I recently subscribed to Nimbus Publishing’s new book club! An innovative approach to make up for the lost funding from the Nova Scotia Government's Budget cuts to the arts and culture sector. I was immediately on board, without a local publisher so many Nova Scotia voices could be lost to time. I’ve read books before describing Nova Scotia as a poet’s dream and our stories deserve to be preserved. Nova Scotia is a fascinating place with an old & rich history and I think the coastal wind heals people.
The first delivery came with a bonus book. Painted Worlds: The Art of Maude Lewis A Critical Perspective.
This book reminded me of a school report. It’s fine, pretty pictures lol. I’m ending it at that.
The main read is a WWI era story. A Sense of Things Beyond by Renee Beliveau follows the lives of two people, each who experienced the realities of war but in very different ways. We spend the journey going back in time during the war for both Rose and Frederick parallel with their post-war healing journeys in Nova Scotia.
Both of them are trying to be a voice, both have the pull to advocate for the forgotten and learning how to live again after years enduring death and uncertainty. Rose spent her time serving as a war nurse on the frontlines in France and Frederick becoming a civilian prisoner of war in Germany.
This story isn’t one that pulls you in, it’s a steady structured story of two people coping with the life changing realities of war, learning to live “normally” again and moving forward all while never letting go of their experiences- especially for those who no longer have a voice.
The story is based off a real couple the author researched through local archives so there’s this touch of realness to the story which was helpful while reading because it’s not exactly an action packed story and sometimes convincing myself to pick up the book was difficult. Stories like these are important to remember because those lives mattered. Hopefully someday the world will learn from these stories and lives will no longer be destroyed over political feuds .. But given this war was in the early 1900s and we look to be heading in that direction again for the third time.. I’m not holding my breathe.
While I felt remorse for the characters and everything they were enduring, the writing isn’t gut parchingly emotional which is great if you get emotional reading like me. I need to be in a certain mood to take in something that rips your heart out but this story didn’t steal your will to live thankfully. I will not relive their trauma in my own head for a week.
I give this story 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
