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Once Removed
From the Author of The Daily Bonnet Timothy Heppner is a frustrated ghostwriter struggling to make ends meet in Edenfeld, a small Mennonite community bulldozing its way towards modernity. A member of the Preservation Society but desperate to keep his job with the mayor’s Parks and “Wreck” department, Timothy finds himself in an awkward position when he is hired to write an updated version of the town’s history book. Fuelled by two warring loyalties, the threat of personal bankruptcy, and a good deal of fried bologna, Timothy must find his own voice to tell the one story that could make—or break—him. Honest and laugh-out-loud funny, Once Removed explores the real cost of progress in this new Canadian classic.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2020
8 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Unger
4 books18 followersAndrew Unger is a writer, speaker, and educator from Steinbach, Manitoba, best known as the author and founder of the Mennonite satire website The Daily Bonnet. His work has also appeared in Geez, Rhubarb, Ballast, CBC.ca, the Winnipeg Free Press, and many others. If you go back far enough, he's probably related to you.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 24, 2020
With a humorous and folksy style, this book speaks to the contradictions inherent in modern life. Even while we intend to do good and try to live well, we are forced into economic and moral compromises. Are sinister politicians to blame for our loss of traditions? Is our economic necessity an excuse for our complicity in a corrupt and self-destructive system? Or are our moral quandaries nothing more than the humorous foibles of small town life?
October 28, 2024
Once Removed is not something I would pick up normally, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
Though Unger’s writing was kind of verbose, the little nothings brought the small southern Manitoba town to life. I liked Unger’s weird character descriptions Brenda {Formerly} from Loans?? Love it), I wondered how many old time surnames were going to be mentioned throughout, and I was also eager to find out WHAT timid Timothy was going to do about his warring conscience.
I was shocked I shed a few tears when Randall’s house barn was being demolished, that was the pique of the book for me, even though his entire subplot was wiiild.
Super cool to see the southern Manitoba Mennonite sayings and spellings in literature without trying too hard. Unger did a great job of simplifying and explaining the culture for those who aren’t familiar, though a glossary at the back would’ve been appreciated.
I felt like I was back in Winkler reading this, which was nice but also cringe 😬 It’s a complicated relationship, like how most people feel about their hometowns.
PS - I did read in acknowledgments that the book’s front cover is the pattern of a recovered floor tile from one of these homes, which was a cute detail.
Though Unger’s writing was kind of verbose, the little nothings brought the small southern Manitoba town to life. I liked Unger’s weird character descriptions Brenda {Formerly} from Loans?? Love it), I wondered how many old time surnames were going to be mentioned throughout, and I was also eager to find out WHAT timid Timothy was going to do about his warring conscience.
I was shocked I shed a few tears when Randall’s house barn was being demolished, that was the pique of the book for me, even though his entire subplot was wiiild.
Super cool to see the southern Manitoba Mennonite sayings and spellings in literature without trying too hard. Unger did a great job of simplifying and explaining the culture for those who aren’t familiar, though a glossary at the back would’ve been appreciated.
I felt like I was back in Winkler reading this, which was nice but also cringe 😬 It’s a complicated relationship, like how most people feel about their hometowns.
PS - I did read in acknowledgments that the book’s front cover is the pattern of a recovered floor tile from one of these homes, which was a cute detail.
May 4, 2022
Let me tell you, it has been a very bizarre experience to read from a character who is culturally identical to me.
September 24, 2020
Once Removed is a very appropriate title for this witty and sinister read. Edenfeld is at one remove from the big city, It is at one remove from modernity and it's oldest buildings keep getting torn down. What counts as the truth is determined by the shadowy mayor and there are weird consequences for independent thought. It is reminiscent of Orwell's 1984 and today's preoccupation with fake news.
April 28, 2022
TL;dr A lighthearted easy read but one that is geared strongly towards Mennonites or those from Menno-communities.
Within the first couple pages I was already smiling and amused at how much of Edenfeld reminded me of my own Mennotown. Sometimes it is hard to visualize a story but I had no issues picturing this town and its inhabitants.
If you’re not from a small Mennonite town, the references are going to be lost on you. It’s A LOT of low German and Mennonite names—felt like I was hit over the head with it especially since every low German word was italicized. Also, the sheer number of book and movie titles seemed quite excessive—I had counted 26 different book and movie titles before reaching the halfway point.
I also found that so much of the book’s conversations were told to the reader instead of getting to experience the conversation. The majority of the book took place in the protagonist’s head. I’m not sure if this fits in the classic trope of “show us, don’t tell us” but I know that I longed for a lot more dialogue.
My two favourite things in the book were the Southern California street names given to Edenfeld. And the mention of how all Mennonites signal it is time to go (from an event or a phone call) by saying “na jo”. 😂
In terms of amusement I could give the book 4 stars. In terms of content, I’d give 3 stars. But the author is Canadian, Mennonite and frindschaft so that easily boosts it to a 4-star book.
Within the first couple pages I was already smiling and amused at how much of Edenfeld reminded me of my own Mennotown. Sometimes it is hard to visualize a story but I had no issues picturing this town and its inhabitants.
If you’re not from a small Mennonite town, the references are going to be lost on you. It’s A LOT of low German and Mennonite names—felt like I was hit over the head with it especially since every low German word was italicized. Also, the sheer number of book and movie titles seemed quite excessive—I had counted 26 different book and movie titles before reaching the halfway point.
I also found that so much of the book’s conversations were told to the reader instead of getting to experience the conversation. The majority of the book took place in the protagonist’s head. I’m not sure if this fits in the classic trope of “show us, don’t tell us” but I know that I longed for a lot more dialogue.
My two favourite things in the book were the Southern California street names given to Edenfeld. And the mention of how all Mennonites signal it is time to go (from an event or a phone call) by saying “na jo”. 😂
In terms of amusement I could give the book 4 stars. In terms of content, I’d give 3 stars. But the author is Canadian, Mennonite and frindschaft so that easily boosts it to a 4-star book.
October 30, 2020
Armin Wiebe says this book is "sinister as Hitchcock". I like that. It's hilarious, but there's also a dark element and a sadness found in these pages. When the trees come down and all the historic buildings are gone, what is left? And what of the Mennonite culture? Edenfeld, it seems, is slowly becoming another generic suburb of the city. I loved the use of detail in this book, and even if I couldn't understand all the Plautdietsch, the context made it relatable. Funny, clever, but also, yes, "sinister" - at least a little bit.
November 13, 2022
As a Mennonite, but not from the group that came from Russia and not from such a limiting community, I appreciated the inside jokes and clever wordplays that may have seemed no more than silliness to non-Mennos. The story itself was told in a way that allowed Timothy to remain in the role of the bumbling everyman while still striking a blow for forward-looking tradition.
September 25, 2020
Oh, wow! I enjoy the Daily Bonnet, but this is another level. Hilarious, yes, but brilliant and thought-provoking, too. Without disclosing any spoilers, I was sad during the chapter with the Hiebert housebarn, but Unger has this way of inserting levity just when it's needed. Loved this book!
May 14, 2021
There was an almost perpetual smile on my face as I read this book. The author is the creator of the hugely popular news website The Daily Bonnet. His wry sense of humour which he uses to satirize all things Mennonite for his thousands of social media followers is clearly evident in his novel.
Timothy Heppner the hapless hero of Once Removed is a ghostwriter in the town of Edenfeld. I chuckled as Timothy quoted a poem from a book by one of his clients, a Mrs Esau, who specializes in odes to borsht. "Borsht how do I love thee? Let me count the ways." I laughed out loud when Timothy described the auto-corrected wording on a commemorative cairn in the nearby town of Neu-Kronsberg that turned the name of the community into Nude- Kronsberg.
The old and new meet in interesting ways in Once Removed. A traditional pig butchering bee, a ritual I remember from my own childhood, is accompanied in the present day by bottles of light beer for the adults and face painting for the children. Mrs Friesen becomes an important ally for the novel's main character. She is passionate about preserving the past but is also very much a modern Mennonite who drinks Malbec loves the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has made a pilgrimage to Machu Picchu.
I grew up in Steinbach and raised my own children there. Although the town in Once Removed is named Edenfeld, I found the novel was consistently prompting me to make Steinbach connections. I couldn't stop myself from trying to figure out which Steinbach church might be the Faith Barn in the novel, what famous Steinbach author the character Elsie Dyck represented, and what former mayor of Steinbach one might compare to BLT Weins the civic leader of Edenfeld. I suspect as people from other communities read the novel they will make similar connections with their own Mennonite hometowns.
Artist Margruite Krahn has taken the tradition of Mennonite floor art and made it her own. I have been fortunate enough to see Margruite's unique floor art when it was on exhibit at a gallery, and also in the home of one of her patrons. I loved it that Once Removed had a piece of Margruite's floor art on its cover and that in the book a beautiful example of floor art is discovered in the Hiebert house barn after a roll kuchen frying mishap.
There are plenty of quirky characters in Once Removed. Katie is our hero Timothy's supportive wife. She has a part-time job at a gas station but is also a university student working on a thesis about gender performativity in Mennonite households. She keeps her nails nicely filed for easy typing. Randall is Timothy's best friend. They were in a rock band together. Randall is on a quest to find his family roots in Russia and is in love with Brenda who works at the Credit Union where you have to recite Psalm 23 to get a loan.
Although Once Removed is very entertaining and funny it also raises some important questions for readers. Is it a good idea for religion and politics to be closely aligned? What is the right balance between preserving the past and moving forward progressively to the future? What things are truly important in life? How easily do we buy into stereotypes? Once Removed even prompted me to consider more carefully the kind of role food plays in our social interactions.
So what did I like about Once Removed? It was humorous, cleverly juxtapositioned the old and new, reminded me of my hometown, had quirky characters, used interesting references to floor art, and made me think.
Timothy Heppner the hapless hero of Once Removed is a ghostwriter in the town of Edenfeld. I chuckled as Timothy quoted a poem from a book by one of his clients, a Mrs Esau, who specializes in odes to borsht. "Borsht how do I love thee? Let me count the ways." I laughed out loud when Timothy described the auto-corrected wording on a commemorative cairn in the nearby town of Neu-Kronsberg that turned the name of the community into Nude- Kronsberg.
The old and new meet in interesting ways in Once Removed. A traditional pig butchering bee, a ritual I remember from my own childhood, is accompanied in the present day by bottles of light beer for the adults and face painting for the children. Mrs Friesen becomes an important ally for the novel's main character. She is passionate about preserving the past but is also very much a modern Mennonite who drinks Malbec loves the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has made a pilgrimage to Machu Picchu.
I grew up in Steinbach and raised my own children there. Although the town in Once Removed is named Edenfeld, I found the novel was consistently prompting me to make Steinbach connections. I couldn't stop myself from trying to figure out which Steinbach church might be the Faith Barn in the novel, what famous Steinbach author the character Elsie Dyck represented, and what former mayor of Steinbach one might compare to BLT Weins the civic leader of Edenfeld. I suspect as people from other communities read the novel they will make similar connections with their own Mennonite hometowns.
Artist Margruite Krahn has taken the tradition of Mennonite floor art and made it her own. I have been fortunate enough to see Margruite's unique floor art when it was on exhibit at a gallery, and also in the home of one of her patrons. I loved it that Once Removed had a piece of Margruite's floor art on its cover and that in the book a beautiful example of floor art is discovered in the Hiebert house barn after a roll kuchen frying mishap.
There are plenty of quirky characters in Once Removed. Katie is our hero Timothy's supportive wife. She has a part-time job at a gas station but is also a university student working on a thesis about gender performativity in Mennonite households. She keeps her nails nicely filed for easy typing. Randall is Timothy's best friend. They were in a rock band together. Randall is on a quest to find his family roots in Russia and is in love with Brenda who works at the Credit Union where you have to recite Psalm 23 to get a loan.
Although Once Removed is very entertaining and funny it also raises some important questions for readers. Is it a good idea for religion and politics to be closely aligned? What is the right balance between preserving the past and moving forward progressively to the future? What things are truly important in life? How easily do we buy into stereotypes? Once Removed even prompted me to consider more carefully the kind of role food plays in our social interactions.
So what did I like about Once Removed? It was humorous, cleverly juxtapositioned the old and new, reminded me of my hometown, had quirky characters, used interesting references to floor art, and made me think.
August 1, 2021
Andrew Unger’s new novel, Once Removed, is a lovingly humourous tale about small town politics, Mennonites, and history. The story follows Timothy Heppner, a Mennonite millenial who aspires to ghostwriting the life stories of the elderly but who makes a living working for his town’s parks and recreation department, assisting in the demolition of trees and old buildings. The villain of the tale is the mayor, BLT Wiens, who is intent on bringing big box stores and strip malls to a small Manitoba town named Edenfeld. It is never made clear whether the BLT are the man's actual initials or simply a nickname based on his favorite sandwich.
The plot sees Heppner struggling to hold onto clients, to work with his fellow preservationists to fight the destruction of the town’s heritage buildings, and to build up enough courage to write a book chronicling the town’s history. It is a story writ small; key plot points include an excursion to straighten the sign in front of one of the town’s derelict historical sites, and a trip to a mall’s food court in the nearby city. Without the humour, the mood would have bordered on despair as Timothy’s life circumstances move from mediocre to desperate until a final turn near the end of the novel. But, thankfully, there is humour throughout to lighten the mood.
The plot sees Heppner struggling to hold onto clients, to work with his fellow preservationists to fight the destruction of the town’s heritage buildings, and to build up enough courage to write a book chronicling the town’s history. It is a story writ small; key plot points include an excursion to straighten the sign in front of one of the town’s derelict historical sites, and a trip to a mall’s food court in the nearby city. Without the humour, the mood would have bordered on despair as Timothy’s life circumstances move from mediocre to desperate until a final turn near the end of the novel. But, thankfully, there is humour throughout to lighten the mood.
September 29, 2020
I read most of this while waiting for a fuel pump to be replaced in my car. This is good quality Kanadier Mennonite (1870s immigration) humor, playing on the extended stereotypes of the author's community in Southern Manitoba. Some humor may be a little "inhouse", as will the Low German slang that is used but not explained.
Unger writes the "Daily Bonnet" blog, and this book is an extension of that blog's humor.
Unger writes the "Daily Bonnet" blog, and this book is an extension of that blog's humor.
October 27, 2020
I like the title of this novel. ONCE REMOVED is a gentle jab at Mennonites' interest in who's related to whom, and how closely or distantly. The title may also refer to the painted canvas floor coverings done by Mennonites of the past. The book cover features what looks like a fragment of a floor covering that has been removed from its original location and unfortunately torn in the process.
The title ONCE REMOVED could also relate to the book's central conflict. BLT Wiens, mayor of Edenfeld, wants all traces of the town's past to be removed. His vision for the future doesn't include Mennonite street names like Klippenstein Drive, West Schroeder Road, and Heppner Strasse. He changes them to California names like Sunset Boulevard and Rodeo Drive.
BLT's vision doesn't include heritage buildings like housebarns. He plans to bulldoze them to make way for a mega-mart and giant parking lot.
Butting up against BLT is Timothy Heppner, a mild-mannered ghostwriter and parks and recreation employee. He and his wife, Katie, are the youngest members of the town's Preservation Society. Their attempts to stop the brutal onslaught of progress constitutes the driving force of this story.
The author writes in an easy, approachable style, almost always with tongue in cheek. The book is full of references to Mennonite history, beliefs, culture, folkways, foods, and foibles—many of them over-simplified or exaggerated for effect. Unger can say a lot in a few words. Examples:
On Russian Mennonite immigration to North America: "Some came in the 1870s fleeing the tsar and some came in the 1920s fleeing the people who replaced the tsar." (page 16)
Mrs. Ens muttered that she'd never really liked that song because it sounded a bit "socialist" to her and she thought we had left all that garbage behind in the Soviet Union. (page 149)
On baptism: "It's not that I didn't believe or didn't want to get baptized as a teenager, but in those days I hadn't yet found someone I wanted to marry and I knew that as soon as I was baptized the pressure would be on to get hitched." (page 37)
On Mennonite foods: "Large quantities of sausage." (page 88) "A well-worn cookbook called 1001 Ammonia Recipes." (page 108)
The author of ONCE REMOVED doesn't keep me in suspense, wondering what will happen next. He doesn't present me with mind-expanding insights. Thankfully he also doesn't exhibit the bitter, blaming, faith-denying attitude evident in some novels by Mennonites. His book is a clever, affectionate, respectful satire on his (and my) people. It amuses me and warms my heart.
The title ONCE REMOVED could also relate to the book's central conflict. BLT Wiens, mayor of Edenfeld, wants all traces of the town's past to be removed. His vision for the future doesn't include Mennonite street names like Klippenstein Drive, West Schroeder Road, and Heppner Strasse. He changes them to California names like Sunset Boulevard and Rodeo Drive.
BLT's vision doesn't include heritage buildings like housebarns. He plans to bulldoze them to make way for a mega-mart and giant parking lot.
Butting up against BLT is Timothy Heppner, a mild-mannered ghostwriter and parks and recreation employee. He and his wife, Katie, are the youngest members of the town's Preservation Society. Their attempts to stop the brutal onslaught of progress constitutes the driving force of this story.
The author writes in an easy, approachable style, almost always with tongue in cheek. The book is full of references to Mennonite history, beliefs, culture, folkways, foods, and foibles—many of them over-simplified or exaggerated for effect. Unger can say a lot in a few words. Examples:
On Russian Mennonite immigration to North America: "Some came in the 1870s fleeing the tsar and some came in the 1920s fleeing the people who replaced the tsar." (page 16)
Mrs. Ens muttered that she'd never really liked that song because it sounded a bit "socialist" to her and she thought we had left all that garbage behind in the Soviet Union. (page 149)
On baptism: "It's not that I didn't believe or didn't want to get baptized as a teenager, but in those days I hadn't yet found someone I wanted to marry and I knew that as soon as I was baptized the pressure would be on to get hitched." (page 37)
On Mennonite foods: "Large quantities of sausage." (page 88) "A well-worn cookbook called 1001 Ammonia Recipes." (page 108)
The author of ONCE REMOVED doesn't keep me in suspense, wondering what will happen next. He doesn't present me with mind-expanding insights. Thankfully he also doesn't exhibit the bitter, blaming, faith-denying attitude evident in some novels by Mennonites. His book is a clever, affectionate, respectful satire on his (and my) people. It amuses me and warms my heart.
February 23, 2021
Read this in advance of a podcast interview with Andrew Unger, but was not provided with a copy of the book for these purposes.
I loved this fun little look into Mennonite culture and the push/pull between progress and tradition. It is VERY Mennonite, lots of hilarious references to the culture, history, language, food, faith, and self-awareness of this part of my family tree. There were moments I laughed out loud, some where I chuckled, and some where I just wanted to turn the page to see what's next.
I was somewhat expecting more action with the mayor and Timothy coming to a head, or something that was more "the villain" coming earlier in the book, but really this is a story about that balance of progress and coming to understand the value of heritage. My realization should have come earlier, this is almost more like a humorous suspense novel than a mystery, and reading it again I would appreciate that more.
I look forward to talking with Andrew about this Mennonite satire, the inspiration for this exploration of love for heritage, and what's next for him as a writer!
I loved this fun little look into Mennonite culture and the push/pull between progress and tradition. It is VERY Mennonite, lots of hilarious references to the culture, history, language, food, faith, and self-awareness of this part of my family tree. There were moments I laughed out loud, some where I chuckled, and some where I just wanted to turn the page to see what's next.
I was somewhat expecting more action with the mayor and Timothy coming to a head, or something that was more "the villain" coming earlier in the book, but really this is a story about that balance of progress and coming to understand the value of heritage. My realization should have come earlier, this is almost more like a humorous suspense novel than a mystery, and reading it again I would appreciate that more.
I look forward to talking with Andrew about this Mennonite satire, the inspiration for this exploration of love for heritage, and what's next for him as a writer!
April 15, 2025
Let me tell you, it has been a very bizarre experience to read from a character who is culturally identical to me.
A lighthearted easy read but one that is geared strongly towards Mennonites or those from Menno-communities.
Within the first couple pages I was already smiling and amused at how much of Edenfeld reminded me of my own Mennotown. Sometimes it is hard to visualize a story but I had no issues picturing this town and its inhabitants.
If you’re not from a small Mennonite town, the references are going to be lost on you. It’s A LOT of low German and Mennonite names.
Lovely, light hearted read that left a familiar smile on my face.
A lighthearted easy read but one that is geared strongly towards Mennonites or those from Menno-communities.
Within the first couple pages I was already smiling and amused at how much of Edenfeld reminded me of my own Mennotown. Sometimes it is hard to visualize a story but I had no issues picturing this town and its inhabitants.
If you’re not from a small Mennonite town, the references are going to be lost on you. It’s A LOT of low German and Mennonite names.
Lovely, light hearted read that left a familiar smile on my face.
October 30, 2020
As one who grew up in a small Mennonite town struggling to span the old and the new, I feel for the struggles of one worker at the Parks and Rec Department of a town with a superprogressive mayor who does not want to preserve any of the town heritage. The worker is commissioned by the Preservation Society to write the history of the town, which comes to over 900 pages. I am sure this book is more suited for residents of Steinbach, Manitoba or Buhler, Kansas then those living in the big, big city.
February 23, 2024
Timothy Heppner has a problem. He is a struggling ghostwriter barely able to make ends meet. To help pay the bills, he also works for the town. However, there is a conflict of interest because he is also involved with the historical society trying to preserve their Mennonite heritage. The mayor is determined to destroy all of the old relics and modernize the town. The mayor also is jeopardizing all his attempts at writing. It's frustrating for Timothy and his wife because they want to save the town, but they also need to make a living. In an unexpected fashion, both problems are resolved.
December 2, 2021
Interesting..and kinda fun to read.
I kept a Plautdietsch dictionary up on 'google' to look up so many different words and phrases.
(Low German)
Yep..progress in the name of economy..out with the old in which the new-Bah humbug!!
Problem with that is..once the old is gone..how do the new know how to move ahead? They don't!!
The circle goes round and round..
Learn from the old..pay attention..listen and learn! Damnit!
I kept a Plautdietsch dictionary up on 'google' to look up so many different words and phrases.
(Low German)
Yep..progress in the name of economy..out with the old in which the new-Bah humbug!!
Problem with that is..once the old is gone..how do the new know how to move ahead? They don't!!
The circle goes round and round..
Learn from the old..pay attention..listen and learn! Damnit!
October 25, 2020
A fun to read work of contemporary Mennonite fiction? satire? comedy? All of that. Lots of Mennonite in jokes. I laughed. But also a slightly sad commentary on our vanishing history.
I added a whole star just for the hilarious fact that he mentions Wonder Oil (pronounced “Vunder Öl” in my mind when I read it), and also this witty mention: The Wrath of Krahn. Ha!!!
I added a whole star just for the hilarious fact that he mentions Wonder Oil (pronounced “Vunder Öl” in my mind when I read it), and also this witty mention: The Wrath of Krahn. Ha!!!
July 24, 2021
Reading "Once Removed" I regretted not being a Mennonite from Southern Manitoba. If I had been I would have laughed even more since I would have gotten the subtler in-jokes. Unger presents a very funny take on modernization, its ill effects and the politicians who push for it at the expense of heritage, whether Mennonite or otherwise.
July 11, 2022
Andrew Unger's portrayal of the characters in the fictional Mennonite community of Edenfeld, Manitoba, blends wit with the wisdom of learning how to navigate change in a small conservative town. This novel was both educational and entertaining, my favourite kind of book to read.
June 24, 2024
I hadn’t known that Mennonite satirical fiction existed, but now I’ve read some! At the beginning it was soooo irony-laden and trying-to-be-funny that I almost gave up. But that gradually grew on me and I actually ended up enjoying it, more or less.
January 14, 2021
Fun, satirical, menno story!
May 12, 2021
Absolutely delightful!
July 7, 2021
This was fantastic. I laughed out loud at the Henderson Highway reference and also at Wrath of .
September 24, 2021
I enjoyed it!
April 25, 2024
Not much depth to this book, but it was well made up for with funny Mennonite references throughout. Not sure people with no Mennonite background would enjoy it; too many inside jokes for that.
March 3, 2021
Andrew Unger’s Once Removed is concerned with the eager accommodation our tribe makes for “progress” and “modernization” — a tricky balancing act for us all, to be sure.
Unger’s young characters brew beer in the garage, put on rock shows in the housebarn, cover themselves with tattoos of Anabaptist martyrs, even earn graduate degrees in post-modern feminism — activities that would have earned immediate excommunication from our forebears. Yet Timothy Heppner and his millennial coterie are ill-at-ease about a history being physically swept away before their very eyes.
Once Removed unfurls and explores a prairie surrealism unique to Unger. Buildings and people disappear, seemingly overnight. When a mysterious influencer wants to strike fear in the heart of an erstwhile historian, they leave hardened loaves of bread on the front stoop — and it works!
If the satire spectrum runs from merciless laceration (Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain) to humorous-if-discomfiting massage (Stephen Leacock, Mark Twain) Unger tilts toward the latter. He makes sure his characters all receive a good ribbing, and no-one moreso than the hapless narrator. But there is also a maternal care at work — the story finally takes place in environs where an ominous future can be withheld by slow and careful negotiation. Once Removed reads a bit like early Douglas Coupland (a good thing, IMO) if DC had had a passing familiarity with Plautdietsch and an abiding affection for the films of Guy Maddin and MB Duggan.
SLKlassen, our resident Drunken Mennonite, suggests Once Removed may likely have been as gifted a book among the Mennonite set as the recently re-released Mennonite Hymnal. Could be, could be . . . but Unger’s book is the one most likely to get passed around and talked about. And yes, there’s a fair bit of “inside baseball” being played, but anyone with a passing interest in our not-so-humble tribe will find a great deal to enjoy in this novel. Highly recommended.
Unger’s young characters brew beer in the garage, put on rock shows in the housebarn, cover themselves with tattoos of Anabaptist martyrs, even earn graduate degrees in post-modern feminism — activities that would have earned immediate excommunication from our forebears. Yet Timothy Heppner and his millennial coterie are ill-at-ease about a history being physically swept away before their very eyes.
Once Removed unfurls and explores a prairie surrealism unique to Unger. Buildings and people disappear, seemingly overnight. When a mysterious influencer wants to strike fear in the heart of an erstwhile historian, they leave hardened loaves of bread on the front stoop — and it works!
If the satire spectrum runs from merciless laceration (Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain) to humorous-if-discomfiting massage (Stephen Leacock, Mark Twain) Unger tilts toward the latter. He makes sure his characters all receive a good ribbing, and no-one moreso than the hapless narrator. But there is also a maternal care at work — the story finally takes place in environs where an ominous future can be withheld by slow and careful negotiation. Once Removed reads a bit like early Douglas Coupland (a good thing, IMO) if DC had had a passing familiarity with Plautdietsch and an abiding affection for the films of Guy Maddin and MB Duggan.
SLKlassen, our resident Drunken Mennonite, suggests Once Removed may likely have been as gifted a book among the Mennonite set as the recently re-released Mennonite Hymnal. Could be, could be . . . but Unger’s book is the one most likely to get passed around and talked about. And yes, there’s a fair bit of “inside baseball” being played, but anyone with a passing interest in our not-so-humble tribe will find a great deal to enjoy in this novel. Highly recommended.
February 4, 2023
Hokey AF - which is heartwarming but also just a bit too immature; letting us in on the plautdietsch would have made us invested readers rather than observers
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