Flying with Amelia

by Anne Degrace

Flying with Amelia chronicles the dreams and struggles of a cast of unforgettable characters through more than a hundred years and across a vast landscape as they face challenges and find courage, sometimes in surprising places.

In 1847 a famine ship arrives in Canada from Ireland, and here, the tale begins, weaving through generations and time. A St. John’s boy learns the finer points of communication while his employer receives the first transatlantic wireless signal. A British Home Child finds sorrow and solace on an Ontario farmstead. In 1920s Montreal, a one-armed veteran gambles everything for a future with a beautiful, intelligent, political young woman. In northern Manitoba, German prisoners of war find creative ways to quell boredom. RCMP officers snatch Doukhobor children in British Columbia, while a decade later U.S. draft dodgers find refuge in Canada. In the title story, a young Maritimer answers a personal ad written by a Saskatchewan schoolteacher, resulting in recipes and romance set against a backdrop of unrest during the Great Depression—while the world looks to the skies for hope, inspiration, and a glimpse of a bright wingtip caught in the sun.

From the heady days of the FLQ crisis to the dawning evidence of climate change in Canada’s north, Flying with Amelia weaves a collective identity, taking us on a journey from the first sight of a new land, through a century, and beyond.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada, Short Stories, Ebooks, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

Reviews

[Kristene Perron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually, no two words are guaranteed to put me to sleep faster than "Canadian history", so imagine my great surprise and delight when Anne DeGrace's latest novel not only captivated me but also made me want to know more about my country's past long after the final page was turned.

Though the stories in "Flying with Amelia" are joined by a loose thread, each story is compelling and stands on its own. You could open the book to any story and start reading, though I enjoyed starting from the beginning and watching Canada grow and change before my eyes.

The real magic of this book, though, is the characters. From twelve-year-old William, who discovers the wonders of telegraph communication against the backdrop of a poor and brutal Newfoundland childhood, to the irrepressible Peggy McGrath, (who can read the newspaper type backwards and upside down), who falls in long-distance love with an unemployed teacher in Saskatchewan during the great depression, DeGrace's characters feel fully fleshed by the first page. You are drawn so completely, and instantly, into their lives that it isn't until after the chapter ends that you realize, wow, there was actually an important moment of Canadian history in that story, as well.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves memorable characters or historical fiction. And for students who are learning about the True North Strong and Free, I can't think of a better book to help bring this diverse nation of ours to life.

[Shar Wallis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel that had some engaging characters and interesting Canadian settings and moments in history. The front cover says that this book is a novel, but it could also be classified as a collection of short stories. The first story starts in 1847 about two Irish family coming to Canada. Each story after that one is connected somehow. The last story takes place in 2012. The story "Flying with Amelia" is set in 1934 & is about a long distance pen pal relationship that takes place between an unemployed school teacher from Saskatchewan and a young woman in Nova Scotia. I enjoyed each of the different stories.
From The Globe and Mail Review: The chapters are connected by fragments of family. The novel shows how spread out and broken a family can become, especially in a land as vast as Canada. The varied settings connect time and place with significant events, personal and occasionally international. For example, Angel is set in Montreal in 1929, and clearly the stock-market crash plays a devastating role. All of the Colours is set in a PoW camp in rural Manitoba in 1944. A Different Country is set in Toronto in 1967 and features James, a young American draft dodger. In every case, DeGrace makes the place and time lift off the page.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book of interconnected stories from Ireland and Canada. From the trans-Atlantic cargo hold voyage during the potato famine to the genealogy search at then end of the book, what lies between is a hundred years of struggle of immigrants to a new country. Vignettes witnessed through significant periods of Canadian history, Ms. Degrace's writing style is beautiful and will stick with me for some time. I'm going to read her other four novels now. Distinctively Canadian book, distinctively wonderful book! Thanks Alice for your recommendation!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, the writing was four+ stars. The dreariness of the book was 2- stars. So, I averaged it out and put three stars.

Why, oh why, oh why does Canadian art have to be so dreary? Why?!? I am disgruntled that my home is so continuously portrayed this way by so many fellow Canadians. We are a friendly, vibrant, happy people who live interesting lives. Why do our artists, of every type, so often sink to the lowest common denominator of 'let's find a way to make this solid bit of work as miserable as possible'? Why?!?

Likely, I will look up other work by this author. The writing is solid. But, if it is a dreary as this book, I will not finish it and will stop looking up more of her work.

[Donna Linton-Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating book this was, reflecting on key aspects of Canada's history through the eyes of characters who lived generations apart yet were connected by blood and kin over 100 years. The stories ranged in geographical location from coast to coast in Canada, starting in 1847 when two families arrive on the East coast aboard a famine ship from Ireland and ends in 2012 when descendants of those first travelers make the voyage back to Ireland to retrace the steps of their ancestors.

[Dee Robb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written. A quick and easy read. I wish the author had written it more chronologically; it would have been easier to follow. Still, it was a sweeping story of Canadiana that was engaging and moving.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a Canadian book following the history of Canada and the characters within the book from the 1800's to present day. It was interesting to read about the different times and what life was like then.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads programme.**


If I have one quibble with Anne DeGrace's Flying with Amelia, it's in the decision to classify it as a novel. I understand that decision to some extent. DeGrace weaves events from Canada's history -- in fact, Canada's immigrant history and how it intersects with other events -- in order to attempt to creative a lively and cohesive view of Canada over time. So, as a novel, the main character is Canada, and the events and other characters serve to support it.

But I'd suggest that the book works better considered as a series of inter-connected short stories, and as that, worked well for me. DeGrace's writing is elegant and beautiful, and she manages to capture the different time periods so well, changing the way characters speak, the way they see the world, depending on what period the individual stories are set in. I think, perhaps, my favourite story, "A Different Country", is the best example of this. James is an American draft dodger who comes to Toronto in the late 1960s -- and DeGrace captures the Toronto of my childhood perfectly.

I wouldn't have discovered Flying with Amelia without having received it as part of the First Reads programme, and I'm so glad I did, and I'm looking forward now to seeking out more of Ann DeGrace's work.

[Marmot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how these stories somewhat traced a family line in Canada for over 100 years. This book reminded me of the authors first book, Treading Water, except with all of Canada as a setting rather than one small town, but similar idea of short stories over time. Each story had similar elements, like the relationship between two people. I liked it when I could tell how the next story was related within the family tree, but that wasn't possible for a few of them. The only story I didn't really enjoy was the one from the 1970's, it felt like a total rehash of another book I've read recently, The Hundred Dresses. I enjoyed the story from the 1950's set in New Denver the best.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all of De Grace's books and I really like her style. This novel follows in the tradition of her earlier ones, in that it is a collection of linked short stories. But this one is very ambitious: it attempts to tell us a story of Canada throughout the 20th century. It works beautifully.

This book as a whole has a great sense of breadth; the expanse of the country and the spread of historical moments over many years is expressed very well. Definitely recommended to my fellow Canadians.

Full Review

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what to say about this book. It is a collection of short stories loosely following a family coming from Ireland to Canada during the Potato Famine. Each subsequent story moves ahead a generation or two with the descendants' families. The individual stories are strong, well written, and expose Canadians to periods of their history of which they may not have been aware. Probably because these periods are not something Canadians would be proud of. Taken as a whole, the book left me with a really depressed feeling.

[Rachel Kragh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book as it is written beautifully and kept drawing me in at the beginning of each chapter, but I was always disappointed as each chapter ended with such sad endings. After being drawn into the characters not finding out what happened to the rest of their lives was soooo disappointing for me.

[Bonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book! It is a collection of vignettes of families through the ages, from the time of the great famine in Ireland to our time. The history of Canada is to,d in this collection of stories. Each new chapter is a different generation of descendants from the original families.

Really well researched and a really good book!

[Vanessa Farnsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

These linked, multigenerational stories entertain and enlighten as they intermingle the personal struggles of a remarkable collection of characters with pivotal moments in Canadian history. The result is a vision of Canada that is far more complex, intimate and absorbing than anything that’s taught in high school history classes.

[Lyse Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is for Canadians. I love the way the author wraps the story around not-so-well known (but fascinating) Canadian events with an Irish thread throughout the various generations. Brilliantly done.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any collection of short stories, my enjoyment changed from story to story. Mostly I found them thematically bland; lacking in strong emotion. And yet, interesting ideas, interesting setting, interesting themes.

[Ceanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not get into this book at all...very disjointed stories that seemed to have nothing to unite them. Very disappointing read. Read. About half of it and gave up.

[Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

thoroughly depressing Canadian stories....probably perfect for a senior English class to make them hate high school.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. I really liked how all of the stories linked together and came full circle. The historical components were really interesting too. Good read.

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, humanistic overview of major Canadian moments. However, I found that Flying With Amelia lacks cohesion (even with the "common ancestry" thread), and the narrative voice was sometimes awkward.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book of short stories that stuck with me for quite some time. I loved the way she captured the voices of the times.