A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews is her third novel, about a small Mennonite community in a small town in Manitoba. The story follows a young girl, Nomi, and her father as they try to cope with the sudden disappearance of Nomi’s mother and sister. Nomi struggles with the demands of the Mennonites, and is overwhelmed by the rules that her town says she must follow. Toews makes her readers feel a sense of despondency for Nomi’s situation, while simultaneously building towards a boiling point for her protagonist.
Toews’ novel shows all the signs of great contemporary Canadian fiction. She uses the setting, an isolated town in rural Manitoba, to reflect the loneliness that Nomi feels as her family crumbles around her. Comedy and tragedy go hand in hand as Toews’ moody protagonist teenager struggles with issues both mundane and complex.
A Complicated Kindness is a page turner. I found myself finishing the book about a week after I started it. I realize this may seem slow to some, but for someone who likes to savour books (or perhaps more accurately someone who has the attention span of a goldfish like yours truly) this book went by at light-speed. I’ve heard complaints about the lack of closure that the book offers, but to I appreciated Toews’ decision to leave Nomi’s fate, and the fate of her family, in the hands of her readers’ optimism level.
Rory Reads 