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Rating: 
Summary: A delightful look at Canada from a British ex-pat
Review: Prior to reading Carolyn's book, I knew little about Canada other than it was up there north of the USA and it was huge. However when a good friend of mine emigrated there with his Canadian wife, my curiosity was piqued and I found myself wanting to know more about this country which features so little in the global news despite being the second largest in the world.
Carolyn's book provides a fascinating insight into Canada and a little bit of its history from the point of view of a British born woman and her son coming to the country for the first time. It chronicles her encounter with a culture that is alternatively both comfortingly familiar and also refreshingly modern which, in itself, summarises Canada's complex relationship with both Britain and the USA. The Canadians that she encounters come across as cheerful and patiently willing to both induct and tolerate this newcomer and her exuberant and inquisitive 9 year old son.
The book is based on a series of articles that Carolyn wrote for the British Mensa magazine over the period of a year. Carolyn originally moved to Ontario to care for an elderly lady suffering from Alzheimers, hence the title of the book. But despite the seriousness of the disease, her anecdotes telling of how she patiently coped and shepherded her new ward day in and day out are humorous and well written. However the book is more than that. In addition to a detailed look at life around Kitchener and Waterloo, Carolyn takes us on a brief trip to British Columbia for an observation of how, despite being part of the same country, the culture shifts as subtly as the vast geography of the land.
This book is heartily recommended for anyone who wants to understand Canada, its people and its culture. I give the book five stars!
Rating:
Summary: a voyage of courage and hilarity
Review: This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's also one of the only books I've read that made me laugh out loud, and I read a lot of books!
This book charts the ups and downs of relocating to a new continent. I was moved by the courage of the author and the upbeat manner in which she faced every hurdle along the way. It is the candid and witty manner in which she writes about coping with a new life that makes Carolyn Steele's book so entertaining.
Hopefully you'll enjoy the journey with her as much as I have.
I'm looking forward to reading about her next adventures.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic voyage of courage and hilarity
Review: This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's also one of the only books I've read that made me laugh out loud, and I read a lot of books! This book charts the ups and downs of relocating to a new continent. I was moved by the courage of the author and the upbeat manner in which she faced every hurdle along the way. It is the candid and witty manner in which she writes about coping with a new life that makes Carolyn Steele's book so entertaining. Hopefully you'll enjoy the journey with her as much as I have.
I'm looking forward to reading about her next adventures.
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