Head Cook at Weddings & Funerals

by VI Plotnikoff, Rita Moir (Editor), Julian Ross (Editor)

In its third printing, this collection of short stories is an authentic account of Doukhobor life.

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Janet Barclay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting fictional stories about the daily lives of Doukhobors who settled in western Canada. I had never heard of this community before, so it was interesting and made me more curious about other ethnic groups who have chosen Canada as their home over the decades.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The short stories are told in the first person by a Doukhobor girl named Ana. She recounts experiences as a young girl trying to belong in Canadian society and yet obey and respect her parents’ values and beliefs. The first stories are set on the Saskatchewan prairie but eventually move to the Kootenay region in BC. Plotnifkoff who was raised as a Doukhobor wants to help people understand some of the Doukhobor history, beliefs, and culture. I found the stories entertaining and interesting. It is important for me to understand the difference between the minority Doukhobor group called the Sons of Freedom and the less radical Doukhobors. The author lives in Castlegar.

[Marmot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, poignant stories of a young girl in 1950's Doukhobour community (most likely Castlegar, and would probably be about the right era for some of this to be based on the authors own experiences). I liked these stories, but they were generally sad, and the theme of loss was predominant. I liked learning about some of the history of these people from my local area in the context of these fictional stories. I also liked how the stories were short and could be read in any order, yet had the same characters, so that you felt you got to know them better throughout the book.