Miriam Toews (pronounced "taves", figure that one out) Governor General award-winning A Complicated Kindness is among my all-time favourite books, so I was a little ashamed when I realized that I haven't read any of her other novels. While looking for a fast and entertaining read that I could sneak in between essays and theory, I came across Toews' debut and thought it would be a perfect fit.Summer of My Amazing Luck revolves around two single-mom's living in a Winnipeg housing project. There is Lucy, the narrator, who is unsure of who the father of her young son, Dillinger, is; and Lish, an eccentric with four daughters, two of whom were fathered by a travelling fire-eating busker. When lish decides to find the father, the two women and five kids pile into a van for a road trip to Denver.
I did enjoy this book, but at times, it felt a little like a role-call of all the characters in the Winnipeg housing project. Yes, there's a plot, but this story is more about character than what actually happens. It's nice to see how Toews has progressed as a writer from this first novel to where she is now. Gives me hope.
