Family dynamics can be tender, messy, difficult, and rewarding. These books explore family in all of its forms, from intergenerational relationships, to chosen family, and unconventional bonds. Find a memoir about the complicated relationship between two sisters affected by the schizophrenia diagnosis of the elder, a series of letters from a Vietnamese father to his Canadian-born daughter, a novel about a married couple who chose not to have children but find themselves caring for one, and children’s books that guide readers through imperfect parent-child relationships. Use these books to find new understandings of your own family relationships and connect with those you love.
Memoir
Dear Da-Lê: A Father’s Memoir of the Vietnam War and the Iranian Revolution by Anh Duong (Douglas & McIntyre)
From the publisher: Spanning decades and generations, Dear Da-Lê began as a series of letters from a worried father. Anh Duong had witnessed terrible things as a child during the Vietnam War, and later as a refugee in Iran during the revolution of the late 1970s. But like many in the Vietnamese diaspora, he had remained silent about his experiences, believing that trauma was better left unspoken. However, when his daughter became involved in student protests, Duong felt compelled to speak about his own experience of uprisings. In an intensely revealing memoir written for his Canadian daughter, a man breaks a lifetime of silence about the traumas of his childhood and years as a refugee.
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My Turquoise Years: A Memoir (Twentieth Anniversary Edition) by M.A.C. Farrant (Talonbooks)
The setting is Vancouver Island, the year 1960. It is the era of the Three Stooges and the Red Menace, the apex of plastic, Arborite, and everything turquoise: high heels, pedal pushers, refrigerators, even cars. Throughout her childhood, Marion Farrant heard wild family stories of the sophisticated life her mother, Nancy, led far away in Australia. Nancy’s world of riches and men seemed light years away from Cordova Bay on Vancouver Island, where Marion lived a working-class life with her aunt and uncle. But things changed the year she entered her teens. That year, Nancy threw everyone into a flurry with the surprise announcement that she was coming for a visit.
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Mad Sisters by Susan Grundy (Ronsdale Press)
From the publisher: Through evocative personal stories, Susan Grundy compassionately explores the devastating consequences of her older sister’s severe mental illness. Her diagnosis of schizophrenia at age thirteen eventually leads their disheartened parents to move away to start a new life and to the jarring progression of Susan from a free-spirited little sister into a trapped caregiver.
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A Story of Karma: Finding Love and Truth in the Lost Valley of the Himalaya by Michael Schauch (RMB | Rocky Mountain Book Publishers)
“A man’s mission to climb a mountain in the Himalayas turns into providing education for children in the most remote region of Nepal. A Story of Karma is a heartfelt and inspiring story about nature and human connection, and the amazing things that happen when you open your heart and mind to the unknown world.” —Dorje Dolma, author of Yak Girl: Growing Up in the Remote Dolpo Region of Nepal
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Lights to Guide Me Home: A Journey Off the Beaten Track in Life, Love, Adventure, and Parenting by Meghan J. Ward (RMB | Rocky Mountain Book Publishers)
“Lights to Guide Me Home is a stunning memoir that follows Meghan J. Ward, a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, on her journeys around the world and through her internal dialogues. Meghan grapples with motherhood and marriage in some of Earth’s most gorgeous terrains and tries to uncover what it means to return home. Fans of Wild and wilderness documentaries will love this unique debut!” — Zibby Mag
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Fiction, drama & poetry
Chandelier by David O’Meara (Nightwood Editions)
“Chandelier pulls you into the world of a family who’s often unable to understand each other. It explores the frequent failures in human connection, but despite the difficulties, our attempts to try. O’Meara’s prose is evocative and poignant, and his storytelling compelling. A striking book that will linger long after it’s finished.”–Menaka Raman-Wilms, author of The Rooftop Garden
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This Report is Strictly Confidential by Elizabeth Ruth (Caitlin Press)
From the publisher: Presented in four linked sections, this debut poetry collection from award winning writer Elizabeth Ruth offers readers rare glimpses into private worlds, revealing the life of the author’s aunt who lived for decades in a notorious government-run residential hospital, exploring the experience of critical illness, and addressing the biological father Elizabeth Ruth has never met. With fresh, inventive use of language, biting irony and an unflinching gaze upon the human condition, these intimate poems give voice to the things that can’t be said.
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we the same by Sangeeta Wylie (Talonbooks)
From the publisher: Inspired by a true story, we the same opens in 1979 Việt Nam, where six children and a mother become separated from their father and husband as they flee their homeland by boat. Against all odds, they survive pirate attacks, typhoons, and starvation, ending up shipwrecked on a desert island. Thirty-five years pass, and the mother at last shares heartfelt secrets and an unbelievable story with her daughter … allowing the past to be escorted into the present. Oscillating between humour, romance, and devastation, this powerful debut play explores the aftermath of the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese perspective. Its central threads tell of intergenerational healing, alienation and estrangement from peers, family relationships, and hope overcoming adversity.
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A Reluctant Mother by Deirdre Simon Dore (Ronsdale Press)
From the publisher: Frida, and her husband Blake have chosen not to have children. Concentrating on her artistic career instead, Frida has mostly managed to accept this difficult decision while putting her own traumatic childhood behind her. That is, until a stranger knocks on their door with a child she insists is Blake’s daughter. From that moment on their fragile marriage, their lives are devastatingly changed forever.
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Kids and teens
Saturday at the Garage by Nancy Hundal, illustrated by Angela Pan (Midtown Press)
In this sweet, beautifully illustrated children’s book, author Nancy Hundal recollects from her own childhood a day spent with her father, cars and friendly customers at the garage he owned in Marpole, Vancouver.
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Kenzie’s Little Tree by Alison McGauley (Orca Book Publishers)
From the publisher: When Kenzie picks out a small tree for her family’s backyard, she promises to take care of it. It seems delicate, just like her mom, who doesn’t always feel well. As the seasons change, her mom’s health has ups and downs, and the tree sways in the wind and weather. Sometimes her mom is too tired to play, and they just cuddle. Other times, she has to go to the hospital. During the winter, she’s away for many days. When a snowstorm hits, Kenzie frantically tries to keep the tree warm. And she worries: Has she broken her promise? But no matter the challenges, come springtime, the tree is still there, blossoming and strong—just like her mom, and just like Kenzie.
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Finding Harmony by Eric Walters (Orca Book Publishers)
“Eric Walters has done it again with this engaging, empowering story of twelve-year-old Harmony, a former foster kid navigating her way through the world and her problematic relationship with her mother. She is a likeable, strong character who uses her energy for survival, protecting her mom and creating a community with the people around her. Many readers will see themselves in Harmony, as kids so often have to live in a world made more difficult by adults behaving badly. Finding Harmony is a terrific read and will be gobbled up by Eric’s many fans.” – Deborah Ellis, award-winning author of The Breadwinner
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Picture a Girl by Jenny Manzer (Orca Book Publishers)
“This story of children being abandoned by parents, siblings fearing separation if the abandonment is revealed, has been told before but seldom with this emotional intensity, honesty and candor found in Picture a Girl. Highly Recommended.” – CM: Canadian Review of Materials
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Flash Flood by Gabrielle Prendergast (Orca Book Publishers)
Rising Waters focuses on sibling bonds as seventeen-year-old Zack steps up to protect his troubled foster brother, fourteen-year-old Peter, during a flash flood. The story explores themes of family, responsibility, and mental health, highlighting Zack’s journey to overcome his own struggles with ADHD while caring for Peter, who faces challenges with ADHD and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The stakes are heightened when Peter runs away during a massive rainstorm and the town announces a mandatory evacuation. This short, impactful novel is perfect for teen readers looking to be captivated by exciting plots and meaningful topics.
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