My bookshelf 22 - the last half dozen: six non-fiction works to keep us thinking

To end my reading year, I strayed from fiction novels towards six works of non-fiction. Non-fiction can take many forms: memoirs, journalism, self-help, biographies, documentaries, history texts, travelogues . . . I've started this half dozen with a real 'banger' as they say that I think should be required reading regardless of your political views and affiliation. I've followed up with several memoirs which provide insight into dark times, passions, addictions, and 'fitting in' as a child of immigrants, and there's also an inspiring trip around one of Canada's most beautiful provinces. There's some best-sellers, a book club pick, and award nominees in this batch.

I purposefully haven't rated any of these non-fictions because they are all so different; and it really just depends on what you need, or what interests you, right now. Take your pick.

In the order they were read:

Omar El Akkad is an accomplished journalist and writer.  He has a global perspective from being born in Egypt, growing up in Qatar, moving to Canada, and now living in the United States. Even if you don't entirely agree with him, he forces us to evaluate our beliefs, values, and thinking in 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This', a Giller Prize nominee. Omar El Akkad talks about the Gaza-Israel situation and the thoughts and forces that perpetuate the trauma and killing.  He provides his view or explanation of how greed, self-centrism, fear, hunger for power, and lack of self awareness are perpetuated in our society to keep the system functioning in a manner that  has come to be accepted as ‘normal’, even if that means accepting violence. He talks of racism, of poverty, of the ‘haves’ over the ‘have nots’, of  hypocrisy, and of how law-makers  justify their decisions. He shows how these views and values are formed and perpetuated in the public  through media, through simple words, through self-deception, through the availability of the next better thing, through capitalism and consumerism . . .  all for the desire for comfortable convenience.    And in  Omar El Akkad’s view,  no political party is immune – they all have a vested interest in the system continuing as it is.  In short, he suggests the system will continue as long as the system benefits in some way. The question, of course, is will the system ever change and what responsibility does each one of us have? Some will agree that 'One Day, Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This' serves up some  blunt, uncomfortable truths about the world and our society, but even if you disagree with his viewpoints, it should provoke some deep  soul-searching into our own thinking. It's a short but serious and heavy and uneasy read. I think  it should be mandatory reading and dissection for pretty much any post-secondary discipline - or  simply for anyone who is concerned about the current state of the world.

My second non-fiction is a memoir.  Miriam Toews has written some eight novels and one prior memoir.  She’s won numerous awards  for her writing, and I consider her novel 'Fight Night' one of my favourite books of all time. In 'A Truce That Is Not Peace', a 2025 Hilary Weston Writer's Trust Prize nominee, Miriam Toews tries to answer the question about why she writes.  The book is short, written in sometimes  choppy segments  or simply words that jump back and forth in time as she reflects on key moments in her life to try to arrive at the answer.   A large part of the memoir is told in the form of letters to her elder sister (in a pact between them that Miriam would write and her sister would stay alive), interspersed with anecdotes and also poignant passages from other authors. In her kind of free flow thought, Miriam Toews contemplates the suicides of both her father and her older sister, her own mental health struggles,  her childhood,  her failed relationships, parenthood, the long resilience of her mother in a patriarchal society,  and the dichotomy of not knowing why she writes when she is compelled to  keep on writing. On the surface, you might think this book is kind of scattered but, to me, it’s a deep reflection on how writing was born from the author’s life and how it now sustains life itself. It is helpful to search out an interview with Miriam Toews in which she explains some of her thoughts and the metaphors such as the skunk always returning to her window well or her constant preoccupation with a wind museum.  I particularly liked her description of following a set of taillights through a prairie blizzard.    In the end,  why does she write?  I suspect that the title, 'A Truce That Is Not Peace', refers not only to her writing but also to many other aspects of her life that fuel her writing. Be aware that if you are experiencing mental health issues,  there is a lot of talk of suicide in this book; and if you are sensitive to vulgarity, this book might be a little difficult. However, I found it strangely comforting in the sense that Miriam Toews confronts often-unspoken topics.  I  admire her raw honesty and  fragility and her search for mental clarity. And amidst all of the angst, I sense that she has found ’home’ in her chaotic four generation household with an attendant skunk where she will continue writing and sharing with us the meanings in her life, both in fiction and non-fiction.

Next up is technically a memoir but it contains plenty of self-help reminders. 'Wintering (the power of rest and retreat in difficult times)' was first published in 2020. I thought this book was beautiful and refreshing as it almost gives us permission to be not okay.   Katherine May wrote it when her life was in a metaphorical ‘winter’ period that included illness and loss of her career, when her identity was shattered, the future was uncertain, and her life felt like an ‘empty bowl’.   'Wintering' was named as a  bestseller by the New York Times, Sunday Times, and Der Spiegel. Katherine May artfully and masterfully compares the downtimes of life to a winter period when, on the surface, everything is bleak and grey and lifeless. But through her use of metaphors, she identifies the wonders and strengths of the literal winter seasons which clearly can be translated to the metaphorical winter seasons of our lives. Whether it is the trees building up their strength under their brown limbs, or the dormice insulating themselves against the cold,  or the cats growing a comfy winter coat, or the light that comes after the winter solstice, or the wolves surviving through their toughness, or the bees expending their strength all year just to survive the winter, Katherine May provides us with another way to look at the winters of our lives. In taking a lesson from nature,  she gives us tips on how to survive  – huddle down,  keep our hands busy but our lives less complicated, do activities that are comforting such as baking and sewing, notice the little things such as fresh air or the smell of coffee, call up a friend, feel the cool air on our face. In the process of  listening to nature, Katherine May gives us hope to get through the literal and metaphorical winters of life – light will come along with spring, life will be brighter again (even if different),  we will emerge with new thoughts, new energy, new compassion, and new wisdom. And just like the literal winters, our metaphorical winters will happen again and again  followed by spring and summer – that is the cycle of life. We all have winter periods in our lives, and this book might provide comfort when we are facing a major change such as an illness or a career loss or the end of a relationship, or when we  are simply confused and lonely and are questioning our purpose. But it would also be a great read just for reflection, to remind us to slow down and be aware of the little things – or for those who simply need a little help to get through the actual winter season. You might want to count  Katherine May’s delightful metaphors and revel in her beautiful descriptions and learn from her little biology and history lessons.

My next non-fiction is an Oprah's Book Club pick by the world-known, best-selling author, Elizabeth Gilbert, and what you read might surprise you. 'All The Way To The River' is a graphic portrayal of addictions, mental illness, and death; but there is also much to be learned from this book if you are dealing with someone in the throes of addictions or if you work in any social service field that deals with addictions. Elizabeth Gilbert chronicles her relationship with Rayya Elias who was, for years,  a platonic female friend  before becoming her lover. When Rayya received a terminal cancer diagnosis, their relationship solidified as they become lovers, and Elizabeth  took on the role of full time caregiver.  However, both Elizabeth and Rayya have deep-seated addiction issues which ultimately result in disaster and devastation emotionally, physically, and financially – in all ways. There are two aspects of this book that caught my attention. Firstly,  we all knew Elizabeth Gilbert to be on top of the world with her literary achievements  and popularity, but what we saw was certainly not what was going on inside her as she now shares that she was living a life of deceit to herself and others. Secondly,  Elizabeth Gilbert provides a graphic characterization into the life of an addict (whether it is drugs or alcohol or food or sex) and into the role of the ultimate enabler, and this is where I think the importance of this book lies to anyone who is interested in the topic of addictions as a family member or friend or as a professional working in the field. Some reviewers question Elizabeth Gilbert’s motives for writing this book and believe it to be somewhat self-indulgent, and some criticize her spiritual claims and references.   Others praise her for her vulnerability and raw honesty.  I think she provides an important look into how an addiction can transform a person into someone  with thoughts and behaviour that even they, themselves, don’t recognize. 'All The Way To The River' is a hard, emotional read that might be a great learning experience for some but just might be too much for others.  

Next up, after all that 'thoughtful' reading, is an informative but also uplifting, humourous, and charming trip around Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, with Alan Doyle, lead singer for Great Big Sea, actor and writer. In 'The Smiling Land', he takes us on a road trip with his wife and son in a little Boler trailer, introducing us to quaint customs that make total sense to islanders such as naming towns Dildo and Come By Chance or their version  of north and south or up and down or insisting on eating fish and chips with stuffing and gravy. He tells us just enough serious and not-so-serious history to give us an idea of how Newfoundland  came to be a wonderfully unique island of Canada arising  from English, Irish, French, and Portuguese influences resulting in their very own way of seeing the world. Despite being  born and raised in St. John’s, Alan Doyle is still overwhelmed with the rugged shorelines, the kindness of the people, and the strength and quirks of what just might be the most beautiful of the Canadian provinces. During his travels,  Alan Doyle  shares some of his own foibles from his teen years such as (sort of) catching a ride with the fish and chips deliverer from St. John's to Petty Harbour or from his Great Big Sea days such as trying to play music to a very  intoxicated group of  contest winners on the Port Au Basques ferry out amongst the rolling waves of the bay.   I am sure he has many more stories to tell,  some bordering on the questionable but all humourous. What is clear is that Alan Doyle LOVES Newfoundland and Labrador. The writing of 'The Smiling Land' is simplistic;  and old-school English purists might cringe at some of the grammar, but that just reflects Alan Doyle’s charm and ‘realness’.  I highly recommend it for a quick, delightful, insightful Canadiana read - and you just might be booking a flight  in the very near future - to see the historic churches and jellybean houses, to laugh at the village names, to count the moose (or the moose- warning signs), to hike all the amazing trails,  to learn more about the history of this place that is very individualistic within Canada.

Finally, in 'Restaurant Kid', Rachel Phan provides us with an education about what it is like to be a ‘third culture kid’ –  being raised in a culture different from her parents and feeling that she didn’t belong anywhere. Her  parents were forced to leave  Vietnam before settling in Canada where she was born. She speaks of the struggles to assimilate, including blatant racism and her efforts  to be accepted, even at the expense of her own self-esteem and her own identity, such as banishing her traditional language, refusing to eat Chinese food in her lunchbox, aligning herself with the sometimes-mean popular kids, or giving herself sexually without feeling;  yet the harder she tried, the more she lost her sense of self. The backdrop of the story is her parents’ restaurant, like any small Chinese restaurant where we have all eaten.  She saw the restaurant as her “replacement” at age three,  stealing all of her parents’ time and energy and emotion as they worked 10 or 12 or more hours a day, every day, where the stress and tiredness and heat led to loud fights, and  where they were left with no time nor energy to focus on the children. She spoke of the children being put into service as early as possible, even if it was folding napkins or folding fortune cookies – and how it was all just an embarrassment when she was growing up. It was only after many bad experiences and much counselling that Rachel gained some perspective; and in this perspective she takes us on a trip to  Vietnam where she came to realize that her parents suffered unimaginable hardships and showed unbelievable strength and resilience just to survive during the war years. She came to rethink her understanding of their treatment of her and their meaning of the word ‘love’.  As Rachel says in the first line of her book, she inherited "trauma" on the day she was born. She also eventually came to a new understanding of the role of her parents’ restaurant. There is so much to be learned from this book about immigrant families and the struggle to assimilate, not the least of which is trying to understand the trauma some immigrants bring with them. We also learn of some traditional Chinese expectations that can add pressure while even our positive stereotypes can be hurtful.   This book is an intriguing read.  In her opening author’s note, Rachel admits that parts might be “triggering or painful to read”; and I would add that she is quite explicit about her sexual behaviour which might be uncomfortable to some; but I realize that it was included as an example of her efforts to be loved. Restaurant Kids is a valuable learning experience.

And that ends my six non-fiction reads. I hope there is something here that you might need or that might pique your interest:

If you want global perspective, read One Day, Everyone Will Always have Been Against This

If you want to think about how a passion is born and then gives life, read A Truce That Is Not Peace

If you need some comforting self-help, read Wintering

If you want to learn about addictions and enabling, read All The Way To The River

If you want an informative but humourous trip in Newfoundland, read The Smiling Land

If you want to ponder the immigrant experience, read Restaurant Kid

Thanks for reading!