The Art of Salvage

by Leona Theis

An intimate and compelling novel about a mother and daughter, about loss and what can and can t be salvaged from loss, and about the different forms resilience can take.

Genres: Canada

347 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2006

Reviews

[lauryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a well-written book about the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and goes into some other themes including substance abuse, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, and mental illness. The author does a great job at exploring how the two characters, Amber and Del, feel about themselves, one another, and their shared relationship. I loved the imagery and symbols used throughout the book to draw parallels between these characters relationships. However, I was really disappointed by the ending, which didn’t resolve anything and it almost felt like the book wasn’t finished or that it cut off midway through.

Regardless, this was a great re-read for me and it is cool to read a book set in Saskatoon, as the author describes the river and Nutana area in a really beautiful way!

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Also, I bought this book from a used bookstore (Peryton) on 20th Street in Saskatoon and the handwritten note on the inside of the cover reads “For Bev, thanks for all you do, and for your friendship XOX, Leona”. I thought it was very fitting to stumble upon this note in a used book called “The Art of Salvage” lol

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I found the underlying subject matter of this novel interesting - the relationship between a young unwed mother and her daughter, both battling varying degrees of mental illness - the writing, however, failed to hold my interest.