Kelowna, we flew to Boundary Bay, which has a great airport with friendly service. We picked up a rental car at the airport and headed to Vancouver. We stayed downtown for good food and walking around, and did day trips from Boundary Bay to visit friends and family.
We cleared customs in Bellingham, then flew on to Renton Airport.
It was so nice to see my sister Georgia, her husband Neal, and their daughters Brigitte and Fiona.
A highlight of our trip was meeting my longtime editor, Ann Featherstone, in person for the first time. We’ve done many books together:
She and her husband Grenfell picked us up at the Nanaimo airport and we had lunch together, then toured around. A wonderful day!
Took a weekend trip to Quebec city. Beautiful fall colours. On the way back we couldn’t land in Brantford because there was lightning within kilometers. Waited it out at the Kitchener airport. Chased rainbows all the way home.
I am THRILLED that the new US edition of Making Bombs has just shown up in Amazon.com and is available for pre-order!
The Conjoined: A Novel by Jen Sookfong Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is not a thriller but I guess it’s been marketed that way to get more readers. It’s a family drama, and a darned good one. There are two dead girls in the freezer, but this novel isn’t a whodunit but more of a whydoneit. Jen Sookfong Lee builds a cast of very human characters, each having flaws and pretty much everyone longing for an elusive happiness and these individual pursuits combo into a deadly result. If you’re looking for a breathtaking pageturner a la Gillian Flynn, this isn’t it. But if you want to read a finely crafted novel about people who will seem so real to you that you’ll forget you’re reading a book, then pick this one up.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read The Conjoined.
