Tobogganing is a popular Canadian winter activity, which includes the necessary and often difficult task of pulling the toboggan up a steep hill followed by the thrill of a swift ride back down. Cathy R. cleverly used a tobogganing analogy to describe reading Wayne Johnston’s books: some require head-down dedication and a bit of sweat, while others have rosy-cheeked readers laughing with glee and eager for another ride.
Award-winning author Wayne Johnston was born in 1958 in Goulds, Newfoundland. Johnston’s writing blends fiction and reality, while incorporating wit, humour, and history. The history of Newfoundland, coming-of-age experiences, the struggles of individuals and families, the culture of Catholicism, and the political, financial, and cultural struggles of Newfoundlanders are reoccurring themes in his novels and memoirs. His influences include Don Quixote, Harold Bloom, Emily Dickinson, Oscar Wilde, his grandmother, and Newfoundland itself.
Cathy began the tobogganing adventure by pulling club members up the hill with Johnston’s semi-autobiographical novel, The Mystery of Right and Wrong (2021). Set in St. John’s, Newfoundland, this book tells the story of four sisters who endure horrible abuse at the hands of their father. The story’s origin comes from long-held secrets surrounding Johnston’s wife and her sisters. Within his family, the book became known as “The Family Book.”
Cathy’s toboggan ride took a joyful turn downhill as she discussed The Son of a Certain Woman (2013). Set again in St. John’s, the novel is narrated by young Percy Joyce, a fatherless boy who is bullied because of a disfigurement. Johnston explores the complexities of love, loss, lust, and religion with intelligence and “laugh-out-loud” humour.
Johnston’s breakthrough novel, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (1998), is a heavy trudge of a book but is well worth the effort of reading. A Canadian bestseller, this work of historical fiction was shortlisted for both the 1998 Giller Prize and Governor General’s Award for English fiction. Cathy provided an interesting glimpse into Newfoundland’s history before introducing the novel’s main characters: real-life premier Joseph R. Smallwood and the fictional Sheilagh Fielding.
Cathy took members on a final rush down the hill with one of her favourite novels, The Divine Ryans (1990). She described it as a “wise and effortlessly funny coming-of-age novel,” bringing a close to the ups and downs of Johnston’s writing.
With snow on the ground and more in the forecast, Cathy’s presentation gave members a sense of what to expect from Johnston’s books. If you’re no longer keen on hitting the slopes, a literary toboggan ride in the safety and warmth of your home is a wonderful way to spend cold winter days.
Written by Mooréa G.