Welcome to Litsy!

Winner of the Governor General‘s Award in 1966, in this superb novel we are in the head of Rachel, a schoolteacher in her 30s in small town Manitoba, where she lives with her ailing, petulant mother. Over the course of 3 seasons, major changes happen for Rachel. I loved witnessing her growth, overcoming her fears & anxiety as she comes to terms with fulfilling her needs for love & human connection. #CanadianAuthor

We watched until the lights of the town could not be seen any longer. Now only the farm kitchens and the stars are out to signpost the night. The bus flies along, smooth and confident as a great owl through the darkness, and all the passengers are quiet, some of them sleeping.

… in among the stalks of last year‘s grass now brittle and brown like the ancient bones of birds, the crocuses were growing, the flowers‘ faint mauve protected by the green-grey hairs of the outer petals.
[internet photo]

https://youtu.be/-XECvUyCfaM

A playlist of all episodes in the Bite-sized Book Chat series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU-61cZp1pQdBH5V0Zb9q-2ujl4PY8nhf

Chat #1: with Margot from New Brunswick
@merelybookish

A Jest of God - Margaret Laurence

Chat #2: with Areeb from India

Natural History by Carlos Fonseca, Megan McDowell (Translation)

...

Rachel is an unforgettable protagonist. Her voice is sharp, self-effacing, astute, & clever. Through a very careful depiction of an interior life, Laurence delves deep into the lives of an ordinary woman with breathtaking intimacy. Through her thoughts & fantasies & actions, we get a sense of how restrictive life can be for a single woman living with an overbearing mother in a small town, & the burdens of simply trying to exist as a Normal Person.

Oh, Rachel 💔

I'm almost towards the end but I don't want to finish it tonight—I'm a bit nervous about how it'll end. It turns out I'm getting softer with age and need my #spinsterlit anti-heroines to thrive 😭

@LeahBergen @merelybookish @vivastory

Oh, how I loved this Canadian modern classic (and spinster-lit classic, too, if I may 😉).

Rachel Cameron, forced home from university in her younger years to be her widowed mother‘s caretaker, is stuck in her elementary school teacher rut with only her fantasies (and anxieties) to keep her company. When an old acquaintance returns to town one summer, she embarks on a second coming-of-age.

Thanks for the buddy read!

There's a quote from some Alice Munro story about a character realizing she had to stop waiting to live her life because she is already living it. That came to mind as I finished this book. Rachel, a single 34 year-old elementary school teacher is paralyzed, hemmed in by the past and her own fears and beliefs. But by the end, she realizes she must be in charge of her own life. How she gets there and what that looks like is complicated and less 👇

Not sure @vivastory @batsy @LeahBergen if we have a kick-off date for our Jest of God buddy read but I dove in today...and it's already preying upon my anxieties about moving back home. 😳😆

My retro copy of A Jest of God has arrived! And in time for our buddy read. @vivastory @LeahBergen @batsy
When I read this at 19 or 20, I figured being a thirtysomething, unmarried schoolteacher was the worst fate ever. 😬 Obviously my perspective has changed, so interested to see how this affects me now.

My copy arrived today, @vivastory @merelybookish @batsy , and I‘m ready for our August buddy read!

#JohnnyBergen has collapsed in abject disgust that this was a book delivery and not a dog treat parcel.

Finished this book last night. Review to follow. As I posted before, it was made into the movie Rachel,Rachel, which my husband and I went to see on our first date, almost 50 years ago. On Tuesday, when we arrived at our condo on the Del. shore, these flowers were waiting for me—it was our 47th anniversary.
I will say that the book was closely tracked by the movie.

Recently acquired book to be read soon. In 1968 it was made into the movie “Rachel, Rachel” starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. My husband and I went to see Rachel, Rachel on our 1st date (in 1968). We held hands (blush), and have held hands in every movie we‘ve seen since then. Next week we celebrate our 47th wedding anniversary. ❤️

My #ProfilePic is one that I use for all social media, but since I got rid of all my other social media it's only on Litsy.
I tried to get my #litsyavatar to match. Lol. It's not easy.

@Chelleo

Probably early in the game, but I know I won't be finishing anymore books this month. Here are my #JuneReads and favorites. Such a great month although out of all the books I read, only one was from my own stash. Kind of disappointed there but hopefully I can make up for that in July. #BestOfJune

I loved the film and so glad it introduced me to Laurence. She is a kindred spirit. Rachel is probably considered a little odd by most people, but the world inside her head is often times hilarious but heartbreaking. Such a lonely soul, but so lovable! A new favorite! ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️ #JuneReads #20BooksOfSummer 4/20

Early morning reading. The husband had knee surgery yesterday so it's been hard to have a moment to myself to read. I've been savoring every chapter but I think it's time to finish this up. #BookAndCoffee

The writing in this novel is phenomenal! I'm forced to take it in slowly. Can't believe I've never read Margaret Laurence before. I just ordered a copy of STONE ANGEL from The Book Depository because I just know I'll have to read it after finishing this one.

Made it to the bookstore in Lahaina! On to the airport! Funny thing: I saw the movie based on this book directed by Paul Newman about a month ago. It was so good! I wanted to read the book right after. Then it falls into my hands far from home for only $3. #fate #bookhaul #canadianlit

When your library holds come in at once AND you're really attracted to the New Canadian Library covers AND you can't renew them because you're graduating. #pressure #CanLit #librarylove