Canada Reads

Normally people offer two selections at the Book Babes AGM. Last June my 'picks' were Canada Reads and the book lovers good-naturedly went along with the approach. We each agreed to read one book on the list and share our impressions when it was my turn to host, come April.

Titles and defenders were announced January 30, 2018:

• Mozhdah Jamalzadah, defending The Boat People by Sharon Bala
• Tahmoh Penikett, defending American War by Omar El Akkad
• Greg Johnson, defending Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson
• Jeanne Beker, defending Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto
• Jully Black, defending The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

With a few months to go, my intentions were to read them all, and in bleak February I bought the book Precious Cargo, looking for an uplifting feel-good-funny read. The other titles seemed so serious and heavy, I would get to them later.

Mid-March, I found myself waiting in line with Virginia and Debra, to get into the CBC studio for Day 2 of the debates. I still hadn't read the other books but had a feeling Precious Cargo wouldn't fair well against the other heavyweight subjects. Speculation with strangers only reinforced the feeling.

Forgiveness was waitlisted for me at the library, with several hundred names ahead of me. I knew it was a strong contender, and hearing Jeanne Beker defend it so passionately I figured that by the end of the week it would emerge the winner. Still, I was rooting for Precious Cargo.

By the end of Day 2, Precious Cargo had been voted off, with Beker casting the deciding vote, saying it "just didn't have the gravitas of the other titles."

Why did most of the choices for Canada Reads seem like cod-liver oil, meaning that they might not taste very good, but would be good for you?  Does a book have to be 'heavy' to be great? Did one of the precious cargo kids have to be raped or die of a rare disease for the book to be worthy of a win?

At book club, I wondered this aloud. Nicolette and Debra echoed my view, however Nicki had read both Precious Cargo and Forgiveness and said the latter was simply better written. Mid-April, and I'm still on the waiting list.

Miriam had read The Marrow Thieves, Pat and Virginia chose American War. The only title that didn't get read by our group was The Boat People, which had actually been voted off the very first day. Virginia and Pat said enough to convince me to put American War on my reading list. 

Precious Cargo may have been voted off early in the game, but its sales have soared. Getting short-listed by this annual book battle boosts conversations between book lovers, overall readership and awareness of the authors and books, so there really are no losers.