The
Algonquin Reads book for 2018/2019 is A
Number of Things: Stories of Canada Told Through Fifty Objects by Jane Urquhart.
According to Jessica Rose of the Hamilton
Review of Books (2018), “Countless books and magazine articles tell us
there is joy in ridding our lives of objects. The sorting and tossing of
material goods is touted as therapeutic… but for novelist and poet Jane
Urquhart, objects house inspiration. Her latest offering…is a celebration of
unexpected artifacts and the unique narratives that tie them to the Canadian
experience. Using a technique called scratchboard, draughtsman and illustrator
Scott McKowen carefully and precisely recreates each object. While many
of Urquhart’s objects are of importance to Canadian history — the rope used to
hang Louis Riel and a microphone used by CBC to spread radio news across Canada
are just two examples — many are deeply personal. What makes A Number of
Things unique is it brings with it a call to action, encouraging readers
to ponder the importance of objects in their own lives and the captivating
stories they hold. Inevitably stirring readers’ memories, A Number of
Things is a rich collection that compels us to look at Canada in
unexpected ways, leaving readers with stunning descriptions and anecdotes, but
also unanswered questions: How might Canada be different without these objects?
Why did Urquhart choose these particular objects and not others?” This is a
nostalgic and thought provoking book for everyone to enjoy over the summer, and
many professors should be able to find at least one object that relates to
their course material – remember, if you use 10% or less of a book, you can
post it for free on your LMS site! It is available as both print and e-book at
the Ottawa Library and will be in stock soon at Connections – The Campus Store for $17 including tax.
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