I am pleased to say that I was truly surprised by the ending. It was indeed a pleasant surprise. I kept wondering why I did not see it coming. Claire's father, contrary to what I initially thought, was not a 'babbling brook' but rather more like a quiet oasis. As the saying goes, "Still waters run deep." In fact, I did not even know what his occupation was until almost the very end. I had assumed he was a farmer, perhaps a gentleman farmer always clad in a suit. I have to give Miriam credit for 'pulling the wool over my eyes' with the disappearing furniture. I initially thought that he, the Dad, was losing his mind due to grief or maybe he had a simple mind.

There was definitely some comic relief in the book. I especially adored the part when Tash began to menstruate and ordered her younger sister Claire to pedal to the store to purchase sanitary napkins. That huge box of KOTEX, oh my goodness! I vividly remember the days when I had to buy and carry home such a ridiculously big box, feeling extremely embarrassed. I had to ensure that I bagged it in multiple ways, from the bottom up and then turning it upside down and bagging it that way too. Poor Claire, riding with that enormous box resting on the handlebars, completely obstructing her view. It was quite a humorous scene.

However, I only rated the book 3 because I felt that the plot was a bit drawn out. I grew tired of reading about the depressive home life and Claire's sense of emptiness. It seemed to linger on those aspects for a bit too long, which affected my overall enjoyment of the story.

Toews' groundbreaking novel that delves into the experience of growing up in a Mennonite community within a small town in Manitoba is an incredibly emotionally gripping tale. It is narrated in a quiet and subtle prose that manages to draw the reader in. Through the eyes of our teenage protagonist, Nomi Nichols, much of the story unfolds, and it truly leaves a lasting impression. However, I did find that at times, the writing seemed a bit too sleepy. This is a trait that is rather common within the canon of Canadian Literature. Despite this minor drawback, the story as a whole is compelling and engaging. I am really looking forward to Toews' new book that is set to be released next month. It will be exciting to see what new perspectives and stories she has to offer.

What a bittersweet story this is!

The narrator, Nomi Nickel, is a lost and confused soul, trapped in a situation not of her own making.

She is a sixteen-year-old girl living in the fictional Mennonite community of East Village in Canada.

Her family has been torn apart. Her older sister Tash ran away to the city with a local guy, and her mother Trudie left home mysteriously.

Now, it's just Nomi and her gentle, uncommunicative Dad trying to hold things together.

Living in such a restricted neighbourhood is not easy. There's little for Nomi's age group to do, with regular distractions like Starbucks and McDonalds banned.

And the threat of excommunication looms large for those who diverge from the church's beliefs.

Nomi takes up with a boy named Travis and starts to rebel against the repressive system.

Her complex relationship with her parents defines the story. Tasha's exit was no surprise, but Trudie's sudden departure has left her bereft.

She looks back on memories for clues, recalling that her mother had something fierce and unpredictable inside.

Nomi would leave town too but can't bear to leave her Dad alone.

The house now has an aura of "hushed resignation."

Despite the doom and gloom, Nomi has a wicked sense of humour, making fun of the community's strict rules.

Miriam Toews, who grew up in a Mennonite sect, is well-qualified to comment on its problems.

The story may not have a lot of plot, but it's a moving account of a teenage girl trying to figure out life in a tragicomic style that Toews does so well.

A Complicated Kindness is a unique coming of age story - sharp, sardonic, and undeniably moving.

This statement is truly captivating.

It describes something as being very funny, yet also very bittersweet, and distinctly Canadian. There is a sense of longing for more answers by the end, which is a common feeling when engaging with a story.

The act of reading about a teenage girl growing up in a small religious town in the prairies must have been a profound experience.

It allows the reader to empathize with the girl's journey, to understand the challenges and joys she faces in that particular environment.

The combination of humor and bittersweetness adds depth to the narrative, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Overall, this description makes one curious to explore the story further and discover the full range of emotions and experiences that await.

If you are Canadian and can easily read English, you must definitely read "A Complicated Kindness". This book provides an extraordinary portrayal of the life of the Mennonite community in Manitoba. The narrator and protagonist, Nomi Nickel, is a rebellious adolescent who tells how the Mennonite church drives her mother out of their town (presumably Steinbach, Manitoba) and thereby destroys her parents' marriage.

Simply put, Mennonitism is very strict and uses ostracism to impose its rules and norms. The Mennonites I know are sincere in their faith; they are friendly and tolerant. However, they have also told me stories that are similar to those of the characters in this novel. Personally, I believe that Toews judges the church in which she grew up too harshly. Nevertheless, it must be recognized that she has very well described a real problem and that Toews had the right to point it out.

Moreover, the story not only reveals the flaws within the Mennonite community but also explores the complex emotions and struggles of the individuals. Nomi's journey of self-discovery and her attempts to come to terms with her family's situation make the book a deeply engaging read. Through her vivid descriptions and well-developed characters, Toews manages to bring the Mennonite world to life and make the readers empathize with the characters' plights.

I'm not entirely certain if this book truly merits a 5-star rating. However, I adored it, and that's precisely what I'm awarding it.

It was a remarkable blend of humor, sadness, and simplicity, all in the most appropriate ways. In fact, on numerous occasions, I found myself laughing out loud, even when I was alone in public. Despite the overall story being rather melancholy, this ability to evoke such diverse emotions within me is something I highly value in a book.

This book also faintly reminded me of "The Glass Castle." I'm not sure if it's entirely fair to make this comparison, as one is a memoir about neglect, while the other is a fictional tale about a troubled Mennonite. Nevertheless, that's the impression it left on me.

Overall, this was an incredibly enjoyable read, filled with some truly amazing one-liners. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

My friend Stefanie, who recommended the book, and I both have a passion for reading. However, our interests rarely overlap, except when it comes to novels about alienated and mixed-up teens.

Nomi Nickel, along with Daniel Handler's Flannery Culp from "The Basic Eight", is one of my favorite characters. Like Flan, Nomi is a bright and sympathetic teenager, striving to create a relatively happy life for herself.

She is also, like Flan, one of the least reliable narrators in the history of literature.

The Nickels are Mennonites, residing in a small town in Canada. The main economic source of the town seems to be the chicken-processing plant and the tourists who come to see the "quaint sectarians" of Simon Menno. Nomi's mother and older sister have been shunned by the community for their "sins" and have left, leaving Nomi alone with her father, Ray. Ray is torn between his Mennonite faith and his love for his wife and daughter. One of the "complicated kindnesses" in the title is that the women left so that Ray wouldn't have to choose. Nomi herself is suffocated by the restrictions of the Mennonite faith and dreams of a future where the family is reunited in New York and she is a groupie for Leonard Cohen, but she is held back by Ray's need for her.

I think it is a beautifully written novel, with the perfect combination of Nomi's cynicism and innocence. I would highly recommend it to others who enjoy reading about complex and relatable characters.

The original article:

The Importance of Recycling

Recycling is crucial for several reasons. It helps to conserve natural resources, reduce waste, and protect the environment. By recycling materials such as paper, plastic, and metal, we can prevent them from ending up in landfills or being incinerated. This not only saves space but also reduces the amount of harmful pollutants released into the atmosphere. Additionally, recycling can create jobs and stimulate the economy. Many industries rely on recycled materials as a source of raw materials, which helps to reduce the cost of production. Overall, recycling is an essential part of a sustainable lifestyle and we should all do our part to promote it.

Expanded article:

The Importance of Recycling

Recycling holds great significance for multiple reasons. Firstly, it plays a vital role in conserving natural resources. By recycling materials like paper, plastic, and metal, we can prevent the excessive extraction of virgin resources.

Secondly, recycling helps to reduce waste. Instead of sending materials to landfills or incinerating them, recycling diverts these items and gives them a new life. This not only saves precious landfill space but also minimizes the release of harmful pollutants into the environment.

Moreover, recycling has a positive impact on the economy. It creates jobs in various sectors, such as collection, processing, and manufacturing. Many industries depend on recycled materials as a cost-effective source of raw materials, which in turn reduces production costs.

In conclusion, recycling is an essential component of a sustainable lifestyle. We should all be actively involved in promoting recycling and making it a part of our daily lives. By doing so, we can contribute to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for ourselves and generations to come.

After a long break of not reading (due to school), I was thrilled to get back into it. I decided to commence with "A Complicated Kindness" as it had received copious praise from several of my peers. It seemed like an effortless read, and I had anticipated finishing it within a maximum of two days. However, to my surprise, it took me approximately two weeks to finally complete it as I simply couldn't find myself engaged.

I truly detested this book. I don't believe the writing was subpar, yet I couldn't establish any connection or experience any kind of emotion towards any of the characters. The story remained stagnant, and I persisted in reading with the hope that something significant, something astonishing would occur, but alas, nothing did.

The entire rebellious teenager theme never held any appeal for me, despite being a teenager myself. I just felt as if I was being inundated with pointless information that led nowhere in the story. Overall, I can fathom why individuals like this book, but I also think some are too easily swayed by the whole rebel indie teen act. Overall, I was underwhelmed and hope that my summer reading will improve from this point forward.

Let's first just get out of the way how geeked out I was to see a reference to Reach for the Top. I, myself, was geeky enough in high school to have been at the provincial finals one year.

I really, really liked this book. It seemed to have the perfect balance between things I could relate to and things that the author was teaching me about a group of people that I have never known much about. In particular, I thought the Mennonites were much more like the Amish and I assumed that at the very least there'd be no TV. The narrator's voice felt authentic, as did the situation of her friend Lids, who saddened me a great deal.

"That I belong within the frightful fresco of this man’s dream unnerves me."

"The mark of the beast? Streets paved in gold? Seven white horses? What? Fuck off. I dream of escaping into the real world."

"I wanted to experience goodness and humanity outside of any religious framework."

Okay, so it was a bit odd to find a lot of my very atheist teenage thoughts mirrored here in the voice of a teenage Mennonite, who spent a lot of the book worried her sister was going to go to hell. Granted, I related a lot to Nomi and the restlessness that comes from growing up in a small town, feeling cut off from the big city.

"It was the same feeling you get when you’ve spent a lot of time with a friend or relatives or someone and you’re kind of sick of them and want to be alone again but then the time comes for them to leave and suddenly more than anything you don’t want them to go and you act really nice again and run around doing things for them but you know that time is running out and then when they’re gone you’re kind of relieved but also sad that you hadn’t been a better friend and you tell yourself next time for sure I’ll be a better friend. And you kind of want to call them up and apologize for being a jerk but at the same time you don’t want to start something stupid and you hope the feeling will just go away and that nobody hates you."

This description is so perfectly what it is like to be at home visiting the family for more than ten days at a time.

"I also liked it because every time I looked at it I was reminded that I was, at that very moment, not bleeding from my face. And those are powerful words of hope, really."

One of my best friends always tells me that you don't need to worry until you're bleeding from the eyes. And I have also always found that cheering and hopeful. It gives me a sense of perspective and makes me realize that things could always be worse. It's a reminder to focus on the positive and to be grateful for what we have.

This is a truly depressing book.

It had the potential to be brilliant, especially with its memorable characters and razor sharp zingers. The initial part of the story was quite engaging, drawing the reader in with its unique charm.

However, as the story progresses, it starts to drag. Near the end, it feels as if nothing of significance is happening. The plot seems to stall, and the reader is left waiting for something to occur.

It's not until the last few pages that there is finally some action and resolution. But by then, the damage has already been done. The overall experience of reading this book is rather disappointing, considering its promising start.

It could have been a great short story, but as a full-length book, it falls short.

Meh...

I am aware that several of my highly respected colleagues gave this one a very high rating, but unfortunately, it simply didn't have the same impact on me.

There were an excessive number of unanswered questions, and there was a lack of proper closure.

So, what became of the mom and sister? What happened to the father and her best friend? What did she ultimately do with her newfound freedom and life?

And what was the deal with that thing from Mr. Quiring? I must admit that I completely got lost in that part.

I slogged through the book, eagerly anticipating something significant to occur, but it never materialized.

However, I did appreciate her sarcasm and unique voice (although even that began to wear thin after the first 150 pages or so).

Overall, it just wasn't enough to satisfy me.

The other aspect that caught my attention was the accuracy of her perspectives regarding the Mennonite community.

I am familiar with numerous books that claim certain beliefs and practices to be the absolute truth, but upon closer examination, they often turn out to be merely one person's interpretation of what is believed to be necessary.

I am always cautious about accepting an author's word as "the truth" in such matters, especially when it comes to religious ones.