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The Flying Troutmans

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 2,755 ratings · 422 reviews

"Min was stranded in her bed, hooked on the blue torpedoes and convinced that a million silver cars were closing in on her (I didn't know what Thebes meant either), Logan was in trouble at school, something about the disturbing stories he was writing, Thebes was pretending to be Min on the phone with his principal, the house was crumbling around them, the black screen door...more "Min was stranded in her bed, hooked on the blue torpedoes and convinced that a million silver cars were closing in on her (I didn't know what Thebes meant either), Logan was in trouble at school, something about the disturbing stories he was writing, Thebes was pretending to be Min on the phone with his principal, the house was crumbling around them, the black screen door had blown off in the wind, a family of aggressive mice was living behind the piano, the neighbours were pissed off because of hatchets being thrown into their yard at night (again, confusing, something to do with Logan) … basically, things were out of control. And Thebes is only eleven."
–from The Flying Troutmans

Days after being dumped by her boyfriend Marc in Paris – "he was heading off to an ashram and said we could communicate telepathically" – Hattie hears her sister Min has been checked into a psychiatric hospital, and finds herself flying back to Winnipeg to take care of Thebes and Logan, her niece and nephew. Not knowing what else to do, she loads the kids, a cooler, and a pile of CDs into their van and they set out on a road trip in search of the children's long-lost father, Cherkis.

In part because no one has any good idea where Cherkis is, the traveling matters more than the destination. On their wayward, eventful journey down to North Dakota and beyond, the Troutmans stay at scary motels, meet helpful hippies, and try to ignore the threatening noises coming from under the hood of their van. Eleven-year-old Thebes spends her time making huge novelty cheques with arts and crafts supplies in the back, and won't wash, no matter how wild and matted her purple hair gets; she forgot to pack any clothes. Four years older, Logan carves phrases like "Fear Yourself" into the dashboard, and repeatedly disappears in the middle of the night to play basketball; he's in love, he says, with New York Times columnist Deborah Solomon. Meanwhile, Min can't be reached at the hospital, and, more than once, Hattie calls Marc in tears.

But though it might seem like an escape from crisis into chaos, this journey is also desperately necessary, a chance for an accidental family to accept, understand or at least find their way through overwhelming times. From interwoven memories and scenes from the past, we learn much more about them: how Min got so sick, why Cherkis left home, why Hattie went to Paris, and what made Thebes and Logan who they are today.

In this completely captivating book, Miriam Toews has created some of the most engaging characters in Canadian literature: Hattie, Logan and Thebes are bewildered, hopeful, angry, and most of all, absolutely alive. Full of richly skewed, richly funny detail, The Flying Troutmans is a uniquely affecting novel.(less)

Hardcover, 274 pages

Published September 2nd 2008 by Knopf Canada

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Feb 25, 2012 Jennifer (aka EM) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: canlit, hidden-gems, for-diane

This thing got me from the very first paragraph – it threw me in the back of its van in Winnipeg, and sped off down a dusty, prairie road with me, across borders temporal, geographical and emotional, and it didn’t let me go until it had wrung me out, surprised me, made me laugh, made me cry, made me FEEL oh so much, and then left me on the tarmac in San Diego heading back home, with a grain of hope that yeah, the kids (will be) alright.

First up: the voice. A kind of early Tom Robbins whimsy desc...more

8 likes · like · see review

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Jennifer (aka EM) I haven't wanted to intrude here, but now ... I simply must, because I want to respond to Emilie's brilliant comments (and yes, Emilie, I agree with j...more
Apr 22, 2012 05:40am

Emilie thank you, jennifer. you're making me blush.

Exactly, exactly!! Although I think we got an "everything was going to be alright" kind of vibe at the end...more
Apr 22, 2012 07:03pm

Feb 27, 2012 jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to jo by: Jennifer (aka EM)

Shelves: canadian, mama-is-crazy, kids, psychic-pain, blew-my-mind

i have this gr friend i won’t say their name and they read this book and told me jo you should read it it’s sort of like Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones which if you don’t remember is the 2011 national book award winner and describes a poor rural black family before and during hurricane katrina

as you can imagine i was intrigued on account of what can this little canadian romp of a book possibly have in common with salvage the bones which is dead serious and sultry and racked with tragedy and so...more

6 likes · like · see review

Dec 11, 2008 Rita rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved, most-recent

This is my favorite book. For all this time, whenever I’ve been asked that question, I’ve said, “Oh, there are so many that I love, it’s impossible to pin down just one and call it my favorite.”

Now, it’s possible.

The characters, the storyline, the writing, the dialog all comes together so that every word is necessary and there aren’t any to spare. It is just perfect.

Hattie is on a road trip with her 15 year-old nephew, Logan and 11 year-old niece, Thebes. The kids’ mother, Min, is mentally ill a...more

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Sep 23, 2008 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: funny-stuff, all-time-faves

Who wouldn't want to go on a road trip with Miriam Toews?
This is another top notch delight in an increasingly brilliant career. The best thing about MT's writing is that it manages to be both cool and heartbreakingly sweet. The dialogue is the best thing out of Canada since the movie "Highway 61" and the characters are complex and deeply felt. I am going to marry this book. We will be registered at Macy's.

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Jan 08, 2009 Bookmarks Magazine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Miriam Toews

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Oct 31, 2009 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I've found a new favorite writer, methinks. This is one of a string of books that all but destroyed my own will to write. But in a good way.

This book is hilarious but also hits you where it counts. Here's a little taste, after the narrator Hattie has been picked up from the airport by her (underage) nephew Logan and niece Thebes:

"Logan ended up driving back to their house because I didn't know how to tell him not to and because he hadn't seemed interested in relinquishing control of the wheel an...more

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Sep 30, 2008 Corey rated it 4 of 5 stars

If, along the way, something is gained, then something will also be lost. Those words were emblazoned on Min's bedroom wall, burned into the wallpaer with a charred wine-bottle cork. Our parents dismissed them as psuedo-profound, angsty-adolescent babble, but they haunted me. Why should that be? I wondered. How did she know that? Did she really believe it, or did she just like the way those words looked in burnt cork?
- from The Flying Troutmans

Let's make an analogy between books and buildings. S...more If, along the way, something is gained, then something will also be lost. Those words were emblazoned on Min's bedroom wall, burned into the wallpaer with a charred wine-bottle cork. Our parents dismissed them as psuedo-profound, angsty-adolescent babble, but they haunted me. Why should that be? I wondered. How did she know that? Did she really believe it, or did she just like the way those words looked in burnt cork?
- from The Flying Troutmans

Let's make an analogy between books and buildings. Some books, like some buildings, are mammoth in scope, appearance, and construction. You can smell the sweat of the author on the pages. You can see the mortar in the cracks. You stare at it, and are amazed. Infinite Jest. Against the Day. Underworld. Books that demand your attention not only for their overall quality, but for the effort as well.

And there's nothing wrong with this. A well-built edifice can be a thing of beauty. Underworld is a spectacular skyscraper of a novel.

But such monuments may serve to denigrate the 'simpler' buildings. Buildings of equal care and precision, and certainly of equal effort, as their more elaborate counterparts, but buildings that don't show off. Like a house that offers its residents a sense of peace and acceptance, obscuring the work that went into its construction. Or a book that quietly leads its readers along a journey, offering multitudes of pleasures, only upon reflection revealing the immense craft that went into its manufacture. Alice Munro is a grand master of such writing. And Miriam Toews is no slouch.

Enter The Flying Troutmans, Toews' first release since her monstrously successful (and damned good) A Complicated Kindness. Like her previous output, the simplicity of Toews' writing belies the artistry which lies underneath. You enjoy the work, but she makes it appear so effortless that subconsciously you may not appreciate how artful an author Toews really is. It requires monumental skill to write in such a fashion that you don't notice the author's perspiration that undercoats every word.

The linchpin of Toews' tale is Min, a manic-depressive who has undergone complete mental collapse. Picking up the pieces of Min's life is Hattie, Min's sister and Troutmans' narrator. Hattie had always watched over her older sister, but had taken the step of moving to Paris, fleeing "Min's dark planet for the City of Lights." Now, Hattie has had to return to care for Min's children;
Thebes, an eleven-year-old daughter prone to speaking in gansta slang, and Logan, a fifiteen-year-old son unwillingly thrust into responsibility too soon. And before you can say "Hollywood road movie," she's loaded up the family and headed south in search of the children's long-absent father.

As I rather dismissively wrote above, the trappings of The Flying Troutmans is a road trip, that classic staple of Hollywood quirk. It goes without saying that the reader will be reminded strongly of films such as Little Miss Sunshine and The Daytrippers, although it is quite unfair to simply lump Troutmans in as yet another 'weird family' road movie. The travelogue may have become co-opted and popularized by the cinema, but it has its roots in literature, and as Troutmans ably proves, there's life in the genre yet (alongside Michael Winter's recent triumph The Architects Are Here). A good road trip narrative understands that - and here comes another old reliable stand-by - it's not the destination that's important, but the journey.

Toews' great strength as an artist is complete empathy for her characters, combined with a subtle wit and a genuine flair for imagery. Her narrative careens from past memories to current events with nary a misstep. Her tour of the American heartland is warm and funny, complete with reliable standbys such as people who confuse Manitoba with California, and the realization that the Grand Canyon is simply an enormous hole.

In the end, it's simply a great story, wonderfully told. Sometimes, as we bounce around the post-modern world, we forget just how important and rare a skill that is.(less)

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Feb 07, 2009 Irene rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book I've read by Miriam Toews, the first being A Complicated Kindness. She is a joy to read. Unlike anyone else that I've found. Funny, sad, idiosyncratic, touching, original.

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Dec 12, 2008 Josey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite, funny, would-recommend

Heartbreaking and funny at the same time, "The Flying Troutmans" is a slice of real(painful,tenderly funny,achingly beautiful)life. Toews captures the soul of these characters, and the way that dysfunctional family is better than no family.

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Dec 10, 2008 Relyn rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: sounds weird, but people who enjoy reading about mental illness and its effects

I discovered this book at my favorite bookstore, The Reading Reptile in Kansas City. It's a children's bookstore. So, I really pay attention to the adult books they choose. This was beautifully, sensitively written. In all, the story has been told before. It was about the effect of mental illness on a family, specifically a mother's illness on her children and the sibling left to pick up the pieces. Not sorry I read it. Won't reread it.

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Nov 17, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian

Hattie has returned from her life in Paris to help her sister out yet again. Min has a history of mental illness and Hattie has helped out when necessary all their lives. Min is sinking into a depression and Hattie comes to help with her niece and nephew, 11-year-old Thebes and 15-year-old Logan. When Min is hospitalized and pushes her family away, Hattie decides the best thing to do would be to go on a road trip to find the kids' dad Cherkis. As they drive around the U.S. following Cherkis' tra...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Margaret rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

28 year old Hattie leaves Paris for Winnipeg to care for her niece and nephew while her sister is in the mental wing of the hospital once again. 15 year old Logan and 11 year old Thebes prove to be a handful and Hattie decides to find their father who is currently out of their lives. They take a road trip to California to find him.

Hattie will probably spend years caring for her sister and children and will probably not have a life of her own for a long time.. that's what the book seems to predic...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Mike Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This very funny book had me smiling most of the time and laughing out loud often, even on the bus! There's almost no plot to speak off. 30-something Aunt Hattie (the narrator of the story) takes her 15-year-old nephew and 11-year-old niece on a road trip in a semi-road-worthy van to find the children's long-gone father when their mother is committed to hospital for severe mental illness. Most of the story is Hattie's wonderfully droll descriptions of her attempts to connect with the children and...more

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May 14, 2011 Steven Buechler rated it 4 of 5 stars

A dysfunctional family goes on a road trip to sort themselves (and each other) out. A brillant read proving that life is a journey not a destination.

-Page 1
"Yeah, so things have fallen apart. A few weeks ago I got a collect call from my niece, Thebes, in the middle of the night, asking me to please come back to help with Min. She told me she'd been trying to take care of things but it wasn't working any more. Min was stranded in her bed, hooked on blue topedoes and convinced that a million silve...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Christie rated it 3 of 5 stars

When Hattie gets a frantic phone call from her eleven year old niece, Thebes, to “come quick”, Hattie leaves her life in Paris and flies home to Manitoba.

“Min was stranded in her bed, hooked on the blue torpedoes and convinced that a million silver cars were closing in on her (I didn’t know what Thebes meant either), Logan was in trouble at school, something about the disturbing stories he was writing, Thebes was pretending to be Min on the phone with his principal, the house was crumbling aroun...more When Hattie gets a frantic phone call from her eleven year old niece, Thebes, to “come quick”, Hattie leaves her life in Paris and flies home to Manitoba.

“Min was stranded in her bed, hooked on the blue torpedoes and convinced that a million silver cars were closing in on her (I didn’t know what Thebes meant either), Logan was in trouble at school, something about the disturbing stories he was writing, Thebes was pretending to be Min on the phone with his principal, the house was crumbling around them, the black screen door had blown off in the wind, a family of aggressive mice was living behind the piano, the neighbours were pissed off because of hatchets being thrown into their yard at night (again, confusing, something to do with Logan) … basically, things were out of control. And Thebes is only eleven."

Thebes’s mother, Min, is Hattie’s older sister. Theirs is a complicated relationship fraught with sibling rivalry, of course, but also touched by Min’s mental illness. Their parents are almost non-existent in this story: we learn only of their father’s tragic death. Still, Hattie loves her niece and nephew- even though she hasn’t seen them in quite a while and even if she seems ill-equipped to care for them.

What she decides to do is take them on a road trip to find their father - who has been out of the picture for several years. Hattie remembers him fondly and thinks he’d be the perfect person to care for the kids while their mother recovers in hospital.

What follows is a road trip quite unlike any other as the Troutmans travel first south and then across country to California.

These are damaged people: fragile and angry and resilient. As they make their way closer to the kids’ Dad, they form a bond built on trust and love. They’re kooky, no question, but they’re most definitely family.

I read Toews’ novel A Complicated Kindness a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. I liked this even better. It was laugh-out-loud funny and the ending was full of hope and these characters, particularly Thebes, were some of the most enchanting (albeit nutty) people I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with in recent memory.

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Dec 12, 2010 Mrsgaskell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 7-star, canadiana

Hattie Troutman is 28, living in Paris, and has just been dumped by her boyfriend when she receives a call for help from her 11-year-old niece, Thebes. Her sister Min, the mother of Thebes as well as 15-year-old Logan, has a history of mental illness and needs to go into the hospital. Min sent the children’s father, Cherkis, packing many years ago, and the kids need someone to look after them. Hattie returns to Manitoba where she finds caring for her niece and nephew an overwhelming responsibili...more

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Sep 03, 2010 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, own

I read this reluctantly. I received it via an indie-book-of-the-month club rather than deliberately. The only thing I tend to dislike more than stories about dysfunctional families is stories about eccentric ones. And I especially dislike eccentric children. Also, I didn't enjoy Little Miss Sunshine, although I never doubted that was coincidence.

All that said, I did not dislike this book. It was well-written. Still not my taste, and I disliked Thebes all the way to the end, but the narrator and...more

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Apr 04, 2010 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: If you enjoyed 'Little Miss Sunshine' you'd probably get a kick out of this

Recommended to Brittany by: Sarah

Shelves: canadian, coming-of-age, literary-fiction, fiction

How I Came To Read This Book: Apparently when I was in college and exempt from can lit, my friends read Miriam Toews' "Summer of my Amazing Luck". They loved it and were inspired to read more of her work, including the quite popular 'The Flying Troutmans'.

The Plot: Hattie is living in Paris, newly dumped, when she gets the call that her older sister Min needs to be checked into a psychiatric hospital - again. Hattie hops the next plane home to Winnipeg to take care of Min's kids, silently distur...more

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Mar 11, 2010 Lorraine rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Flying Troutmans written by Miriam Toews is about an aunt that flew from Paris to mend back her sister’s fractured family. This story constantly jumps between a cheerful moment to a dark and serious situation. Because of the jumps between the both, this story constantly changes the mood of the story.

The characters Toews had created were all unique in their own different ways. Each character’s real personalities weren’t shown in the beginning of the book, but were later on slowly revealed in...more The Flying Troutmans written by Miriam Toews is about an aunt that flew from Paris to mend back her sister’s fractured family. This story constantly jumps between a cheerful moment to a dark and serious situation. Because of the jumps between the both, this story constantly changes the mood of the story.

The characters Toews had created were all unique in their own different ways. Each character’s real personalities weren’t shown in the beginning of the book, but were later on slowly revealed in various different ways, both hilarious and depressing. This story is similar to a very famous movie called “Little Miss sunshine” with a bright-lovable girl, like Thebes but exactly. Toews had made her own simple twist in the story to make it a lot better than the movie.

Throughout the story Toews had made several flashbacks of the past. This technique she used was a great way to slowly reveal and or find out more about the relationship between the two sisters and what caused Min to end up like what she is today. The flashbacks had helped clarify some misconception that both Logan and Thebes had of their father, but most importantly it helped inform the significant moments in Hattie’s life. In this book Toews had tried to make both the reader laugh and cry. There were times where you find Thebes to be the happiest and most humorous kid you had ever known. But on the other hand you find her in the motel room cutting her. What caused both humour and grief in this book were the characters personalities and their hidden inner feeling. “ I thought of all times Thebes had pretended to be somebody else on the phone and now when she was being herself it hadn’t worked out” ( Toews 214). Hattie had always wanted the kids to be themselves. But she found out that it takes time and love in order for one to reveal their true identities.

I found this book very interesting and different from all the others. I find its uniqueness in the formation of the characters. Though there were many strange and bizarre times of each character, it all fitted together really well. Some of the funniest parts of the story were the phone call with Logan’s school, the confessions and the brother and sister arguments. “It’s a big school? said Thebes. Well, then , you’ll be happy to be rid of one eh?” (Toews 58). Overall the characters, storyline and dialogue were all meaningful and beautifully put together.

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Mar 12, 2010 Sophia M rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Flying Troutmans, a nutty novel by Miriam Toews is about a family who think they are in the crack house. Hattie Troutmans life is almost perfect: the French boyfriend, living in the city of love and painting portraits of strangers that is … until her life is turned upside down. She receives a frightening phone call from her 11 year old niece Thebes, saying that Hattie’s sister Min has hit the wall once again. Hattie packs her one and only large suitcase, leaves her Ghandi-like ex-boyfriend,...more The Flying Troutmans, a nutty novel by Miriam Toews is about a family who think they are in the crack house. Hattie Troutmans life is almost perfect: the French boyfriend, living in the city of love and painting portraits of strangers that is … until her life is turned upside down. She receives a frightening phone call from her 11 year old niece Thebes, saying that Hattie’s sister Min has hit the wall once again. Hattie packs her one and only large suitcase, leaves her Ghandi-like ex-boyfriend, and is off to Winnipeg to be the best aunt and sister she can be. Having realized that Min needs to be put in a psychiatric hospital, Hattie is up to her eyeballs in fear; she has never looked after two kids alone and frankly she does not think she is capable of it. With the van packed like sardines with crazy art supplies, they are off. Logan, Thebes, and Hattie are off on an adventurous road trip to find the children’s father, in hopes that he will come back to Winnipeg and help take care of the kids.

Miriam Toews is a brilliant author, the words that flow onto her pages are effortless, and all seem to fit together perfectly. The things I really enjoyed about the book were the characters. Toews defined the characters to a tea; she managed to captivate me in the most outrageous of ways by making fun of the characters and their attributes. “Thebes came running over to me...she had fake tattoos all over her arms and her hair was an intense purple.” This itself defines the characters and shows that this book is going to be one heck of a ride. The book intrigued me by showing a great deal of emotion and family struggle. The relationship that Hattie and Min share is not the stereotypical loving, easy as pie relationship that most sisters have. The stories that are shared in this book depict a growing relationship between Min and Hattie and the road that they are taking to make it stronger. One thing that I found this book was lacking was an overall climax. Sure, Hattie had an epiphany, but it had nothing to do what so ever with the initial plot. I found that Toews could have gone farther and completed the story in regards to Min back in Winnipeg. The overall feel I had about this book was amazing; the characters, the plot, and the eloquence in the writing were phenomenal. I would recommend this book to any person who wants to take a road trip with one of the wackiest Canadian families ever.
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Mar 11, 2010 Sonia Fung rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Flying Troutmans is the first book I have read written by Miriam Toews. It might not be the best book, but it is good enough to be labelled as a well- written book that I would like to spend my time reading it. I enjoyed the story because it touches my heart and I can relate to the values in the book. Though some of the parts were less interesting, I believe there is a purpose behind each of them in which Miriam chose to write about. However, it was disappointing when it comes to the ending...more The Flying Troutmans is the first book I have read written by Miriam Toews. It might not be the best book, but it is good enough to be labelled as a well- written book that I would like to spend my time reading it. I enjoyed the story because it touches my heart and I can relate to the values in the book. Though some of the parts were less interesting, I believe there is a purpose behind each of them in which Miriam chose to write about. However, it was disappointing when it comes to the ending, which the story does not exactly have one.

The beginning of the story catches my attention because of the messed up life of Hattie. Hattie, the central character, needed to take up the enormous responsibility of taking care of her psychotic sister, Min. As well, she had to look after her niece and nephew, Thebes and Logan, who were Min’s children. The focus of the story began after Min begged Hattie to help her die-a request in which Hattie rejected. Not having any other choices, Hattie ended up taking Thebes and Logan with her to look for their father, Cherkis. Putting totally different personalities of characters together, the author makes the story seem so frustrating, yet hilarious. None of them liked each other in the beginning; but throughout the experiences they went through during their journey, they eventually learned to cherish their relationship. “I wouldn’t think about the possibility of this being our last night together for a long time.” (P. 199) Character development was greatly shown in the descriptions of the characters, while they commenced to realize the meaning of life.

“I had faith in my plan. I had faith in Min. And I loved her.” (P.259) I think this story is influential; it tells us simply with faith, any dream can come true. As well, Logan’s theory for shooting basketball helped to strengthen the theme of the story because it was expressed by a 15 year-old teenager who doubted about his life. Certain values of life are depicted very nicely in the story, and this is the part which I appreciate a lot.

Nevertheless, the ending was the worst section as I was thirsting for more to happen in the end. For some reason, Miriam seems really rushed to end the story; she has left all the unknown consequences for us to imagine. Though I dislike the ending, I think the book overall is still enjoyable. It is a wonderful story portrayed with love, faith and challenges in life.
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Mar 10, 2010 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

“Help me to die.
No, never.”
-Min and Hattie Troutman

The Flying Troutmans is a novel about choices and sacrifice. Hattie Troutman, the protagonist, chooses to leave her job and her boyfriend in Paris to come home to Winnipeg and take care of her depressed sister, Min, and her children, Logan and Thebes, when Min has to go to a psychiatric hospital. Hattie and the kids sacrifice much for Min, because they love her. Hattie takes Logan and Thebes on a road trip through the US to find their father,...more

“Help me to die.
No, never.”
-Min and Hattie Troutman

The Flying Troutmans is a novel about choices and sacrifice. Hattie Troutman, the protagonist, chooses to leave her job and her boyfriend in Paris to come home to Winnipeg and take care of her depressed sister, Min, and her children, Logan and Thebes, when Min has to go to a psychiatric hospital. Hattie and the kids sacrifice much for Min, because they love her. Hattie takes Logan and Thebes on a road trip through the US to find their father, Cherkis, who Min sent packing ten years earlier. The three protagonists have many adventures while on the road, and Hattie gets a bit annoyed by Thebes and Logan, who “talk to much, and not enough, respectively.”
“The Flying Troutmans” is written by Miriam Toews. The story is written very simply, and no quotation marks are used in the dialogue. (Thebes,I said. Yo, she said.) Though at first this may make the book seem like it is not well written, I believe it in fact makes the writing of this novel that much more impressive, because Toews had to work even harder to make the book come across this way.
The author also uses flashbacks from Hattie’s childhood and youth. These flashbacks illustrate what it was like for Hattie to grow up with a sister that is depressed. They also inform the reader about significant events in Hattie’s life, such as the death of her father while the family was on vacation, and the many times when Min tried to kill herself.
Logan, Thebes, and Hattie sacrifice much for each other and for Min. When he finds his father, Logan wants to spend the summer with him, but feels guilty about leaving his mother. Hattie encourages him to stay with Cherkis and makes her final decision. Hattie sacrifices her independent life to return once again to Winnipeg, where she will stay with her sister and look after her children no matter what happens.

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Feb 21, 2010 Sabrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. " The Flying Troutmans" was the first book I ever read that was by Miriam Toews. I must say, I found it pretty amazing. There are so many quotes in this book that can allow you to relate to your own life, and with this I found that Toews is able to connect with her readers. She really knows the common situations that occur within ones life.

Min Troutman is once again in a state of depression, and Hattie Troutman (sister) is called from Paris to come and help. Min is sent to the hospital as she...more " The Flying Troutmans" was the first book I ever read that was by Miriam Toews. I must say, I found it pretty amazing. There are so many quotes in this book that can allow you to relate to your own life, and with this I found that Toews is able to connect with her readers. She really knows the common situations that occur within ones life.

Min Troutman is once again in a state of depression, and Hattie Troutman (sister) is called from Paris to come and help. Min is sent to the hospital as she was definitely in need of care. Min tells Hattie to help her die, and as a sister, that is one of the decisions that she does end up making throughout the book. Instead of telling Logan and Thebes that, a road trip was planned to find Cherkis, the runaway husband. On the road trip, many things about the kids are revealed and Hattie feels that she is able to connect with them more. Yet another question pops up, is Hattie going to stay when they find Cherkis? or is she going to leave and go back to Paris to Marc who now wants her back? In the end Hattie stays, realizing that that is going to be what's best for the kids, knowing that she is going to be helping out Min, as she is now back home.

One of the few quotes that really grabbed my attention was "Love is... cartoons. Love is...killing your sister when she asks you to? Love is...refusing to kill your sister when she asks you to?." Many do not specifically think of a "killing their sister" situation but love does come into mind at least once or twice in someone's life. With that said, love can be very questionable, whether you stay with the one you love for the sake of your family to be wealthy or stay with the one you love for the sake that you really do like him.

Toews diction and writing is exceptional. "She had fake tattoos all over her arms and her hair was intense purple, matted and wild, and she melted into me..." I felt that she was able to describe the emotion and characteristic of Thebes very well, she can attract her readers with great explanation and depth in her writing.

"The Flying Troutmans" was a real page turner, but there would be specific parts in which is not that funny. I was told by a librarian that it was a "laugh out loud" sort of book, yet I never found it funny until three quarters way through it. That was disappointing. "Good one, eh? she said. No? who knew I could drive?" Toews adds a sense of humor within the character well. Overall, it is definitely a "must bring on a trip" book.
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Jan 08, 2010 Nicola rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own

Reason for Reading: The publisher's plot synopsis grabbed me right away.

Summary: Hattie in Paris, who has just been dumped by her boyfriend, receives an urgent message from her niece in Manitoba to come home quickly. Hattie's sister Min is in a deep depression and needs to go into the hospital again and when Hattie arrives she finds the kids in a state. Teenage Logan retreats into his hoodie all the time, rarely speaks and the neighbors have a backyard full of hatchets. Thebes, on the other hand...more Reason for Reading: The publisher's plot synopsis grabbed me right away.

Summary: Hattie in Paris, who has just been dumped by her boyfriend, receives an urgent message from her niece in Manitoba to come home quickly. Hattie's sister Min is in a deep depression and needs to go into the hospital again and when Hattie arrives she finds the kids in a state. Teenage Logan retreats into his hoodie all the time, rarely speaks and the neighbors have a backyard full of hatchets. Thebes, on the other hand, does not stop talking, ever, and looks as if she hasn't changed clothes in a few weeks nor combed, let alone washed her hair in months. Hattie is totally not up to the job of looking after two children so she takes the children in the van on a road trip to the States to find their father whom Min chased out of their lives when they Logan was a toddler and Thebes newly born. With only the name of a place of where he was ten years ago they set off.

Comments: What a wonderful, brilliant book! A humourous, heart-felt, sometimes poignant story of a family of the most quirky characters. This family is both dysfunctional and each member is suffering their own mental health problems but they are also lovable, unique and become accepted to the reader just the way they are. The only character I didn't connect with nor grow to like was Hattie, who was quite negligent with looking after the children and as a 32yo woman had no excuse for her behaviour except that she daydreamed about her ex-boyfriend back in Paris and hadn't looked after children before. I didn't buy it. However, the children and Min (who we get to know through Hattie's memories) were extremely outlandish yet totally believable characters.

A great story that will have you chuckling, shaking your head and growing fonder of these two children the more you read. I really enjoyed this, my first foray into Toews, and I will be looking into her other work hoping to find the same quality of story. The book vaguely reminded me of the movie "Little Miss Sunshine" and I pictured Logan just as the teenage son in that movie. If you enjoy an offbeat story populated with eccentric characters this book will certainly fit the bill. (less)

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Oct 21, 2009 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

What a novel!!!! You'll laugh yourself to death reading this one! It's funny, fast-paced, ascerbic, witty, and a hit-a-nail-on-the-head writing that captures the true essence of youthful language. As a parent, reading along and listening to Thebes talk, you'll want to shout out: 'PLEASE!!!! STOP TALKING, JUST FOR FIVE MINUTES!!!" What a ride reading this has been. LOL

From cover:

"Meet the Troutmans. The impetuous Hattie has just been dumped by her Paris boyfriend; her sister, Min, is going throug...more

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Apr 17, 2009 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: quick-reads

This is a road trip book, in which you're trapped in a beat up Ford Aerostar with the Troutman family as they careen across the United States, searching for a long lost father, and a plan.

I loved riding in the car with these characters. They are funny, and fun. The teenage Troutman, his little sister, and their emotionally unprepared aunt are bearing up well under sad circumstances, namely the cyclical, debilitating depression of the kids' mother, who is recently hospitalized and unable to reme...more

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May 09, 2013 a'tte rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very honest and sad story about vulnerability, and a family lost in an absence of stable ground. In this story, the struggle with mental illness, and its consequences and impact on family and relationships, is the isolating element. Towes really captures and conveys through her writing -through her style and characters and the story itself- the underlying theme of isolation and a sort of helplessness from not knowing how, or struggling to find a sense of stability and security in the utter absen...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Autumn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, family, travel

The Flying Troutmans is a story of a relationship between two sisters, the remembered history, closeness and distance one feels toward the other, especially poignant as one of the sisters is having a mental crack-up resulting in a hospitalization and the abandonment of her children. The children are then left to the devices of the aunt, who decides to travel to California to both investigate her sister's condition and also figure out what to do with her niece and nephew. The relationships and ch...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Dianne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Interesting. I think that's the word I'd use to describe this book. I didn't love it, but the story is quite original and there's a lot to be said for that. The characters are fresh and funky and vulnerable and they left me curious to take a look at her other novels.

It is about a woman, Hattie, who comes home from Paris after her boyfriend dumps her. She has come to take care of her sister, niece and nephew when the sister, Min, is hospitalized for the depression that has plagued her throughout...more Interesting. I think that's the word I'd use to describe this book. I didn't love it, but the story is quite original and there's a lot to be said for that. The characters are fresh and funky and vulnerable and they left me curious to take a look at her other novels.

It is about a woman, Hattie, who comes home from Paris after her boyfriend dumps her. She has come to take care of her sister, niece and nephew when the sister, Min, is hospitalized for the depression that has plagued her throughout her life. Hattie doesn't really know what she's doing but Logan, 15, seldom says anything and Thebes, 11, talks nonstop and Hattie needs help. She decides they should all take a road trip to find the father they haven't seen in years. She has no clear plan, just a desperation to find someone who can take responsibility for the kids.

Logan drinks, smokes pot and drives without a license; he writes poetry about death and is withdrawn and anti-social. Thebes talks constantly and like a 60 yr old. She doesn't like to wash. Hattie smokes pot with Logan and doesn't argue when he carves a picture of a bashed up head into the leather dash of the car with a knife. Issues all around. It's a very...troubled...family dynamic.

Their drive across country, with the odd assortment of people they meet and the even odder situations they find themselves in makes up the bulk of the story. As a mother I was horrified at some of the things she had the kids doing or allowed them to do, but I could also relate to the tired, sad state that finds it easier to say "sure, why not" than to argue and lose. It got a little far-fetched but never boring.

As with many of the books I've read lately there was more bad language than I really needed, but I found the writing good - very easy to read - and the story moved along quickly. I just realized as I've been writing that this book is very sad. It was touted as "hilarious and heartbreaking" but I didn't find the hilarity. The characters make the best of a bad situation and there are a few ironic moments but I can't recommend it as a funny book. I do recommend it though if you're ready to read something a bit raw and gritty. It will pull you in and maybe, like me, it will get you interested enough to check out some more of Toews work. I like her writing and her thinking.

I, for one, am ready for a lighter read. The steady literary diet of tragedy, illness, perversion and cynicism I've been on is taking it's toll. Fortunately, abebooks.com, has just offered a list of "feel good" reads that I think I'm ready to sink my teeth into. I just have to finish posting on the books I've already read and then I'm going to move on to something light and maybe even fun. (less)

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Oct 20, 2009 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book offers a wonderful glimpse of the genuine "family dynamic" between a childless aunt and her mentally ill sister's teenage son and adolescent daughter. The characters are quirky but so well fleshed-out that you as the reader cannot help feeling as much compassion for them as if they were real people.

Hattie lacks life direction and does a brilliant, unsentimental job of relaying her self-doubts to the reader. Logan struggles with his mother Min's sickness and his responsibility for his y

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About Miriam Toews

Miriam Toews is a Canadian writer of Mennonite descent. She grew up in Steinbach, Manitoba and has lived in Montreal and London, before settling in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Toews studied at the University of Manitoba and the University of King's College in Halifax, and has also worked as a freelance newspaper and radio journalist. Her non-fiction book "Swing Low: A Life" was a memoir of her father, a vi...more

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Quotes from The Flying Troutmans

“Conversing with children is a fine art.... An art form that demands large amounts of both honesty and misdirection. Or maybe discretion is a better word.” — 7 people liked it

“If, along the way, something is gained, then something will also be lost.” — 7 people liked it

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