Belle Falls

by Sherri Vanderveen

Sherri Vanderveen’s compelling debut novel is the first-person account of Belle Dearing, accused of molesting a little boy who lives across the street in her quiet suburban neighbourhood. Belle is a character familiar to many of us: the local crazy lady, the dishevelled woman whose house has fallen into disrepair, who strikes fear in local children and disgust among her neighbours. But within the crazy lady is a life derailed, unmoored. Who is Belle Dearing? And what has made her the way she is? Belle Falls poses these questions and, as the story unfolds, answers them deeply and indelibly. From a Newfoundland childhood tragically cut short to her present-day troubles, Belle’s life has been anything but ordinary. But through it all—the heartbreak, the bad choices—stands an indomitable and irrepressible spirit you’ll not soon forget.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2007

About the author

Sherri Vanderveen’s short works of fiction have appeared in several Canadian literary journals. Belle Falls, her first novel, was published in March 2007 by Penguin Canada. Her second, Absent, was published in February 2009. She currently lives in Toronto with her family.

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4½ stars

I really enjoyed reading this dark debut novel.

The story opens from the point-of-view six-year-old Brennan, the mayor’s son, who leaves his bicycle lying in the sidewalk to study a trail of ants. Belle Dearing, the local “crazy woman” descends from a bus, walks down the sidewalk, trips over Brennan’s bike. A few hours later, Brennan flees from Belle’s trailer wearing only his underpants. Dearing is charged with suspected “assault and sexual interference.”

The story continues through the first-person account by Belle, and how she became the woman she is at the time of her arrest.

Weaving in and out of the past and present, the narrative conveys how Belle, who has always been different, never fits in anywhere, makes choices that at times haunts her; leaving her despondent, prone to self-destruction, to making even more poor choices. I say, ‘at times’, because she contradicts herself: she has “always done what she wants to do”; is defensive about her uncharitable actions, further alienating herself from her immediate and extended family.

Writing a story about an antagonistic-but-sympathetic main character must have been challenging, but for the most part, Sherri Vanderveen succeeds in making Belle a convincing narrator. The heartbreak she experiences, losing two people she truly loved, certainly helps make her a sensitive character on the one hand, but her offensive personality and subsequent actions, make her downright unlikable at times.

Kudos to Sherri Vanderveen for writing a behind-the-scenes life of a woman like Belle – we hear about such women, but usually never learn the real story behind how they came to do what brought them into the public eye. I had some minor quibbles with the narrative, but overall, I found this novel a compelling read.

I expect Sherri has honed her craft even more with Absent, and look forward to reading this just-released book soon!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belle Falls, the debut novel by Canadian author Sherri Vanderveen, is a bildungsroman: a story of a life, of a life's journey. Many such books these days are structured around some kind of family reunion, or approaching death, and can feel cliched, self-indulgent and predictable. The ability to tell the story of a life, of growing up and journeying through bad decisions, mistakes, love and tragedy, has sadly fallen into decline. But I love a good bildungsroman - I just haven't come across many good ones lately, or ones with such a fresh - if somewhat odd and disturbing - premise. Except of course Middlesex, which I absolutely loved.

Belle is fifty-one and considered the "crazy old lady" of her town. Her house is falling down, she hasn't paid the bills in some time and her front yard is a tip. She's an alcoholic and smells bad, and her home is an eye-sore in an otherwise affluent street. The mayor lives across the road, and when his little boy, Brennan, is seen fleeing Belle's old trailor, screaming and with no pants on, Belle is arrested on suspicion of child molestation.

As she sits in gaol slowly sobering up, she tells us the story of her life and how she ended up in this sorry state. And make no mistake, she wasn't a very nice teenager, nor a very nice wife or mother. She's selfish and thoughtless, and unable to really say what she wants or needs: that she misses her father (whose death precipitated the last time she cried), that she resents the close bond between her mother and her younger sister Gardie, that she's scared of being stuck in a small town all her life and so marries a man she doesn't love, but who loves her dearly and honestly, whose life she ruins.

Belle makes mistake after mistake and rarely learns from them. Yet despite all her faults she's not an unlikeable character. She's just so familiar. Anyone could probably see a bit of themselves in her, in her choices and her reactions. In many ways it's the classic story of the small-town girl trying to break out of the repressive small-town mentality, yet finding herself falling back into it again and again. She speaks of the emptiness inside, that she tries to fill with maps of countries she'll never get a chance to visit, marriage to Worthy, an affair with Theo, and finally, alcohol. Her pain is very real, and so is her inability to know what to do with it, her failure to respond adequately to the people who love her - how to respond to her wilful damage of their love for her.

I don't want to give you the impression that this book is depressing. It isn't. At least, I didn't find it so. I felt for Belle, I could understand why she did the things she did, and yes, I felt sorry for her, especially in regards to her two children. I'm a little unsure about the ending, but mostly I just feel regret.

It's very well written, and while it took me a little while to get into it at first Belle's tough voice soon drew me in, and the experience of seeing her world through her eyes was an interesting one. As a narrator, she's brutally honest, sometimes supplying enlightenment with hindsight but mostly just telling it how it is, with the same I-don't-give-a-shit-what-you-think frankness that characterises her throughout. Her voice has no frills, but she appreciates small details and almost satirical characterisation of the people around her. The hindsight she offers softens her sharp edges somewhat.

Finally, I liked reading a book about Canada through the 60s and 70s. The background to Belle's story is rich with history, culture and attitudes. Pierre Trudeau, the county's most beloved Prime Minister, makes an appearance. The fate of small mining towns in Newfoundland and northern Ontario feature strongly, mirroring the slow ruination of Belle herself.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually relish tragic stories, just eat them up. I kept trying to figure out why I didn't just fall in love with this one - definitely one of the most somber and depressing books I've ever read. Then I realized it is because the main character is just so awful. Nothing to like about her at all. She's the meanest, most bitter bitch I've ever met in a book. What is so strange is that I can't figure out what made her that way. She lost her father at a young age, yes, but I just can't see that making her into such a negative person for her entire life. The sense of entitlement she carries is disgusting. The way she treats the people who love her dearly makes me sick. Treats them like dogs. The sad accident towards the end of the book - I felt like she deserved it. I feel terrible saying that, because it was truly awful, but if anyone deserved such a terrible thing, it was her.

A-

[Jennifer G · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could have given the book 3.5 stars, I would have....

I picked this book up at a used book sale at my work. I'm not sure what drew me to the book, but since it was written by a Canadian author, I thought that I would give it a chance.

The book starts off with an older woman being arrested and accused of molesting a young boy. Although the first chapter or two are written from the point of view of the boy, the remainder of the book is written from the perspective of the woman. This book sounds morbid and depressing. But somehow, I really enjoyed the story and found that it intrigued me, and while I was reading the book, I have to say that I didn't find it to be morbid or depressing at all.

My only complaint about the book was that I really didn't like the ending. I not only felt that the book ended a bit too quickly, but I didn't think that the ending really completely fit the character. However, I do recommend the book - I think it was a great read.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, however the ending was really too abrupt and the resolution to Belle's situation was just too simple. That's what kept me from giving a 5 star rating. I loved Belle as a character though, she was so relatable.

[Knitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! Interesting story.

[Bonnie Sturm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book, made me laugh, made me cry, made my think about my life and others in it
Sherry thanks for an excellent read

[soph! · Rating 5 out of 5]

hi mom

[Joanna Bedggood · Rating 4 out of 5]

what great characters

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very somber book. Very well written for a first full novel.

[Barb]

dark