My new bookmark has had a lot of use. Thanks, Mireille Chiasson. The little turtle reminds me of the ones who plod up from the water to lay their eggs in our lawn each June.
And the fact that it’s wood reminds me of my novel, The Medal. Seventeen-year-old Kilian makes his elderly friend Harry a Christmas present: a wooden book mark with his initials and the Masonic symbols carefully carved into it. During the editing process, someone questioned whether wood could be thin enough for a bookmark. This picture confirms my answer.
In case you’re wondering what I’m reading, it’s Elizabeth Hay’s new novel, His Whole Life – a coming-of-age story, set in the mid-1990’s when Quebec was on the verge of leaving Canada. Being from Quebec, I have a personal interest in the political context. The story opens with 10-year-old Jim and his Canadian mother driving from their home in New York City to a lake in eastern Ontario in the summer heat. Over several pivotal years of Jim’s youth, Hay develops the competing claims on relationships between family members and friends. I can’t tell you how it ends because I haven’t finished the book. Besides, I wouldn’t do that anyway. However, if you want to hear more about this novel, Elizabeth Hay is coming to Kingston Writersfest on Saturday, September 26th. Check the website to see who else will be there. https://www.kingstonwritersfest.ca/
And now to finish my reading…