what i'm reading: a complicated kindness by mirian toews

I've started A Complicated Kindness, by the Canadian novelist Miriam Toews, the first of a few novels I took out of the library to give my brain a break from overly dense history.

I really like the book so far, especially the voice of the teenaged narrator. I'm always interested in books with a teenage narrator, especially ones that are not necessarily written for young people. Toews's narrator feels very authentic and not forced, which can be a common pitfall.

I had A Complicated Kindness from the library last year, but for some reason I never got to it. While it was sitting around the house, Allan picked it up, and he found the depiction of growing up in a repressive religious environment rang true as well. I'm enjoying the dark humour and the pointed observations.

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