Two New Book Reviews: Mary Ann Loewen's anthology "Finding Father: Stories from Mennonite Daughters" and Marny Duncan-Cary (and illustrator Val Moker's) "Rockstar"

"Finding Father: Stories From Mennonite Daughters"

Edited by Mary Ann Loewen

Published by University of Regina Press

Review by Shelley A. Leedahl

$21.95  ISBN 9-780889-775909

What do you get when you take fifteen literary daughters writing essays 

about their Mennonite fathers and combine them in one anthology? You 

get Finding Father: Stories from Mennonite Daughters-a comprehensive, 

compassionate, and well-written portrayal of men who were loved for all 

they were, and forgiven for what they couldn't be. You get frequent 

mentions of generosity; the immigrant experience (the journey and the 

politics that led to it, poverty, language challenges, large families, 

stoicism); great but often quiet faith; ample encouragement (particularly 

re: academic aspirations … Mennonites are "people of the book"); music; 

leadership; eventual illness which led to death; and, frequently, the wish 

for a more emotionally intimate and physically demonstrative 

relationship. You also get the personal memories-best delivered through

imagistic snapshots-that make each father-daughter relationship unique.

Vulnerability is at the heart of memoir, and the talented contributors

candidly share both what pleased and pained them in their relationships 

with their fathers, but as authors and subjects are both Mennonite, 

"cultural artifacts"-particularly religion, whether the family adhered to the 

Mennonite Brethren denomination or another-play a key position in the 

dynamics. Many of the writers mentioned praying on one's knees.

Though the men featured contain numerous similarities in their 

experience and personalities, the essays also underscore how 

misguided it would be to make generalizations. Ontario's Rebecca Plett, 

a cultural anthropologist, writes about coming out to her parents, and her 

father's unexpected, wordless response: "My father, usually so reticent to 

touch, without hesitation rose from his chair across from me, moved 

around the table, and put his arms around me." She credits him for an 

ability to "access a language of meaning and feeling beyond words".

Governor General Award finalist Carrie Snyder's opening essay details a 

father who taught Peace and Conflict Studies, "yet his divorce from [her] 

mom, after thirty-four years of marriage, was marked by extreme 

atrimony," and Ruth Loewen, in "Requiem in Three Voices"-an essay 

with contributions from three sisters, including Winnipeg's Mary Ann 

Loewen, the book's editor-writes that after her father's stroke, "virtually 

[their] entire relationship was wiped out, literally overnight." Mary Ann 

comments upon how this stroke actually improved her father's "spiritual 

vision" and gave him the ability to "love and accept all kinds of people".

Though "love" between each of these father-daughter duos is never in 

question, it's telling how dearly many of these writers desired more 

physical affection from their dads. Vancouver's Elsie K. Neufeld recalls 

her father shaking her hand as he wished her "Gute Nacht," and admits 

that she would "feign sleep" in order to be carried by her father from car 

to bed.

This fine collection follows Loewen's Sons and Mothers: Stories from 

Mennonite Men. Both books are recommended for anyone who 

appreciates thoughtful nonfiction that increases understanding of one's 

brethren.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM THE SASKATCHEWAN PUBLISHERS GROUP WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

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“Rockstar"

by Marny Duncan-Cary, illustrated by Val Moker

Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing

Review by Shelley A. Leedahl

$14.95  ISBN 9-781988-78383

   

Southern Saskatchewan musician and writer Marny Duncan-Cary has capitalized on her complementary talents: she's taken the lyrics from a song she wrote in 2002 and has used them as the text for an illustrated book in 2019. It's a formula she's successfully employed before (ie: her book/song Who's That Man? earned a silver medal in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards in 2010). This time the four-time Saskatchewan Country Music Award winner has transformed her song "Rockstar," and along with vividly-colourful, full-bleed illustrations by artist Val Moker, Duncan-Cary has produced a lively song readers can hold in their hands.

When one is both a dedicated artist (in any genre) who works from home and a devoted mother, juggling the necessary "me" time and family time can be a serious challenge. (I've been there myself; my own answer was to carve a week or two out of every year to "retreat" and work on my writing while my children were young.) In her softcover book "Rockstar," Duncan-Cary exposes the everyday demands of children, like "Mom, can you get me some juice?" and "Mom, what are we going to do today?" and Moker brings these ordinary days to life with bold images. We see the mother/artist protagonist with pen and paper in hand, black musical notes floating through the pages while expressive children put on socks, play the piano, ask for Mom's help at the computer, and, in one of my favourite illustrations, eat snacks in a plant and flower-surrounded conservatory.

In short, this is real life. Even the family's black cat cameos in the illustrations, and as the story progresses-we see Mom in a pink boa and studded "Rockstar" jacket before a dressing room mirror, stepping from a limousine, and performing on stage-the musical notes have themselves become small whimsical characters, colouring on the walls and climbing the kitchen cupboards. It's domestic chaos, but where there's a will there's a way, and life inspires art.

There's a nod in the text to the music industry's penchant for the "Young and firm," to which the author writes "for now they'll hafta wait for me 'cause I ain't got the time!" Professional and personality responsibilities are managed in tandem, and one must read the story to get to the "bottom" of why the young characters shout "Mom, I'm done!"

Duncan-Cary, who lives on an acreage near Lumsden, and Regina's Moker are both artists (with education degrees) who love and write about where they live: Duncan-Cary's "Music and words convey the heart of her life in southern Saskatchewan," and Moker's specialty is western art. I "Googled" the artists and quickly found what I was after: a video of Duncan-Cary performing the song

that inspired the story. An endearing performance of a slightly bluesy tune.

Congratulations to the creators for this fun, relatable, and tangible song, and to Your Nickel's Worth Publishing and designer Heather Nickel for the bright new package. Thumps up, as well, to Creative Saskatchewan, who made the production of this text possible.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM