Red Dog - Louis De Bernieres

Red Dog takes place in Australia and is a collection of stories centred around a red dog with a crazy little personality and a love for adventure. This book has a way of “taking you back to the good old days” whether you’re from Australia or not. I’m from Canada and haven’t even visited Australia but found it nostalgic in many ways. They are stories about country living, man’s best friend and adventure and friendship. It’s also a short read so if you’re looking to curl up on the couch with something light and feel-good than this one is a good pick. I read it in an afternoon while waiting for my husband to come home from work.

Louis De Bernieres is one of my very favourite authors which is what caused me to pick this book up in the first place. He was also the writer of “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” which took place in Greece during World War II – one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. But, this isn’t a review about Captain Corelli’s Mandolin! Back to the point, De Bernieres has the ability to completely captivate you with his writing. Despite its light theme, Red Dog is no different. Red Dog is a dog and yet he is a character, based on a true story, that everyone in the book comes to know and love – you’ll be no different.

This book will definetly bring a smile to your face. It will remind you of dogs you once had and will probably make you want to go out and get another. For a light and feel-good read, this one won’t leave you disappointed. If you’re Australian or have visited, you’ll also appreciate the fun Aussie terminology dispersed throughout the pages. Enjoy.

Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult

All I can say is... wow.

To be honest, I thought I knew what this book was about and initially wasn’t very interested. It wasn’t until the book club (that I am a new member of), decided to read it that I picked it up and realized, “This could be really good...”

And it was...

Picoult’s ability to tell the story through a different character’s eyes in each chapter, enriches the novel and allows the reader to get an inside view on the character’s heart and motives all throughout. I was particularly interested in the character of the older brother who, on the outside appears to be rebellious and reckless, a lost cause who, in the words of one of my fellow book clubbers, “almost is a bit psychotic!” However, when he tells the story, we see a whole new side. In this book, things are never as they appear.

Truly, I was constantly surprised again and again throughout this novel. Essentially, the synopsis of the book is that a family comprised of 2 parents and a son and daughter seem to live a life similar to the American dream until, at the age of 4, the daughter is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. The daughter and family goes through bouts with chemo and eventually the little girl goes into remission. However the chances that their daughter’s remission will be ongoing and that she will stay free from the disease are not high so, the parents decide to conceive a child through the help of doctors, test tubes and implantation. This child will have the exact genetic code as the little girl making it the perfect match for a donor. A child, Abby, is conceived with the purpose of saving her sister’s life. The book takes place when Abby has reached the age of 13 and decides to sue her parents for the right to her body.

Intriguing, isn’t it?

Picoult begins the novel through Abby’s eyes: Insecure and trying to break out of the boxes that people have put her in, like any normal 13 year old. Immediately my heart went out to Abby as, from the very beginning, I saw how she went unnoticed at times by her parents. Their main concern was for their sick daughter and as a result, they not only lost their other children in the meantime... they also lost themselves. As the reader gets to know Abby and sees the way that cancer has affected every single member of the family, we realize that these family issues are not as simple as what might seem right or wrong on the surface. Underneath, they are very, very complex especially as the reader comes to ask their selves: “What would I do in the shoes of the parent? Would I have done the same thing to save my child?”

This book is a great read and I enthusiastically recommend it. I couldn’t put it down and got so wrapped up in the characters that as I tried to fall asleep at night, I caught myself still thinking about them. Haha, that’s a sign of a good book. It will make you think and keep you guessing because, as I said before, in “My Sister’s Keeper” things are never the way they seem.