Swing Low by Miriam Toews

Swing Low is the story of Miriam Toews' father, a man who suffered his whole life from bipolar disorder, keeping his struggles almost entirely to himself as he went against his psychiatrist's predictions that he wouldn't marry, start a family, or hold down a job. Instead, Mel Toews spent a forty years as a respected teacher, married his lifelong sweetheart, and had two happy and successful daughters. Then, after suffering a heart attack which limited the oxygen to his brain causing permanent damage, Mel was forced to retire from teaching, a job that had been as much an escape as a career. Finally, in 1998, he had himself released from the hospital and jumped in front of an incoming train.

With Swing Low Toews has written the story of the brilliant yet troubled man that her father was, how he would be outgoing and vibrant in the classroom only to remain in complete silence and despair at home. Bipolar disorder meant there were two sides to Mel, the manic and the depressive, and as Toews tries to come to terms with both her father's life and death, she attempts to bridge the gap in between the person her father was, and the person he tried so hard to be.

Like Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls, Swing Low is more of a True Life Novel than a traditional memoir or biography. Written almost entirely in the first person from Mel's perspective- with the exception of a short introduction and epilogue- Toews truly lets the reader in on not only the experiences, but the emotions they provoked. I read this memoir after finishing Toews' latest novel, Irma Voth, and was shocked by the difference between the two. Although both take place in a Mennonite community, Swing Low is far more emotional and evocative, while Irma Voth tells a clearer and more distinct story. At first, and for many pages, I found myself very confused by the scattered narrative of Swing Low, the story begins with Mel in his hospital bed, slightly insane from dementia and trying to figure out what is going on. To do so, he goes back through his life, connecting the events that brought him to that moment together. As could be expected with a crazy narrator, sometimes he is quite difficult to follow and so it took a long time for me to get involved in the story. Even though Toews is taking on the voice of her father, it definitely felt genuine, and it's clear she didn't paint him in an idealistic light but instead Mel remains human and flawed. He was a man that tried very hard, but that didn't mean he was perfect.

Ultimately, I feel conflicted over this book. On one hand, it is a rich and inventive look into the mind of mental illness, especially in when it occurs in a not entirely understanding time or culture, which is both unique and believable. But at the same time, sometimes the book was too believable, in that I really felt like it was written by an insane person which made it difficult and not entirely enjoyable to read. Overall, Swing Low is a unique and insightful look into living with mental illness and although I found it confusing at times, it is a strong testament to Mel Toews and a reminder that no matter who we are, our parents remain a part of us.

Release Date: May 28th 2000
Pages: 240
Buy the Book
Source:

This review was a part of TLC Book Tours. Click here to read what other tour hosts thought. For the purpose of this review I was provided with a copy of the book which did not require a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own.

Coming Soon: Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

As a Canadian I often find myself disappointed when I miss out on all the awesome author events that go on in the states. Well for those of you living near Toronto, Simon and Schuster has an incredible opportunity for you. Don't live in Toronto? Well they haven't forgotten about us either!

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick, the third book in the Hush, Hush Series is due to be released October 4th and you can enter to win on Simon and Schuster Canada's website, by filling out this form for the Canadian Silence Sweepstake Contest.

It's a great opportunity and it's for Canadians only!

I haven't read any of the Hush, Hush books myself yet- I admit that the first cover was a bit scandalous for me- but I have heard fantastic things about the book. Still, when I learned that Crescendo ended on a cliffhanger I knew I'd be waiting for the next release. Lately I've gotten into the habit of reading a few books in a series in a row, and I'm loving it. I get to devour one after another and not leave the world I've been immersed in. I just might have to do that when Silence becomes available! Plus, if you're really lucky you could win all three books signed by the author, and a fifty dollar gift card for Garage: free clothes and free book; I could handle that.

Again, here's the link to enter! Good luck everyone.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me

Hosted at The Broke and the Bookish

I'm procrastinating and I decided to use it as an excuse to do my first Top Ten Tuesday. I've only included books that I actually want to read- there are plenty that it feels like everyone else has read (*cough* vampires *cough*) that don't interest me. But these do, and I've heard great things about them, so why are they still on my TBR list? Who knows...

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Millennium Trilogy)
   I've purchased all of them... but haven't even read a single page yet. I keep meaning to on one of these vacations I don't have where I have hours to devour page after page of thriller. Sigh. Someday, hopefully before the Fincher films are released since I love him so much and will end up watching them and spoiling the books.
2. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
   I'm about halfway done this one and have been for over a year. I'm not sure what my excuse is, I've read Krauss' other two books and wasn't blown away but this is supposed to be her best, and I loved what I did read. I just need to pick it up again from page one and give it my full attention.
3. Anything by Jonathan Safran Foer (especially Everything Is Illuminated)
   Since Krauss is on this list I figured her husband should be as well, considering I haven't read anything at all by him! He's been recommended to me more times than I can count, and I even borrowed Everything Is Illuminated for about a year from my stepmom, and yet other than ten or fifteen pages I haven't read anything by Foer.
4. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
   This is one of those books I have no idea really what it's about (and please don't tell me!) but I really want to read and even my non-reading friends have told me how great it is. Not sure what my excuse is on this one either.
5. Anything by Jonathan Franzen (especially The Corrections and Freedom)
   Maybe this is so last year since Freedom has been out quite awhile now but with all the hype and rave reviews it feels like everyone else in the world is more familiar with Franzen than I am... someday....
   
   and the YA:
   
6. Matched by Ally Condie
   It seemed as if every book blogger and their mother was raving about Matched last winter, but I only gave it a short try before getting distracted elsewhere (maybe I should call this list "books I want to read but have been distracted from" instead?) Monday an ARC of it's sequel Crossed arrived in my mailbox, so I really have no excuse not to pick this dystopia back up soon.
7. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
   The fact that this one shows up on so many banned books list might be why I feel like everyone else must have read it, but I finally purchased my own copy (and shipped it to be stored for the next eight months... but progress still!) and I am definitely intrigued to try it eventually.
8. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
   Who doesn't love this book? Nobody, that's who I thought. Recently, Ambur raved to me about it and that triggered me actually purchasing the book (and again shipping it far away for the next eight months) so that I am one step closer to actually reading it.
9. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
   Another universally loved contemporary novel, I'm at least as intrigued by the premise of the book as I am by the author's awesome blue hair. But seriously, I want to read this, I really do. And I should have a copy coming my way soon... so hopefully I'll get a chance before 2011 is over. That way I can find out if it really is that adorable.
10. Anything by Holly Black
    An author with plenty to choose from, all of her books sounds interesting, as do the anthologies she's edited (I recently bought Geektastic but Zombies Vs. Unicorns sounds great as well) but somehow I haven't read any of them. I plan to start with Tithe as I prefer completed series, and I even took it out from the library (at least once...) but so far she's still an author I'm completely unacquainted with.

What books does it feel like everyone else has read but you? Are there any of these you feel I should move to a particularly high place in my TBR pile? Also, how do you feel about Top Ten Tuesday? Too many memes, or something you'd like to see more of?

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (8)

This meme is hosted at Book Journey

Not an overly productive reading week but considering the amount of things I have on my plate: a paper due, two major scholarship applications for PhD funding, the semester just started and I'm the primary instructor for a lab, I volunteered to write book reviews for the student paper (I do it anyway, and this way I can put it on my CV), not to mention I haven't been feeling a hundred percent health-wise, well, I think I did pretty good (although I don't have high hopes for this week either!). On the bright side, fewer books for my post means I can make the cover images bigger- I hate the tiny ones but sometimes the alternative is a lot of scrolling. 

Last week I finished reading:

Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld

The final book in the Midnighters series which was my first experience with Westerfeld. Can I say BLAH about this conclusion though? I'm not sure if he wanted to shock the reader, but I was more annoyed than surprised by the way things wrapped up (or didn't). I usually avoid spoilers in my reviews but I may have to do one with spoilers to properly discuss how I feel about this book.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Still, my disappointment with Blue Noon didn't stop me from picking up the audio for another one of Westerfeld's series and one of the books that inspired the entire dystopia craze (which I love). Although I sometimes find myself disconnected from his characters I love the worlds he builds and his crazy intelligence and creativity. The reader of this audiobook annoyed me sometimes though, she read the dialogue from some characters in a way that sounded a bit tired/stoned. I was unsure if I was going to stick to print for the rest of the books, but I knew it'd be awhile before I had the chance to read them that way so audio it is.

Swing Low by Miriam Toews

At first it was hard to believe this was the same writer as Irma Voth, it was so different, but gradually I found the similarities in Toews' style. It's the story of her father's life, written in the first person, and told from his hospital bed when he's slightly crazy, a fact which makes it difficult to read at times. It took me a really long time to get involved at all in the novel because of its scattered nature, and I only just finished it before I wrote this post (Sunday night) despite the fact that I picked it up over a week ago and it's under 250 pages. I'll have my full thoughts up later today... once I finally form them cohesively.

What I plan to read this week: 
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

I'm about two thirds through the second book in the Uglies series and loving it so far. There are a lot of questions from the first book still that I hope I find out the answers to soon, but it's scary how believable Westerfeld makes the changes in Tally. I also way prefer Zane to David... sorry but it's true.

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Since I'm so far into Pretties I expect I'll get a chance to pick up the third book in the series (and the official finale of the Uglies Trilogy- which became a series when a fourth book was written). I expect only good things from Westerfeld and I have pretty much learned to block out the annoying part of the reader for the audiobook's voice so that I don't have to wait to pick these up. I've heard fantastic things about the audio for his Leviathan books so I'll probably get those next.

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

Like I said, I don't expect to have much time for reading this week, but when I do I'll be picking up my copy of this book, which has been on my To Read list for many weeks now and I bet you're getting as sick of seeing it there as I am of putting it! But now the review deadline is quickly approaching and hopefully that's the motivation I need. I'll definitely have to follow it up with a bright and cheerful read though.

What are you reading this Monday?

Subject Seven by James A. Moore

Subject Seven by James A. Moore tells the story of five teens, seemingly normal but brought together by Subject Seven, a deadly sleeper assassins hiding in the body of a teenager. After Subject Seven escapes from the lab where he is kept prisoner, he decides to seek out others like him and take revenge of those who have harmed him. But as two individuals battle for the same body, will they be able to destroy the organization who made them who they are- without destroying themselves in the process?

I was actually really excited by the premise of Subject Seven, I think the idea of genetic modification in a creepy and thrilling way has the potential to be even more horrifying than many dystopias because of how close society has come at times. That said, while I still think it's an idea that has a potential to be a great book, Subject Seven is not. I feel as if this book was written for hormone-driven boys who prefer the graphic to the intellectual. There's lots of fighting and violence, hot girls getting their clothing torn off and an evil villain. The plot also feels similar to a comic book. Still, even recognizing that I may not have been the intended audience, I expected more out of the novel.

Forget the Massive Cliffhanger Ending that annoys me so much, Subject Seven doesn't really have an ending at all. It feels like the first couple chapters of the book Moore was intending to write, incomplete and without any resolution. Despite all the action, not much actually happens or changes, and the only thing that might be potentially considered a twist is incredibly obvious from the beginning. There's a sequel, Run: A Subject Seven Novel, set for release in 2012 but I don't expect it to offer any firm conclusions either. It feels like the kind of story that will be drawn out as long as possible, and although this book was short, it definitely didn't intrigue me enough to picked up the second one in the series. Maybe the obvious audience of teenage boys would have enjoyed Subject Seven more than I did, but in the meantime I'll continue to keep my eye out for that great novel featuring genetic modification that I know is out there somewhere.

Release Date: January 20th, 2011
Pages: 327
Source: ARC From Publisher
Buy the Book