Last month, in a rare break from the bottleneck chaos of
organizing Thin Air, festival publicist Bruce Symaka managed to compile a recommended
reading list for your summer reading pleasure. Consisting of twelve authors and
poets, consider it a reader’s map for the various events that will take place
in September, including plenty of Canadian roadside attractions along the way.
While on one of my own summer road trips, I had the
opportunity to stop for a rest and snack
on Lewis DeSoto’s latest novel, The
Restoration Artist. Coming off the success of A Blade of Grass, which put DeSoto on the international bestseller
map, this was certainly one recommendation I thought I should take advantage
of.
A story of the rediscovery of the self, hope and art, The Restoration Artist was perfectly
suited to my seasonal state of wistful contemplation and movement, even in its
darkest moments. DeSoto’s lead, Leo Millar, is a painter who has lost
everything, a character and narrative that parallels the author’s own personal
experience. Searching for hope, or at least some inspiration on a quaint island
retreat off the coast of France, Millar encourages his senses to hold onto
images of his family while he finds meaning in his present reality. Through the
relationships that develop with some of the island inhabitants, Millar puts
himself to work on restoring his soul - through the practice of making art, of course.
A lovely story that is perfect for daydreaming of far-off
settings and artistic endeavours, The
Restoration Artist makes for a nice break from the tedium of summer highway
travel.
Now, it’s time to hit the road again. Next stop is a gas-up
with Ann Shin’s The Family China with
the aim to hit up Michael Cormier’s The
Legacy of Tiananmen Square by sundown, if the traffic’s good.
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