We hope you will find at least a book or two to read from these selections.
Finnie Walsh: A Novel
. Steven Galloway. Raincoast Books. Vancouver, B.C.
2000.
Book review by Joel
This book is written by one of the two Canadian authors I thought I’d
try while visiting the bookstores of Sydney, British Columbia—the
other being Mike Tanner—Acting
the Giddy Goat. I was surprised that this was a very good book.
Mostly surprised because even though our languages are so different, I
was able to read it with only peremptory glances at the USA-Canada interpreter.
Thank the good Lord for that!
Well, this is a story of two kids growing up in a small town, and the
quirky people and family who inhabit it. Finnie Walsh is the youngest
son of the mill owner, who is the main employer of Portsmouth. Hockey
is the pastime for the young boys. The story is narrated in one long flashback
by Paul Woodward, Finnie’s best friend. Finnie is the goalie and
Paul played defense by the goalie.
The subplots were really what I liked most about this story. One is the
investigation his dad made in trying to find out who is stealing the prosthetic
arms from Mr. Palagopolis. Another was the prognostic ability of Paul’s
younger sister, who was yellow. And another was his dad reading all the
back issues of National Geographic magazine.
This is a really well conceived story with good pacing and intelligent
writing. For me, not knowing the first thing about hockey or its history,
it was still a very engaging read.
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©2004-2008 by Book Reader's Traverse. All rights reserved.
Do you like this book review? Joel has written for Book Reader's Traverse since its conception in 2004. He often finds his books in unusual places, including hometown shops where he visits, and even dumpsters at times. See his comical bio and picks--Joel's Picks.
Read Behind the Scenes at Book Reader's Traverse--blog