Barometer Rising: a Book about the First World War That Has Echoes Today

 

Barometer Rising was Canadian writer Hugh MacLennan's first published novel. It juxtaposes a rather conventional love story--Penny thinks Neil was killed in the Great War, Neil wasn't but is hiding because he's been wrongly accused of cowardice, they spend most of the novel yearning for each other--with the all-too-real explosion of a ship carrying munitions in Halifax harbour in 1917.

A new Penguin edition of the book has a photo taken in the minutes following the collision of the French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo. The Mont-Blanc caught fire and its highly flamable payload exploded, creating the largest human-made blast until the A-bombs of World War II. But this does not occur until half way through the book, leaving one participant in a book discussion I recently led to express frustration at the slowness of the book's start.

MacLennan surely did this on purpose, because his aim was to write a story about Canada, its contribution to a war thousands of miles away, and its struggle to become a nation that is neither English nor American but something unique. As such, the characters' reflections are particularly pertinent today, when the country is trying to navigate its way through waters riled by Donald J. Trump. Prime Minister Mark Carney's several recent speeches about the importance of second-tier power working together can be read as direct descendants of the Canada MacLennan was writing about--a big country with much to give to the world. (Photo by Victor Magnus)

The Daughters of Shandong: Very Good Historical Fiction

 

istorical fiction sometimes has a bad rep. First of all, it can often get the facts wrong. Second, if it sticks too close to history it can be boring, lifeless, removed from the people who were making history.

That is why I approached Eve J. Chung's Daughters of Shandong with a certain amount of caution. It was suggested for a book club I belong to, and since I didn't have a better suggestion to defend, I went along with the group's choice. I'm glad I did because the book seems to skillfuly avoid both major problems of historical fiction.

The novel begins with Mao Ze-dong's Communist forces coming to power in Northern China, thrusting aside the Nationalists under Chaig kai-shek. The narratrice, Hai, is the oldest daughter in a wealthy land-owning family which the Communists want to punish. She, her mother and younger sisters are left behind when her father and other members flee. Girls don't matter, supposedly, and the excuse given for this act of cowardice is that they won't be bothered by the insurgents. Of course, that doesn't happen, Hai is nearly killed, becoming the scapegoat for the whole family. Only peasants who remember the kindness of Hai's mother help them, and so eventually they are able to flee.

What follows is a harrowing journey over two years (if I calculate correctly) that sees them go first to Qingdao on foot, and then to Hong Kong before ending up in Taiwan. I have not checked all the facts, but it appears that Chung did a great deal of research and avoids the trap of painting the Communists as devils and the Nationalists as the good guys. The truth is far more nuanced. What is portrayed as evil is th misogyny which favours men and denigrates women that pervaded China during this period.

A very good read, in short, and one from which the reader may learn a lot.

Back to Life: More Reviews Coming Up

 It's been three years since I posted on this blog.  Too many things going, a couple of books write, and other stuff kept me from writing about what I've been reading.  Now I've decided to reflect more on my reading and so I'm resurrecting the blog.  I hope it will amuse a few folks!