At what she sees as inevitably the end of her life (for what is worth living now her beloved grandson has died?), Lilly Bere recounts her memories, and the many tragedies she has borne throughout her life. She looks back on those loved and those lost, and builds a portrait of a woman both strong and practical, providing there is a reason to go on.
As Lilly's memories flow across the pages, you start to understand her ambivalence to life now. Her adulthood was thrust upon her as she and her sweetheart are forced from Ireland, and events take a turn to force her to mature quickly, but to always keep one eye looking over her shoulder as she ploughs on determinedly.
The format of the novel bounces between modern day and the sequential reliving of Lilly's past, allowing a clearer empathy with the aged storyteller. As the gap closes between then and now, we come to understand the bond Lilly held so dear with her grandson, and appreciate the severe loss of the last living connection one has with the world. When your line is done, what is left? 'On Canaan's Side' is a gently told tale, and can at times ebb too slowly. There is also a little incredulity in the sheer berth of historical significances mixed up in Lilly's life, but there sideline status makes them bearable. A story quite beautifully told, with characters that engage.
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