Through Thorns

by Mark Vulliamy

It's 2007, and Sandra Treming has just served 25 years in prison on a terrorism and murder conviction stemming from her involvement in the “Berkman Brigade,” an early 1980s political activist group. Described by the media as “the mastermind behind a monstrous terrorist act that rocked the nation,” the aging revolutionary finds herself in a strange new world of cellphones, laptops, and smoking bans, and soon discovers that her old political pals have moved on to other pursuits. Struggling against setbacks thrown at her by abusive authorities, religious zealots, petty thieves and unscrupulous property developers, Sandra risks losing everything she ever fought for, until a chance encounter with the owner of a used book store opens the door to a new life. Set in 1982 and 2007, Through Thorns follows one woman’s journey through two wildly disparate moments in North American history, finding humour and hope in the unlikeliest places.

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2021

Reviews

[Rosemary Hayward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandra Treming is released from prison after serving every year of a twenty-five-year sentence, ‘the prospect of living free terrifying.’ It is now 2007 and the world has grown seat belts in cars, heavy traffic, car windows operated by buttons and a city she no longer recognizes. And that’s before she gets out of the car driven by the man from her past who picked her up at the prison gate.
Mark Vulliamy plunges you straight into Sandra’s disorientation and spends the rest of the book unwinding it. In a series of flashbacks you discover why she was in prison and you meet, one by one, the people who upended her life. In her present day she struggles, a lot.
There is true compassion in this writing for the marginalized on the edges of society; the ex-prisoners, the homeless people, those who are not successful and not like everyone else.
There is humor in this book too. Without humor it would be too dark. There are a lot of misguided and ineffective people here, and sometimes their delusions have severe consequences.
The story is set in Vancouver, Canada. It’s always a joy to read a book set in a place you’ve visited and that the author clearly knows intimately.

[Jim Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the beginning of Through Thorns, the central character, Sandra Treming, is being released from prison in 2007. Her time is prison resulted from her participation in an attempted ‘direct action’ by the Berkman Brigade, a radical collective in an unnamed city in 1982. The novel alternates between the meetings, debates and frictions of the members of the Brigade, most of whom live in the same house, prior to and including the events that result in Sandra’s time in prison, and Sandra trying to readjust to society after her release. It takes a wry look at the contradictions between anarchy and planning, and between lofty goals and human failings, and examines what happens when plans become improv. In the sections that follow Sandra following her release, she confronts issues of acceptance and trust with new friends and past comrades. I thoroughly enjoyed Through Thorns and recommend it.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening chapters create a desire to discover more about the motivations of these unique and believable characters. The two timelines are clearly intertwined making the book an easy read. It can be a light read or you can delve deeper. How is our present molded by something we said or did in a moment of indecision? Sequel please!

[Moira Corrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it brought back so many memories of co op house sharing in the 70s and 80s around Commercial Drive. The bookstore setting was so realistic and is a great anchor for a lot of the story. Those ideals and lifestyles didn’t die out! They still exist in this part of the city.

[Evan Vulliamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I have finished in years! There is a great blend of drama, politics, humor, and emotion. An excellent read all the way through.