On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light

by Cordelia Strube

From the acclaimed author of Lemon comes a clever and heartbreaking new novel of love and redemption

Harriet is 11 going on 30. Her mixed-media art is a source of wonder to her younger brother, Irwin, but an unmitigated horror to the panoply of insufficiently grown-up grown-ups who surround her. She plans to run away to Algonquin Park, hole up in a cabin like Tom Thomson and paint trees; and so, to fund her escape, she runs errands for the seniors who inhabit the Shangrila, the decrepit apartment building that houses her fractured family.

Determined, resourceful, and a little reckless, Harriet tries to navigate the clueless adults around her, dumpster dives for the flotsam and jetsam that fuels her art, and attempts to fathom her complicated feelings for Irwin, who suffers from hydrocephalus. On the other hand, Irwin’s love for Harriet is not conflicted at all. She’s his compass. But Irwin himself must untangle the web of the human heart.

Masterful and mordantly funny, Strube is at the top of her considerable form in this deliciously subversive story of love and redemption.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Contemporary, Audiobook, Coming Of Age, Young Adult, Literary Fiction

372 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Read an interview and an excerpt of Cordelia's new novel, On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light, in Numéro Cinq Magazine: http://goo.gl/9KOheD

Watch a video of Cordelia interacting with students at York University's Canadian Writers in Person here: https://youtu.be/7548Yv5E5qI

Cordelia Strube is an accomplished playwright and the author of nine critically acclaimed novels, including Alex & Zee, Teaching Pigs to Sing, and Lemon. Winner of the CBC literary competition and a Toronto Arts Foundation Award, she has been nominated for the Governor General’s Award, the Trillium Book Award, the WH Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award, and the Prix Italia, and longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Strube is a two-time finalist for ACTRA’s Nellie Award celebrating excellence in Canadian broadcasting and a three-time nominee for the ReLit Award. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Shores of Darkness, There Is Light by Cordelia Strube
Narrated by Michelle Monteith and Scott Gorman

Eleven year old Harriet had to become "the" adult in her family once her brother Irwin was born with hydrocephalus, six years ago. First her mother quit her job and lived at the hospital while her dad used excuses to never go there. Later Irwin is in and out of the hospital and emergency room, living with the ever present threat of seizures and infections. From the time that Harriet's mom refused to allow Irwin to die, Harriet no longer had someone to take care of her and put her first. Instead she is taking care of them, the residents of Shangrila, full of old people, her absent minded grandmother, and Irwin, who adores Harriet with all his heart. Dad is now on the sidelines with his new wife and their expensive IVF treatments.

Harriet is a dumpster diving mixed media artist and everyone but Irwin is disturbed by her violent, strange artwork. I loved hearing about her art, her reasons for creating each piece, the meaning of the colors she used to create her masterpieces and her plans to run away so she can live alone and create art in peace. Somewhere in all of this, she is ready for Irwin to die, he's going to die anyway, and she thinks the time is very close. She knows she shouldn't think this way but Harriet is a worn out and used up and she wants to leave this world, one way or another.

This is an extremely snarky, caustic, crude, gross, funny, sad, profanity laced story of a young girl whose five year old brother is her world and her albatross. She struggles through each day with the chorus of pleas, admonitions, and demands from the elderly poor citizens of her apartment building and being ignored in the most important ways by parents that she most desperately needs to notice and care about her. I love Harriet and her five year old brother and can see the bright future ahead for this smart, creative, precocious girl.

Something happens and things change, some things continue the way they always have, other things are gone forever. The profanity and crude body talk was almost too much for me but the story is worth any discomfort. For all the arguing, complaining, and absentminded neglect in the story, there is also love.

Published 2016 by ECW Press

Thank you to ECW Press Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not going to rehash the plot, the book description is a good start. Harriet is a very original character, a self sufficient young lady whose observations of those around her are vastly amusing. She sees and thinks things most people do not and her crude language will make many a parent cringe. They live in Sangrida apartments, a low income place with single moms, or moms with rotters for husbands and a large assortment of senior citizens. Many characters, all we come to know in the course of the book, and some of them had me in stitches.

So life goes on, until it doesn't. While reading this I couldn't help wondering where this book was going but I was thoroughly shocked at the direction it took. Ten years later, and some of the characters are going on, some have left us and some are barely coping. This is written in a very amusing manner but there are many serious issues at play. There are layers upon layers and characters that are so very real, as are the issues they have to deal with.

A book that is not getting the attention it deserves in my opinion and I thank Elyse for bringing it to my attention. Finished this yesterday and have thought about it on and off all day. These characters will not leave you easily. A very good observation on how children view our actions, even when they make sense to us. A very good and well written read, a book that should have a huge impact on its readers.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Dorie - Cats&Books :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

***NOW AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIOBOOK, FANTASTIC***

This is another one of those books that I had to wait a few days before writing the review. It is so very astonishingly good in so many ways. From the first few paragraphs until the very end I was engaged in the story, in the characters, in the very constricting and oppressive lifestyle that Harriet had to life with.

Don’t let the beginning of this novel, in which Harriet is funny, witty and precocious, fool you, this is a very serious, intuitive and brilliantly crafted story. This author has created characters that will definitely stay with you and are incredibly well developed.

Harriet, 11 years old, has had to live with a very dysfunctional family situation. She remembers back when it was just her and her parents, the trips, the everyday fun and loving that occurred, but all of that changed when her brother Irwin was born with hydrocephalus. Since birth and continuing to the present Irwin has needed constant care, many surgeries and trips to the ER. Harriet’s father can’t handle the situation and leaves.

When we meet Harriet she is living with her mother and Irwin, along with her mother’s boyfriend, who is an equally inept parent and who stays at home while her mother works many hours to make enough money to keep the family going. Her father also has a new partner, equally flawed, and Harriet doesn’t really have any solid, loving parental support. She has a great group of seniors in the apartment complex whom she does small tasks for, in her mind she is saving money to go away and live alone on the shores of a lake that she loves. Some of these seniors offer her more support and affection than her own parents.

There is really nothing to prepare you for the strength of this story. This is a very rare book that manages to be lighthearted in some places and make you laugh out loud while covering some very heavy material. How a disabled family member changes the entire focus of the family, how desperate a child can become when she is floating free with no love and protection to anchor her.

I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone and I will look for more books by this brilliant writer. I would give this book a 10 if I could, it’s that good.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tomorrow the bird gets stuffed. People all over the United States are *stuffing-the-bird*.
Me: I'm stuffed now ....over-flowing with STUFF-LAUGHTER....so move-over,
Jonathan Tropper...( favorite comic/tragic funny man), 'The Tropper', has met his MATCH!
Cordelia Stube, ( new author to me)....is THE BEST FEMALE comic/tragedy author I have EVER had the pleasure to read!!! Hot Damn! I honestly have not laughed this hard in a book 'since' reading Jonathan Tropper or ...maybe since reading "Hope A Tragedy", by Shalom Auslander.

It takes a special talent to write these types of books - and do them well. Twisty comedy with dark themes about contemporary modern life. Sentence after sentence ...I loved every word of the sarcasm, and cynicism, the inpolitically correct remarks. Cordelia Stube' s talent ( besides creating 'awesome' memorable characters and juicy satisfying dialogue), is her right 'mix' of thoughtfulness, nonsense, and humor.

Harriet just might be the greatest 11 year old female character to hit the books in decades! In the way that I fell in love with Lisbeth Salander, ( Dragon Tattoo Trilogy), one of the most fresh and compelling female young adults...( with her photographic memory, brilliant computer programming skills, and her superlative fighting skills), ....
is that same 'feeling' of excitement I have for HARRIET. She's my new young hero. The relationships between she and her mom - her mom's boyfriend - her dad - her dad's girlfriend - her little brother who was born with serious medical problems-her grandmother- her friends- the senior citizens -her artwork -her escape plan ... is like a seal bouncing a ball on the tip of its nose.
Harriet - somehow keeps the ball rolling in a crazy - nutty - disjointed family & community. SHE ROCKS! The supporting cast is wonderful too... ( I'm telling you - a few - to - die- laughing scenes!!!)

Here is an example of the way Harriet's mind thinks ... ( quick, honest, witty, adorable): "Harriet suspects the adults have discussed how she lacks compassion, is uncooperative and mistreated Uma. The adults go through the motions of asking her what happened but they already made up their minds"
"Harriet, why is it that whenever I ask you about what happened at school or camp, or anywhere in fact, you tell me 'nothing'. How would you feel if every time you asked me what happened during my day, I said 'nothing'?"
"I never ask you what happened during the day"

I could pull page after page of very funny scenes ....a variety of dynamics play out.
It would spoil too much to dish out the really funny parts ...but there are many throughout the book.

Simultaneously, this novel is bittersweet. It's exceptionally well written with great character development and emotion. Like pumping iron...you feel 'buffed' by the experience!

It's soooooooooo GOOD!!!!! I'd enjoy seeing this book as a stage play ... a movie ...
and ... I'll definitely read at least parts of this book again soon! My funny bone got a great shot of SATISFACTION!!!!!! SIGN ME UP FOR MORE Cordelia Strube books to read!!!
5+++++ stars!!!

Thank You ECW Press, Netgalley, and Cordelia Strube.... ( love you)

[Ann Marie (Lit·Wit·Wine·Dine) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the BEST books I have read in a very long time! I'm going to put it out there and say I believe this book will really put Cordelia Strube, who I was previously unfamiliar with, on the map in a BIG way. She certainly deserves any awards, accolades, screenplays, etc. that come her way as a result of writing this beautiful and meaningful book. I should stop gushing now. I rarely gush but I'm admittedly restraining myself even after that uncharacteristic outburst.

On the Shores of Darkness, There is Light is actually a very difficult book for me to give a thorough review to without adding spoilers but I don't want to give even a hint away. It's that good, original, and unexpected.

Harriet, our young heroine, is wise beyond her years. She's smart and sarcastic, loving and spiteful, hardened and innocent. She's had to deal with her parents divorce, her brother's chronic illness, and her parent's layabout, no-goodnick, and so-called intellectual less than ideal new partners, and social isolation because she's just not your average eleven year old. She's also quite enterprising and is amassing a small but respectable secret cache of (escape) money by tending to the needs of the elderly men and women that live in her apartment building. We learn so much about these characters I really found myself growing attached to most of them. Each of these characters came with their own little stories and I really enjoyed the way their lives and stories were perfectly woven into those of our main characters.

As for her brother, Irwin, I loved him more with each turn of the page. As I watched him grow from young boy to adolescence, I was increasingly awed by the author's ability to portray the characters in such a way that's so believable and honest.

This is one of those rare books that works much humor and lightheartedness into some really heavy subject matter in a completely appropriate and realistic way. Bravo, Cordelia Strube! I'm already looking forward to reading your next book.

Thanks to ECW press via NetGalley for proving me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

www.litwitwineanddine.com

[Angela M · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this incredibly sad story bearable is that at times it is incredibly funny. What makes reading about the unbelievable irresponsibility of Harriet and Irwin's parents bearable is that they are beside these children , who are the light of this story and who had my heart from the beginning. The moments when I laughed mostly were at the comings and goings of the senior community at the Shangrila apartment building where Harriet and her brother Irwin live with their oblivious mother (maybe well meaning and loves her children but still oblivious) and her mean spirited, insecure boyfriend. Their deadbeat, bike riding father who is self centered is around some of the time,but he is also oblivious. Together , these people allow Harriet to bear the burden of their failing as parents.

It's hard not to fall for eleven year old Harriet. Oh sure she has a potty mouth sometimes, talks back to her elders and even wishes that her younger brother Irwin , who has suffered from illness since birth, wasn't alive but we know that's really not true. A much too stressful little life she leads at eleven, Harriet sometimes thinks she has heart trouble .

"Ever since Gran’s bypass operation, Harriet’s had heart trouble, particularly when she’s trying to sleep. She has to calm her heart, talk to it like one of the seniors, or it will leap out of her. Sometimes she feels it stop and has to jump around to get it moving again. She doesn’t trust her heart."

"She doesn’t hate him, not all the time anyway. When he can’t sleep and lies with his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat, she doesn’t hate him. Ever since he was a baby Harriet's heartbeat has put him to sleep. She lies very still, not wanting to disturb him, feeling his heart beating much faster than hers. She doesn’t have heart trouble when Irwin falls asleep on her chest."


It's hard not to fall for Irwin either and as a reader I immediately knew that it would be the children in this novel that carry the story on their backs . My heart was broken for Harriet and then again for Irwin in the second part of the book as he agonizes over things that happened . I can think of a few other novels that made me feel this way Boo, and Aquarium and A Land More Kind Than Home, all about devastating things happening to children in some way. I'm partial to the point of view of young characters because so many times they are so much wiser than the adults around them and this was true for me with Harriet at eleven and Irwin in the second part of the book eight years later at fourteen . It's more than difficult for me to talk about the devastating thing that happens here so I won't - not even with spoiler tags . Suffice it to say that for me what sometimes makes the difference between a 4 and a 5 star review is knowing that I won't or rather cannot forget the characters . 5 stars without a doubt.


I'm grateful to ECW Press for a copy of this book .

[Esil · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems like a special skill to be able to write a book that is both funny and achingly sad at the same time. At times, I couldn't quite figure out whether On the Shores of Darkness, There is Light was satire, comedy or tragedy. But in the end it doesn't really matter, because it's just a really good and compelling read. It made me laugh out loud, and it made me horribly sad. The first half is told from Harriet's perspective. She is 11 years old -- her 6 year old brother Irwin was born prematurely with many health complications, she lives with her mother and mother's boyfriend, and she lives in an apartment building called the Shangrila in Toronto full of interesting characters. The second half is told from Irwin's perspective a few years later when he is 14 years old. Harriet is the kind of kid who is bright and insightful beyond her years, but has a knack for saying things that drive adults crazy. Irwin is starved for love, and is bewildered by the adult world he lives in. I won't say more about the plot to avoid revealing a spoiler of seismic dimensions. But apart from that event, this novel is more about character and feeling than anything else. Both Harriet and Irwin are insightful and funny; but as I laughed I ached over what had me laughing-- about the cringe making actions and decisions of Harriet and Irwin's somewhat well meaning, but mostly self-centered hapless parents and step parents. At times, the plot feels a little chaotic and meandering, but it always comes back into sharp focus at some pretty key moments. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the key role played by the elderly residents of the Shangrila -- they resonate like a Greek chorus, freely offering their observations to Harriet and Irwin. The fact that this book has us seeing through the eyes of a child and young teenager doesn't make it cute; rather it gives a great perspective on some of the absurdities and struggles of adult life, and the harsh impact the choices and struggles of adults have on their kids. And a bonus for me is that this book is set in Toronto -- it made for a very recognizable great setting. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an ARC.

[Cynthia Corral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this book was fantastic.
It stars Harriet, an amazing little eleven year old who is tough as nails on the outside but sensitive and artsy on the inside. Also starring her brother Irwin, who suffers from hydrocephalus and is unable to do most anything that Harriet can. Irwin loves and idolizes his big sister, but Harriet's life changed dramatically when Irwin was born so she has a very intense love-hate relationship with him.

Their parents, who are woefully unable to cope with the precocious, gloomy Harriet and sick Irwin, have divorced, and each have new partners who are similarly flawed. All the parents and pseudo-parents in this book are terribly inept at filling the roles their chldren need from them. Irwin is showered with love and attention by his mother and her boyfriend, while Harriet is ignored and left to her own devices. On the other hand, their father is willing to spend time with Harriet, but is unable to cope with his sick son.

Their world of broken homes and revolving parental figures is shared with friends from similarly broken homes, and a slew of low-income seniors who populate their building and offer up better advice than the parents ever could.

How do either of them cope with the obstacles Life has thrown them? Will either of them be able to survive their own drastically different, shared yet individual worlds? Is Harriet truly the strong one and Irwin the weak?

The story takes a very unexpected, emotional turn (and yet a very likely outcome, looking back afterward) about 60% through. And then again as the book comes to an end you know what is going to happen in those last few pages - I swore it wasn't going to get to me... and yet, there it was, the last page, the resolution, the beautiful beautiful ending... Yes, it got to me.

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harriet may technically be considered a child in terms of years at the age of 11, but she is well beyond her years when you count her disappointments in life, in her parents and in some of her neighboring senior citizens. Harriet’s savvier than average, knows how to read people pretty well, and has her own little money making enterprise going on. Maybe a little conniving with her senior citizen neighbors, but no more than the seniors trying to get her to help them all the time for free. Time is money, after all, and Harriet has a plan for the money she’s making. She’s a budding artist, with a bit of darkness in her art, but Harriet is not typical in any way so why would you expect her art to be full of rainbows and unicorns? She’s sassy and cynical, a little spiteful and resourceful. You can’t help but love her.

On the slightly less than lovable list is the father’s new wife, Uma, an intellectual, who prefers her computer to human contact with Harriet, her father, who prefers bicycling with friends to time with his children. Then there’s Gennedy, her mother’s live-in, a lawyer who never manages to make any money who is fighting for the top spot for the list. And there’s Irwin. Harriet’s little brother, born with medical complications leaving him with multiple health problems. Who has time for Harriet? Well, no one.

Irwin is sweet, adores his big sister Harriet, sleeps on her with his ear to her chest from the time he is little. While Harriet resents that Irwin gets all of her parents’ attention, she has a soft spot in her heart for Irwin that only grows bigger.

Even the senior citizens in their building are people you will know and love, always offering Harriet their advice, telling her their stories.

As in life, the sweet is mixed with sadness. Cordelia Strube (who is a new author to me) has written a wonderful book that will run you through every emotion and leave you so glad that you read “On the Shores of Darkness.”

Thanks to ECW press, to NetGalley and to the author, Cordelia Strube.

[Emily Ferko · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book of perhaps all time.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book which was both sad and hilarious at times. The story is about an 11 yr old girl Harriet and her developmentally challenged younger brother Irwin. I just loved Harriet and her spunk and how she got on with the seniors in the apartment building in which her family lived.

[Pia · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading this book I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I had read several reviews that raved about it, but for me it was a slow start. I wasn't sure about any of the main characters: Harriet, her mother, her father, her brother, the seniors...
But there was something that made me keep on, and I'm grateful I did.

Harriet is 11 years old. She lives with her mother, her "stepfather" and her little brother, who is ill. All around her are adults that deep down are more immature than she is. They share too much information with her and don't realize she is only a little girl that needs love and comfort. And hugs!

She lives in apartment building full of seniors, and only one girl her age (who is a horrible character in the beginning), she makes very dark art out of dumpsters and she takes care of everybody. But who takes care of her? Maybe her grandmother, who is one step away from having Alzheimer's.

But the book takes a major twist and what happens first is not what we see in the end.
I have seldom seen such a beautiful book with so many unlikeable characters. Harriet is a very complex little girl, and her brother Irwin is on the top of my list.

And what about the title? Isn't it amazing?
But be warned, this isn't an easy book. I wanted to scream at each and every one of the adults (if they can be called that) that appear here. And even if there was not much hope for Harriet, there is a light for Irwin and Heike.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[TamW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Angela for you recommendation !

Characterization in this story is outstanding ! The author takes you into the mind of an 11-year old shaped by the chaotic misdirected minds of her parents and those around her.... proof that those who appear tough and prickly and who don't reach out in a straight-forward manner are the ones that need the most love, guidance, direction. Harriet and her situation made my heart ache....drew out that 'rescuer' part of me that I suppose will never go away and made me hurt deep down - made me want to take her out of the pages and hold her, nurture her love for art; made me want to offer support and direction for Lynne to get her head on straight and help her to see what I know she saw, but was stuffing; made me want to "slap" Gennedy and see if he still thought a slap was okay - essentially, this book brought out the best and the worst in me. Many books can draw emotion from me, but this one made me want to act out of my emotion. Harriet and her family were so real to me...as was Darcy and Buck.

Thank goodness for the seniors living in Shangrila that added some humour, and some break away from the tragedy that was Harriet's life....

This book, to me, was a deep study in characterization, and I believe Cordelia Strube nailed it !

Great book for discussion - although I feel so vested, I'm not sure I'd want to be involved in the discussion - one I think could get pretty heated....

I need to go shake this one off - I love a book that can make me feel that strongly

[Stella Wenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I requested the ARC of this book from netgalley because of the gorgeous title and cover. And I didn't regret it at all. Reading this book is a great experience. At first, I was wary about this because it contains some profanity and there seems no decency in the life of the characters. All the characters don't seem likable too. But it gets better, way much better. I understand why Harriet hated her life and wanted to escape. I understand why Irwin can't move on after what happened with Harriet. I even understand Lynne's position. And I really wish I could be much better parent than all parents in this book.

I learned this: Suffering a hard life gradually changes people, bit by bit, it always does. At first you think you can still bear their changes, but you wake up one day and suddenly there are too many things on them that irritate you. So your attitude toward this person becomes bad, and because they feel like you don't respect them, they become even more irritating. The only way to fix that is by telling this person the truth, why you don't like some of the things they do, and also letting them know that you're willing to change your attitude too. Don't show hate. If they can see you change, and feel loved, I believe they will gradually change to be good again. I totally learned a lot about children and parents relationship from this book :')

[Kerry Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts and just goes and goes and goes, and never ever falters. It devastates and uplifts, and made me laugh and think, and Cordelia Strube is amazing.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up without enthusiasm.

While I liked the book well enough, I did get bored and I didn’t understand why there were two parts, Harriet’s story and Irwin’s story.

Harriet is an interesting character, both bratty and needy, free-spirited and frustrated. She’s 11, an artist...she’s a Judy Blume character with much rougher edges. She's a little adult who is a little crazy because she's really just a kid but she needs so much more than kids need and no one understands that, not her distracted mother, busy taking care of her youngest child, not her mother's jealous boyfriend who would prefer Harriet be seen and not heard, not her own father nor her father's GwynethPaltrowy wife who is expecting a girlchild, herself. Not even her best frenemy, another lonely soul of a girl who has so many needs and so few outlets. Art is the only thing that calms Harriet but her pieces are hideous and horrifying to everyone who lays eyes upon them.
Everyone but Irwin.
Irwin is sick, fragile, always in the hospital. His mother fears for his life, devoting herself to him and inadvertently abandoning her daughter. He doesn't really know his father who, even if he weren't so afraid of Irwin's faint tether on life, can't be bothered to care for his son while he expects a new baby from his new wife. But Irwin loves Harriet, he loves her more than anyone else in his circle of acquaintances. Harriet both loves Irwin back and despises him, wishes he would just die already so he could quit hovering on the brink of life, quit being in agony, quit living in the hospital, and quit taking all of their mother's time and effort. Irwin doesn't know this, he just knows Harriet is the best and that her art is beautiful.

I really liked the last few pages, though I felt it would have meant more had this been all Irwin’s story, from the outset, about how he related to his two sisters.

[Barbara Rohde · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when your family life is disrupted by a child with a chronic condition? Harriet is 4 years old when her brother Irwin is born with hydrocephalus which gives him a large head and frequent seizures. The impact of the illness splits the family and we come to meet Harriet when she is 11 years old. Harriet has had to learn to be very independent as her mother's attention is always on Irwin with frequent hospital stays. Harriet is very smart and speaks bluntly confounding the adults around her. But she hatches a plan to escape her life and the frustrating people in it. Told from both Harriet's and Irwin's points of view, this is a wonderfully poignant tale exploring a host of issues with well-rounded characters that have you laughing out loud one minute and weeping the next. The doctors felt Irwin should be left to die but Harriet's mother, Lynne sacrificed everything to give him a life. But what was the cost? I loved the way this tale unfolded and the unexpected outcomes. It's both hilarious and tragic at the same time - a feat difficult to achieve unless you have constructed believable characters and situations. Disability is explored in depth from several different angles which gives the novel its complexity while remaining a riveting read. A novel not to miss.

[Debbie Gascoyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel focusses on Harriet, a precocious eleven year old, and her brother Irwin, who suffers from hydrocephalus. Their parents are divorced, their mother has a lover whom Harriet thinks is a loser, and Harriet is obsessed with saving money earned from the seniors in her apartment complex, money that will finance her escape to the woods to live like Tom Thompson. No one understands Harriet's art, which reflects the turmoil in her life.

Strube does a great job of capturing the voice and thoughts of Harriet and her brother, and of exploring the complex relationships everyone has in their lives. It is, to some extent, a portrait of the way we try to find meaning in our lives and to fight against what sometimes seems like the inevitable grind of work and just getting by. I like that she doesn't romanticize illness or the tough life of the working poor.

The novel takes an abrupt, but perhaps predictable, turn around 60% of the way through. At its end, I felt that things were solved a bit easily, but she didn't offer unrealistic solutions. Overall, this was an effective and affecting novel.

I received a copy of this novel courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy good.

Cordelia Strube nailed the frustration that kids have with the patronising bullshit adults tend to feed them. Most of the younger people are far wiser and together than the adults in this book, ultimately leading to despair and loneliness for all involved. Heart-rending, witty and astute.

[Barbara McEwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a thing for books with weird kids, having been, or being, a weird kid myself. I simply loved this book. Over the top but very lovable characters. No glossing over the tough realities of life. It is a messed up book but so is life! Will definitely be reading more of this author, although I will miss my friends from this book.

[Trudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been awhile since I have been so moved by a work of fiction. How to describe this incredible book? This is no romantic tearjerker, though there is plenty for one to cry about. It is such a sad but relatable tale - with plenty of darkness and little light. Thankfully, this tragic story is infused with the (mostly) lighthearted personalities of the seniors who live in the Shangrila apartment building, which made it bearable to continue reading.

This cast of memorable characters is going to stay with me for some time. All are entirely believable - the kids, the inept, self-absorbed parents/step-parents, the insightful seniors, even the lovely Mr. Hung. Resourceful young Harriet, forced to be wise beyond her years, has lived a life not dissimilar to many kids in today's society, unfortunately. The same can be said for Irwin. So often, a writer will create a child protagonist who is unrealistically precocious or introspective, but Cordelia Strube got it just right.

There is so much to reflect upon here - parenting and the damage a parent can unwittingly inflict upon a child, the challenges of living with a disability, hardship, the value of community support for one another. I do think the ending was a bit too tidy, but I suppose there needed to be a glimmer of light after all that darkness. I look forward to reading other works by this wonderful Canadian writer.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading Cordelia Strube’s On the Shores of Darkness, There is Light at about nine o’clock on Friday night. The next thing I knew, it was almost one o’clock in the morning. Only the fact that I had to be at work the next morning prevented me from staying up until I had finished it. I was hooked from the very first chapters—partly because the book reminded me sharply of events in my own life and partly because there are so many brilliant character studies. The novel turns, subtly and heartbreakingly, on questions of hardship, parenting, love, and resilience. I was not prepared for how hard this book would hit me...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

[Jill Robbertze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this book was really heart-wrenching and yet somehow also very funny in places and filled with such interesting and quirky characters. A bit depressing in parts but redeemed by an important message and an uplifting ending. I loved this book !!!!

[Andi (A Literal Hottie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so great until it sucked... I am trying to figure out if I could even recommend it because once the POV changes 2/3's of a way in it went from a 5 star gem and plunged to maybe 1 star. Not at all what I was expecting.

[Liana Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautifully written, I understand the comparison to Alice Munro. A great Canadian writer.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harriet is 11 years old but her family circumstances have made her wise beyond her years. She’s living in a low-income apartment with a very dysfunctional family: her younger brother Irwin was born with hydrocephalus and is constantly in and out of hospital, leaving little time for her mom to devote any sort of attention towards Harriet. Her mom’s deadbeat boyfriend also lives with them, and he makes no effort to hide his true feelings towards Harriet. And Harriet? She’s kind of spunky on intense overdrive. She’s independent, a fighter, passionate and very artistic. She’s also very lonely, angry, and frustrated. All she wants is a little love and attention, which her family doesn’t seem capable of providing... with the exception of Irwin, who is both the light of her life but also the cause of all her pain. You feel like reaching into the book, plucking Harriet out of its pages, and giving her a big hug.

I’m really torn about this book. The story is heartbreaking, with glimmers of goodness, mostly as seen through Harriet’s interactions with the seniors in her apartment building. The first part of the book is told from Harriet’s point of view; the second part through Irwin’s. Both are difficult and emotional reads. Some may feel the ending was a bit unrealistic, but personally I was very satisfied with the ending.

I think my main problem with the book was the excessive foul language. I know this is just my personal preferences showing through, but I can’t help how I feel. I find it unnecessary and distracting when every single character can’t complete a sentence without using at least one profanity. I get that it’s reflecting their environment and demographics, and I’m not a prude, but I just don’t enjoy a book as much when I have to wade through non-stop bad language.

I’m glad I read it and the characters will certainly stick in my mind, but I’m not sure if I would recommend it to others.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was struck by the title of this book as it is both sad and hopeful and after reading it a perfect reference for this unforgettable story. I immediately fell in love with Harriet, an 11-year-old who is wiser and more clever than most of the adults around her. She is a talented artist though her art is often misunderstood and she dreams big of a future for herself away from the strain of parental and sibling expectations. She has complicated feelings for her younger brother Irwin, who has medical challenges but loves Harriet deeply and unconditionally. There is a host of quirky and loveable characters who inhabit the rundown apartment building that Harriet lives in, and Harriet's best friend is downright funny and tough. Harriet is the perspective used to explore the intricate relationships of the adults around her, their challenges, their imperfections and their fears. It has a twist you won't see coming and it will leave you breathless. So brilliantly written, this story will resonate for a very long time.

[Stephanie (aka WW) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriet is a street-wise 11-year-old with artistic aspirations. Unfortunately, she gets no support for her art from her mother, who is distracted with Harriet’s 6-year-old brother, who has hydrocephalus and needs near constant supervision. Harriet is protective of her brother, but also secretly wishes he would die. She has beyond-her-years views on life that are both funny and sad. Watching Harriet become more and more isolated from the adults in her life is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. I am left thankful for the time I spent with Harriet, but sad that it was so short.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still figuring out how I feel about this novel. It deals with so many elements pertaining to family, feelings of self-worth & belonging, illness and loss. I enjoyed it, but it is one of those books that lingers after you've closed it's pages.

[Kathy Stinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harriet’s POV 5 + Irwin’s POV 3 = 4