After Light

by Catherine Hunter

After Light spans four generations of the Garrison family, over the course of the twentieth century. Irish Deirdre, forced into marriage at sixteen, never stops trying to regain her freedom, though her ruthless escape attempts threaten to destroy her family. Her son, Frank, raised in Brooklyn, is a talented young artist, until he's blinded in WW2. With fierce determination, Frank forges a new life for himself, but the war has shaken him deeply. His two daughters, rebellious Von and sensitive Rosheen, grow up as isolated as the hothouse roses their mother breeds on the frozen Canadian prairie, and like the roses, they have scant protection against the violent elements that imperil them. Rosheen's son, Kyle, raised without his mother, knows nothing of the family's history until 1999, when he and Von gather Rosheen's art works for an exhibit at a Brooklyn gallery. The story of the Garrisons is shaped by powerful forces - -a rogue north wind, a vengeful orphan, a sugar-dust explosion, an airborne jar of peaches, a scar that refuses to heal, a terrible lie, an unexpected baby, and a desperate drive across treacherous ice. Despite all the their tragedies, the creative fire that drives the Garrisons survives, burning more and more brightly as it's passed from one generation to the next, into the twenty-first century.

512 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2015

About the author

Catherine Hunter is a poet, novelist, editor of the Muses’ Co. Press, and associate professor of English at the University of Winnipeg. Her most recent work is the novella In the First Early Days of My Death.

Reviews

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling narrative, beautifully told, with fascinating characters to really care about. Leaves the reader with serious reflections on the nature of pain and human endurance and the unfathomable ways of love.

[Maggie Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional family saga replete with great loves, tragic misunderstandings, vivid characters set in Ireland, Winnipeg and NYC.

[Dianne Landry · Rating 1 out of 5]

There must be something wrong with me because everyone else seemed to rate this book 5 stars. The writing was good but the character of Deirdre was so self absorbed and selfish that I just didn't want to read anymore about her, in fact, I wanted to reach into the pages and slap her.

First she probably (although it's never clearly stated) kills her first husband. Then she walks his children to a convent, distracts the nuns and sneaks off when they aren't looking abandoning the children. She goes to Galway and marries the man she has been in love with since before her marriage. He goes to visit his family, is in a train wreck and loses his leg. She doesn't even bother to go to him because he isn't worth anything now and takes off to America without letting anyone know.

She has his son, marries another man and basically is miserable and unappreciative of anything and then I stopped reading.

If this was my grandmother I wouldn't want to know anything about her. In fact I wouldn't want to even know her.

I really hate self-centered, narcissists so I hated this book.

[Jenna Hazzard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book perfectly engages the reader's emotions and tells an inter-generational story that was gripping. Hunter has this way of writing that withholds and reveals details that you didn't even realize were important. The way she ties the three narratives together seemed effortless and surprisingly doesn't interrupt the flow of the story.

The characters were raw, flawed and worked to reveal the complex tensions that arise within a family.

The cherry on top of this read is that Hunter is a Canadian! This book had a bit of that typical "Can Lit" feel, but it was enjoyable and somewhat hopeful, not completely depressing, like I was expecting.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What secrets does a family hold? How do those secrets reveal themselves? Through sight, sound, touch, taste? Catherine Hunter's book is a epic historical fiction novel which weaves through Ireland, the US, Canada, and in and out of life before and after WWII. An artist without eyes; a beauty hidden behind life-long wounds; and a tormented secret keeper. Lies with the intention of love; lies with the intention of hurt.

[Mark Libin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished After Light and am missing the characters already. I feel as if I've been immersed in a rapidly flowing narrative stream of event, adventure, foreshadowing and -- well -- after light. This multi-generational family drama set in four different cities is so absorbing that I found myself reading a page-rattling rate!

[Gabriele Goldstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a precious gem of a novel. Complicated and engaging. Historical, psychological and artistic. Comprehensive review and summary of the book can be found on The Winnipeg Review site by Dora Dueck. This book moved me in a way I haven't been touched since reading Marilyn French's book, Her Mother's Daughter. I also very much appreciated the real-life connections.

[Raine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining. Like the switching from past to present left a trail that was easy to follow. Great story line and quite believable. A friend had this as a must read in university it was very well received.

[M.]

Having the story go back and forth over 4 generations made it slow going for me. Had to give up as I have another book waiting for me at the library.

[Armin Wiebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoyed the movie Brooklyn you will love this novel. Strong characters, three generations and settings. A great read.

[Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read. I enjoyed the great detail of the plot and characters. enjoyed the local Winnipeg, Manitoba references and the Irish family connections. I was drawn to this by the fact that it was written by a UWinnipeg prof who is a woman.