A Funny Kind of Paradise

by Jo Owens

When her husband left her with a baby, a toddler and a fledgling business, Francesca managed--she wasn't always gentle or patient, but the business thrived and Chris and Angelina had food to eat. At nearly 70, she feels she's earned a peaceful retirement. But when a massive stroke leaves her voiceless, partially paralyzed and wholly reliant on the staff of an extended care facility, it seems her freedom is lost.

However, Francesca is still clear-headed and sharp, and she knows one thing: she wants to live. She savours her view of a majestic chestnut tree through the hospital window, and speaks in her mind to her beloved friend Anna, dead for two years. The daily tasks and dramas of the rotating crew of care aides tether her to the world: Young Lily, eager to fall in love and regularly falling apart when things don't work out; Michiko, with her spiky hair and tattoos and wicked sense of humour; Molly, endlessly kind and skilled in her work; Blaire, cold and enigmatic.

Amidst the indignities of bed baths and a feeding tube, Francesca is surprised to experience flashes of hilarity and joy, even the blossoming of a new friendship with a fellow patient. But as she reflects to Anna on her dutiful son and her troubled and absent daughter, regrets and painful realizations rise to the surface. For the first time, there is nowhere for Francesca to hide from her own choices, and she must reckon with her past before it's too late. A Funny Kind of Paradise is a warm and insightful novel about one woman's opportunity for reinvention--for unconditional love, acceptance and closure--in the unlikeliest of places.

A poignant, uplifting, brilliantly insightful story of one woman's end-of-life reckoning with her past, her lost daughter and herself, for readers of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry , Still Alice and Elizabeth Is Missing .

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Book Club, Family, Canada, Adult

248 pages, Paperback

Published March 9, 2021

About the author

Jo Owens lives in Victoria, B.C. She has worked as a health care aide for twenty years. A Funny Kind of Paradise is her first novel.

Reviews

[George Ilsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, appealing novel. From a distance, it is not immediately obvious that the premise would engage the reader — the narrator is institutionalized after being mostly paralyzed by a stroke. Unable to talk, she is trapped inside her own world, a voyeur and eavesdropper, ruminating over her life and the twists and turns of fate.

And yet, this novel is completely wonderful! I felt like I had touched real life, been touched by the honesty of real life. Some of that honesty and reality comes from the care aides whom we watch through Francesca's eyes. Care aides must deal with all the basic truths of everyday life— eating, sleeping, bowel movements. A dispassionate treatment of these activities of daily living achieves an immediacy and brings the reader into the life of the ward. Rarely is life so truthfully, so faithfully, depicted in fiction.

A compassionate dispassionate novel that at the same time warms the heart while making you think: How much are we observers, rather than participants, in our own lives? How well do we communicate? Those of us who can speak, do we use our words? How do we decide what is important?

Readers who are able to embrace the range and absurdities of lived experiences will also find moments of humour in this survey of the complicated blessings of mortality.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sometimes heartwarming sneak peak into the workings of a perhaps not so typical long-term care home, with a view to the good and the not-so-good things that regularly happen there.

Despite this sweet-ish romp, I still feel the same. Note to my family... please, don't ever put me in one of those places!🙏

BTW, I'd be remiss if I failed to mention one highly enjoyable aspect of the book. At the end, the author included a wonderful soundtrack that complements the text (including the situation) or inspired it. Several of the songs were sung by the aides as they worked throughout their days and nights. It's fabulous music that I mostly loved. Actually, now that I think of it, the book could probably be very successfully adapted for film with incredibly fun results! I can picture "Dame" Helen Mirren in a starring role!🤭 Very Mama Mia-esque!😂

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A FUNNY KIND OF PARADISE
By Jo Owens

It amazed me that this is a debut novel by Jo Owens and I really wonder if she can outdo herself with a second one. The writing kept me glued to it and turning pages, despite the very hard focus of the book. Here the main character was not beginning her life, she was at the end of her life and there is no “hail Mary passes” at this stage… so there is nowhere to go but death. But the writing was beautifully done with a great deal of empathy and compassion. The story was spellbinding, and while this is not everyone’s cup of tea, I was all in.

So, get your Kleenex and be prepared for the tears to flow freely, both out of happiness and out of, well I don’t know, it wasn’t really sad as much as it is PENDING. When my father was in an assisted living, I was amazed at the level of loving care offered to him by workers who were underpaid and overworked. These amazing women and men filled in the spaces that were vacated by missing family members and those who “just could not bring themselves to see their loved one that way” and it was this group of professionals that provided the love and attention that everyone needs without blame or condemnation.

After putting in a full life as a left wife, parent to two children, and sole breadwinner, Francesca finds herself in a suspended state between life as she knew it and passing on. She is nearly 70 years old and victimized by a major stroke, unable to walk or talk she has found a different way to communicate with those around her including her son. Her life of independence has been changed to one of total dependence on the caregivers (Lily, Michiko, Molly, Blaire, and the rest of the cast) at an extended care facility. But she learns to cherish the special moments of tender resolve and surprising hilarity left to her and is grateful for them all, she learned to make the right choice every day. Inside her head, she speaks to everyone, but largely to her beloved friend Anna, who died two years ago.

It might not be the book for 20 somethings but as one nears the age when the strangest things become “normal” for your age group…like high whatever and reduced everything… normal includes death, then it is another view of a real future. So raise the Maalox, drink the wine, and chew a Tums it was a five-star read.

5 stars

Happy Reading!

[Antoinette]

DNF’d this audiobook at 60%. I just could not be bothered to listen any longer. Having been a nurse for 46 years, this book irked me and I really tried, but I couldn’t get past my annoyances.
I’m definitely not the audience for this one!

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very loving novel about life in extended care. It was written by a long term care nurse, so it rings very true.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

After spending her life building her own business and raising two children alone, Francesca is looking forward to a quiet retirement, but when a massive stroke leaves her partially paralyzed, unable to speak, and living in a long-term care facility, her plans are obviously turned upside down. Now, she spends her days watching and listening to the care aides that support her and the other four women in her shared room, while also being forced to confront the choices she made in her past and the regrets that haunt her. The novel is written as though Francesca is speaking to her late best friend, Anna, who passed away from cancer two years before.

Francesca is a sharp, no-nonsense character and I enjoyed reading her comments about what is going on around her. She forms bonds with different care aides – each of which are unique and fully developed characters – while also forming a friendship with a fellow patient. The author, Jo Owens, has worked as a health care aide for twenty years, which is definitely apparent in the descriptions of day-to-day tasks in the home. Frannie learns a lot from the people around her and realizes that she spent her life as a cold and distant individual, more focused on her work than on her two children, Chris and Angelina. Her relationship (or lack thereof) with Angelina – who was a wild child right from the start – is particularly salient in her mind. Although she regrets the way she treated Angelina, I struggled with their relationship and Frannie’s cold, uncaring nature, as well as the way that she put Chris on a pedestal for being the “easy” one. I’m not a parent, but I just can’t imagine not trying to do more to help my own child.

A Funny Kind of Paradise ultimately sends the message that it is never too late to change and grow as an individual.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica Bowering · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made me wonder why more books (and TV, movies etc) aren't set in long term care homes. There is clearly so much dramatic potential. I really enjoyed this. I expect it was a slightly rose-coloured view of the relationship between care-takers and residents but a lovely depiction anyway - the complicated human connections and power-dynamics in that personal and professional environment. The care-aide personalities felt real and interesting.

[Story · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging and timely story.

[TracyGH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a great Canadian read and this one was quite the adventure.
The book is about a mute, paralyzed senior, Francesca, who is in a nursing home in Victoria BC, after suffering from a stroke.
The book is completely from her point of view living disabled in this home. She critiques the nurses and the eavesdrops on their conversations. She is depressed (rightly so!) and travels back in time when she was a single mum with two kids; and fondly reminisces about a best friend who walked with her in her life journeys. Adding another layer to this story is Francesca’s wild-spirited daughter went on a trip with a boyfriend and never was heard from again.
This book was so disheartening in the beginning but as the book progresses, so does Francesca. She starts to loosen up, starts to relax and comes to terms on who she was and what she has become. She creates bonds with the nurses and learns to be happy in the company of her son.
For a debut novel I thought this was original and highly authentic.
The role of care aids and everything from medical issues to bowel movements. Nurses are unsung heroes.
A definite winner. 4 amazing stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this novel!

Francesca Jensen (Frannie) is a resident in an extended care facility in Victoria, B.C. A massive stroke has left her mute, partially paralyzed, and tube-fed. She is totally reliant on the staff for her care. She spends her days watching and listening to the four other women who share her room and the rotating crew of care aides. She also reflects on her life as a single mother raising two children (Chris and Angelina) while managing her own accounting business.

Though she cannot speak, Frannie is the narrator of this epistolary novel. She imagines she is writing to her best friend Anna who died three years earlier, and it is this letter that provides the narrative structure. Though Frannie has physical limitations, she has not suffered cognitive impairment as is witnessed in her astute observations. She comments on what she sees and hears and on her own thoughts and emotions.

Frannie is a dynamic character. She has been in the facility for a year and she admits that she spent much of that year “so angry I couldn’t even think. But now, a year later, I’m ready to come out of the dunce’s corner, like some sullen, grubby, pig-tailed schoolgirl, one knee-high crumpled to the ankle, temper under control but still holding a grudge.” Since she has so much time for reflection, she thinks back and realizes she was not the best mother. She worked hard to provide for her children but she was impatient and emotionally distant. She admits she was “fussy, impatient, bossy and opinionated.” She realizes that “my work defined me. I wasn’t particularly friendly with my clients, but I liked the person I was with them – a professional. I was confident, reliable, dependable and trustworthy.” This attitude carried over into her parenting style, which she now regrets; she wishes she had been more flexible, had listened more, and had just been nicer to people.

Her change is convincing. Having so many physical limitations, she has nothing to do but listen and think whereas in the past she never stopped to really do either. In many ways, the aides model behaviour for her. As Frannie comes into contact with the various aides, she comes to appreciate those who are gentle, compassionate, and take what little time they have to do the extras: “I think of the loving care I’m given and the respect I’m almost always treated with, and I’m thankful for the pure, sweet luck that brought me here.” She comes to realize that she did not always treat people, even her children, the way the aides now treat her.

The various aides emerge as distinct characters with distinct personalities. Some are more skilled and more compassionate than others, but Frannie comes to accept them despite their flaws because she realizes they too have lives which are not always easy. One of the regular aides is Blaire, and initially, Frannie thinks of her as unfriendly, disengaged, hard, and tough but learns that Blaire has worries of her own; at the end, Frannie comments, “when Blaire is not my nurse, she pretends that I don’t exist. It’s not personal. She treats all of us that way. . . . But that’s okay. That’s just Blaire.” It’s ironic that the aide Frannie likes the least is the one who most resembles her younger self.

The author has worked as a care aide for over 20 years so it is not surprising that her portrayal of life in an extended care facility is so realistic. She shows the everyday struggles of the aides but does not suggest that they are all perfect. During the Covid-19 pandemic where there have been so many deaths in long term care homes, this book sheds a light on the lives of front-line workers in those homes. I saw the wonderful work of these people firsthand when my father was in such a facility and when my mother was supported on her journey from this life.

The novel has an uplifting message. One is that “you’re never too old to change.” Another message is that every life is important; one of the residents, a care receiver, is told, “’You don’t know how you’re going to affect another person, even now. You just don’t know. Something you say, some part you play may completely change someone’s life, maybe my life. Maybe your own life. You just have to trust that your life is still significant.’” Certainly, Frannie’s fellow care receivers and their care givers do impact Frannie’s life in ways they will never know and never suspect.

This is a novel which will affect readers both emotionally and intellectually. And the music list at the end of the book is perfect.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel will appeal to older readers or to those who have experienced having a loved one in a nursing home. The author shares a note towards the end of the novel about her 20-years of experience as a care aide which is relevant since it explains how well she understands the point of view of both the main character in the story, Francesca, and the care aides who assist her and the other residents. This is a story from the point of view of a 70-year-old woman who is voiceless due to a stroke and partially paralyzed as she reminisces about her life, regrets, and present day observations and the drama that happens in the extended care facility. Rather than depressing, the storyline is often sharp and funny, warm and insightful. It's a simple read and would be especially interesting for people in the long-term care industry.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Funny Kind of Paradise is a warm and insightful novel about one woman's opportunity for reinvention – for unconditional love, acceptance and closure – in the unlikeliest of places.
I enjoyed reading about Francesca, clear-headed and sharp, but voiceless and partially paralyzed and wholly reliant on the staff at an extended care facility.
I loved Francesca, Chris, Ruby and health care aides Molly, and Lily.
This book isn't for everyone, and I probably would not have appreciated the humour, truths and insights in my younger years.
Author Jo Owens lives in Victoria, BC. She worked as a healthcare aid for twenty years. This is her first novel.
As Ann-Marie MacDonald quoted, "A story told with elegant wit and irreverent humor…. I love this book."
4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I can’t believe how much I loved this book.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once upon a time, Francesca was the one taking care of the persons in the beds. . .the one who was by turns encouraging and cheery, or hard, brusque and busy. Now it was she in the bed, with no speech left in her, and yet a brain yammering away with quips, queries and critique so nearly busting out but not quite. Unsatisfying all the way around.

She wants to communicate, and must find a way. Her alert eyes and ears still gather information, and she is aware of who is doing what to who, and who needs extra care and how it should be given - can she share that information? Not a whit.

The perspective on this book was what got me - and partly because I'm so terrified it will be in in that bed with no voice and no power, but a brain full of fear and anxiousness. It was good to read of Francesca going through this situation, and her way of finding other means to make herself known, her worries known, and become friends with her caregivers, and those with whom she shares her life's new spaces.

Maybe there's hope. My other's last week was in a hospital an it was pure misery for her. Was this a study in karma? Maybe so. Maybe not. Still pondering.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me, and I am sad to say I cannot recommend it to others. I was really surprised that someone of Ann-Marie MacDonald's gifts loved it?!

The book just does not work. I get it. I see what Owens is trying to achieve but it just doesn't work. A first-person narrative from someone primarily limited to witnessing means there are huge gaps in the story. I see the point, which seems to be to illustrate the struggles of a character with a limited ability to communicate and her frustration at the dramatic change in life circumstances. I respect that; I do not respect the novel's format. Is it epistolary? It seems to be a letter, but more of a thought letter? Like an ongoing story Fran would tell to someone? Or perhaps a collection of reminiscences and regret? There are a lot of pieces here and the narrative arc is clear. The execution is deeply flawed. Though I see the point, hanging out in the mind of someone for 200+ pages is not how this book was presented by the publisher. Nor did I find it true that Fran "wants to live!" It seems as though Fran wants to reconcile her past in order to prepare for the end.

We witness the same scene again, and again, and again. Yes, I understand that this is likely to portray the repetition and mundane existence for people living in care. Again, this does not work as a novel. Perhaps a collection of short stories? Or vignettes would have been better? The little leaf markers after almost every paragraph are there to denote a shift. That many shifts is far, far too many. It suggests that there is nothing more to say about a scene, nothing to flush out, or explore.

This is a story in pieces that would work if "the medium is the message." It is not. The medium is not a story in pieces, the medium here is a novel. I was hoping for a fictional story that moves me, not a series of regrets and frustrations where the most interesting people take their stories and exist stage left after every single scene.

I felt so bogged down by the poor writing and really truncated structure that I could not enjoy the characters (many of whom, are of course typecast and representations of whole people with complexities). Indeed, the care workers are the saving grace of this book. Theirs are the stories we long to hear. I would have preferred Owens to write a book about the dedication and true compassion it takes to do her job. That's absolutely I book I would read and recommend. I would happily enjoy a love letter to care workers and their integrity is the only redeeming part of this book. I did not find the book humorous, aside from a few snide remarks that are supposedly there to contradict the cruel past of the protagonist.

Perhaps Owens will turn her hand to memoir or a collection of stories from care workers?

My problem with this book is the structure, not the subject. I wish a great deal more time and energy were spent honouring people who work tirelessly to support our loved ones when we can no longer safely support them at home. The problem is, that is real tangible non-fiction work. If fiction is the medium, then we need a story to carry us and a structure that does not leave readers feeling disjointed, confused, and looking for answers. It's never a good sign when the publisher's blurb is better than the book itself ...

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely and heart-warming story. The epistolary framing really works well for this book - it holds your attention despite being told from the perspective of a mute woman who is only able to move one arm due to a stroke (and thus is limited to only what she can see from her bed or wheelchair). This book was a lovely tribute to care aides, but it did come off a little saccharine at times. The end felt wonderfully final without being obnoxiously bow-tied. I would recommend this book with the caveat that it isn’t a very exciting read (still enjoyable, but you won’t be on the edge of your seat)

[Marni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is written from the viewpoint of a woman who had a stroke that left her unable to speak. Her mental capacities are still okay. She lives in a nursing home and she writes about her days and nights there. She has learned to communicate with staff with her one hand and facial expressions. The author has been a care aid for 20+ years and she really paints a picture - at times sad, ridiculous, happy and tragic.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read and was a very unique point of view for the protagonist, Francesca, recovering from a stroke, unable to communicate everything she is thinking and feeling to those around her.

The book gave me a great appreciation to those working in long-term care, giving a perspective I'd not thought of previously, even when visiting elderly relatives in these scenarios.

Ultimately, it's a story of "it's never too late" to grow and change your ways, however, interwoven with light and dark threads which gave it more depth throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a copy of the ARC in return for an honest review.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Funny Kind of Paradise is about Francesca, a senior residing in a long term care facility after suffering from a stroke. Francesca cannot speak due to the stroke, and the book is comprised of her thoughts about the past and present, as well as the conversations she overhears the care aides having around her.

I work for an organization where many of our clients are in care facilities, so the synopsis of the book really piqued my interest. I was not disappointed -- I really enjoyed the book! It's also an easy read, and was perfect for reading while on vacation.

[Anne Dymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm surprised how much I loved this book. If you've ever felt guilty about having to leave a loved one in care, this will absolve you. If you've ever thought 'i wouldn't want to live if I were incapacitated", this will change your mind. If you've ever felt like you weren't living quite the way you should, and you hope there will be a chance later for some time to make amends, this will reassure you, but it will also make you feel like you can start now. Beautifully written, surprisingly unsentimental, I feel really grateful for this book. Not least because I have a mother in care living far away, but for more than that.

[Sarah Dunphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️—pleasantly surprised by this book :)

[Shelby Friesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart 💕

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

So enjoyed this book. The author was a health care aide for over 20 years and this is her first novel. Francesca suffers a stroke and ends up in a nursing home. She is unable to speak, eat and is paralyzed on the right side. She is totally reliant on the care of the staff. Francesca misses her previous life but becomes involved in life in the care facility. We learn about the other residents in Francesca's room but I particularly like following the dialogue between aides and between aides and residents. A sad and yet funny book which leaves me with an appreciation for health care aides.

[bookss.and.more.bookss :) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this as much as i thought i would and i believe it's because I've read so many great books recently that what i enjoy or should i say what i ought to enjoy have to really deliver to meet my now high expectations.

What we get in the book is not exactly what the premise says its going to deliver. It's more about the nursing room/home than being inside the head of a woman that's stuck and can only contemplate life.

I thought i would be reading about this old lady revisiting old memories, acknowledging her rights and wrongs, all while finding deeper meanings in the world around her that she must've overlooked throughout the years. We do get flashbacks but they're pretty much just descriptive and not as critical, insightful or analytic as i would've hoped.

This is not to say that the story or book is bad, but it does get confusing at times with pages full of nurse conversations, never truly knowing who's talking, what/who exactly is being talked about and said conversations not adding anything crucial to the book.

It could be quite cute at times but also very plain.
On the bright side I've never read anything like this or about nursing homes and i did enjoy the little insight it gave regarding that.

[Janice Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The brilliance, the intensity, the insight from A Funny Kind of Paradise will stay with the reader, like a moment in one's lifetime that is not forgotten. It is a book to recommend to friends. It is a story that reaches into one's soul and touches it gently and kindly. The pace, the phrasing and the storyline are brilliant. It is a gift to her readers, and I found myself comparing it to A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini). This author has a promising future and I look forward to her next work.

[Alysha Voigt · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

This one hit really close to home. Since August, I’ve been training to become a personal support worker (aka “care aide”) and I’ve been working at a nursing home for the last 2 months. Although I skimmed the back of this book before reading, I didn’t realize that it not only involves support workers, but also that the author herself has been working in this job for 20 years (and decided to write fiction about it). She’s woven in countless scenarios, snippets of conversation, and minute details that perfectly capture my experiences so far as a PSW, and I’m sure it will resonate with many people working in long term care. It’s a really great glimpse into the world of “care aides” / PSWs, if anyone reading this is curious about what I’ve gotten myself into.

This book is well written, thought provoking, and heartfelt. It’s very impressive as a debut novel, and as a bonus, the author is Canadian.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life in an extended care facility? Who knew this would be such an engaging and completely engrossing topic? What an amazing world created here, one not many of us know exists but I’m changed for experiencing it for a while. For anyone who knows someone effected by a stroke, Frannies story and point of view will be especially poignant and will give you a little insight.

All the characters in this story are so well developed and brought to life so brilliantly. I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s such a fresh and different kind of fiction, absolutely brilliant.

[Cathryn Wellner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A convincing novel told from the perspective of a woman spending her last chapter in a nursing home. A stroke has narrowed her world, and her son finds a last home for her. I’m at the right age for this, when so many friends have made their last journey in full-care homes. Some were sentient. Others were not. I have a much better sense of their experience because of this book. The author works with elderly people and tells the story with a sure hand. Highly recommended.

[Sara Kaner · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected gem. This book was tough to read at times - it’s bittersweet to think about end of life and what dying may look like - but I found the characters in this book to be highly relatable and enjoyable. While there wasn’t what some might consider a “happy ending,” there was an ending that did every character justice and I really loved that.

[Christiana Reuling · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ A truly moving story about what life is really like in a nursing home. This was eye-opening, funny at times, and also quite sad. I’m really glad to have read it. It gives me a much better understanding of what my great-grandparents went through, and what my grandparents are experiencing now.