by Sylvia Maultash Warsh (Cormorant Books Inc., 284 pages, $21). The novel is set in 1973. Mel Montrose, a young graduate student and the daughter of Holocaust survivors, persuades legendary Canadian literary critic Northrop Frye to supervise her thesis. The thesis will focus on 鈥淏r茅beuf and His Brethren,鈥� E. J. Pratt鱿鱼视频app epic poem about the 17th-century Jesuit Jean de Br茅beuf. To help her write her thesis, Mel takes a job at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, the reconstructed Jesuit mission near Midland, Ont. Mel鱿鱼视频app estranged parents happen to live close by and, when a rejected suitor comes to find Mel, she is forced to reconnect with them. The reader soon discovers that, although Mel is fascinated with history, she has been running from her own past.
Warsh鱿鱼视频app prose is witty and elegant. A seasoned mystery writer, she keeps Mel鱿鱼视频app full story hidden until the end 鈥� though the careful reader may find hints of it early on. The novel weaves back and forth between Mel鱿鱼视频app story and her fictional retelling of Br茅beuf鱿鱼视频app story. Frustrated with the lack of detail in the Jesuit Relations, Mel wonders 鈥淲hat were things like, really?鈥� While Warsh has clearly done her research on Br茅beuf, Mel鱿鱼视频app reconstruction of his life is fanciful and highly imaginative.
The creative and secretive Mel is a complex protagonist. She is selfish and caring, ruthless and vulnerable. Through Mel, Warsh explores the power of the past to shape one鱿鱼视频app identity. Mel attempts to forget her past and conceal her nature. But this is no easy task and, at times, she fears that her 鈥渢wo selves might annihilate each other.鈥�
{sa 1897151721}Although Mel can be cruel, her dry sense of humour and her depth make her an engaging narrator.
In addition to its captivating protagonist, The Queen of Unforgetting offers thought-provoking reflections on the themes of suffering, death and survival. Mel was rescued from drowning as a child and she remains fixated on water imagery throughout the novel. The book also explores two historical events. The first is the death of Br茅beuf and the destruction of the Huron nation at the hands of Iroquois warriors. Numerous characters in the novel criticize the Jesuits and point out that, in trying to save the Huron people, Br茅beuf and his companions brought the disease that killed half the population. But throughout the novel there is also a deep admiration for Br茅beuf鱿鱼视频app devotion and his willingness to sacrifice himself unto death.
The Queen of Unforgetting also reflects upon the horrors of the Holocaust. These horrors have led Mel鱿鱼视频app parents to question the nature of God. Mel鱿鱼视频app father is left with three unpleasant options: God is a monster, God has no power or God does not exist.
Indeed, the Holocaust and the destruction of the Huron nation raise questions that resound throughout the novel. Why does God allow such suffering? Why do some die, while others survive? The novel offers no easy answers to these questions.
The Queen of Unforgetting is a moving and well-crafted book. Those with an interest in Canadian history and literature will enjoy seeing Br茅beuf and Frye as fictional characters. However, with its complex protagonist and deep reflections, the novel will appeal to a broad audience. It is not to be missed.
(Bedard is a freelance writer in Toronto.)