3.5 Stars
The novel begins in 1968 with the introduction of 74-year-old Emmeline Darling who lives in a small English town. Though she has a companion dog named Vera with whom she converses, she decides to expand her social circle by joining a memoir-writing course in the library. Here she makes several friends to whom she reads her memoir. To her surprise, she inherits the family farm in Nova Scotia and so decides to take a trip. She was largely estranged from her family, but her parents and siblings are now dead so she wants to connect with nieces and nephews and their families, most of whom she has never met. It’s a visit that changes many lives.
Emmeline is a very likeable character. She is an independent spirit with a great sense of humour. An acquaintance describes her well: “’You are without airs, completely without guile, but not unsophisticated. You are smart, and well-spoken, and I can tell that common sense is your biggest asset. . . . And what is even more impressive is your capacity for love.’” Her philosophy is that all people need a spoonful of kindness, and she dispenses more than one spoonful.
She has not had an easy life and is not perfect. The memoir she shares with her friends reveals that she has had her share of heartbreak. She describes herself as a “big girl” who never felt she fit in, even with her family. Though she means well, she makes mistakes when she arrives back in Canada and tries to take charge of everyone’s lives.
There are several minor characters, Emmeline’s friends and family members, and all emerge as distinct individuals. I loved Mrs. Tucker who has no difficulty telling someone she’s a “’tight-arse.’” Louise, a great-niece, represents the type of life Emmeline might have had if circumstances had been different. And then there’s Vera with whom Emmeline has extensive conversations. Because they function as interior monologues, these chats reveal a great deal about Emmeline’s personality.
There is considerable humour. Conversations between Emmeline and her friends are often hilarious: Uma says, “’Ooh. I hates the doctor. Always wantin’ to look at your Mary-Ellen. . . . Your lady bits . . . Always up there lookin’ around, like they’ve lost their car keys.’” Emmeline replies, “’Well, they wouldn’t find anything up my Mary-Ellen but dust and cobwebs.’” Emmeline’s encounters with Agatha and Joyce are usually comic in some respect.
Though often light-hearted, the book does raise serious issues which were often not openly discussed in the time frame of the novel. One woman obviously has mental health issues for which she receives no help. The stigmas attached to unwed mothers and their children are broached. It is especially significant that Emmeline doesn’t reveal a secret about her life to most of her family and friends: “’I’ve given away so many secrets, but only certain secrets to certain people. I have to trust my own instincts.’”
One of Emmeline’s best friends tells her, “’Ordinary lives are just as glorious as great lives lived by great men and women.’” In many ways, that is the message of the novel. Emmeline is an ordinary woman but she leaves a great legacy by trying to understand and be kind to people. That doesn’t mean Emmeline is a Pollyanna; her comments about Joyce, Agatha, and Mr. Henderson suggest that redemption is not possible for everyone.
Though the ending is a bit sentimental, I’d recommend the book to anyone looking for a charming, feel-good read – something we all need at some times.
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