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Intersection
A chance for a clean slate, to start over again, to leave the past behind and start it’s not possible. Or is it? Intersection (noun): a point at which two or more things intersect. Clarence is a man with a mysterious past who has found himself in a cottage community on the coast of British Columbia. His attempt to leave his old life behind and start a new one is tempered through the unexpected friendships that he forms within his new town. The revelation of his new friends’ hidden truths forces him to deal with his own dark history before he can move on. Owen is a socially awkward computer programmer and web designer in Ottawa who prefers the digital world to the superficial world of consumerism around him. In a chance encounter at a library, Owen meets a woman who grows to love him for who he is and helps him out of his shell. His love story comes crashing down all too soon and in an attempt to heal he decides to start over by moving across the country to British Columbia. Shawn is living an urban prairie life of mediocrity. His job barely pays the bills. His marriage has become loveless and abusive and his sense of self has eroded to the point that he is depressed and isolated. Shawn’s circumstances lead him to consider a desperate option. However, there is one last possibility, one that takes him west. Three Branches is a small cottage community on the west coast of British Columbia. It is a place to leave the past behind and start over with a clean slate. It is here that these three lives converge and in a surprising twist of events, this is the point of intersection.
328 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2016
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 5, 2018
*Disclaimer: Dave Semple is a friend of mine, and so yes, I will be kind. I do hope however, to be honest (as he would want me to be), and fair.
The brief plot: three men leading very separate lives find (as many of us do) that the world is perhaps a smaller place than imagined. Three lives come together in an unexpected manner, three journeys meet in one place.
Mr. Semple's prose is clear and straight-forward, a gentle read, and he has written a quintessentially Canadian novel about life, challenges, and making it through. He examines what it is that makes each of us... well, *us*, and invites the reader to think about that question for themselves.
To his credit, Mr. Semple has taken the time to learn about First Nations traditions and culture, and represents it here in his secondary characters in a manner that is both respectful and honest. It is obvious that he loves Canada, and at the same time, he does not shy away from some of the problems that we currently face in regards to our treatment of First Nations people. I appreciated that he pointed a lens at the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women, and was honest in allowing that there are some systemic issues of racism that may be behind the lack of movement in solving some of these cases.
Mr. Semple creates characters that are nuanced, and human: no flawless people here, save perhaps the wife who is presented to us through a very loving husband's eyes. Even then, it is clear that we are seeing the version of her that her husband sees, which may or may not be her entire being.
If there is a flaw in the novel, it would be that it is very centered in cis, straight male experience. However, I did not find this grating, perhaps because Mr. Semple's characters are so human, and relatable, and true. The author has written what he knows, and makes no bones about it.
Overall, Intersection is a lovely to read, thoughtful examination of life. Certainly it is well worth the time spent in its company, particularly with a coffee, and a comfy spot to sit - much like chatting with an old friend on a patio or by a fire.
The brief plot: three men leading very separate lives find (as many of us do) that the world is perhaps a smaller place than imagined. Three lives come together in an unexpected manner, three journeys meet in one place.
Mr. Semple's prose is clear and straight-forward, a gentle read, and he has written a quintessentially Canadian novel about life, challenges, and making it through. He examines what it is that makes each of us... well, *us*, and invites the reader to think about that question for themselves.
To his credit, Mr. Semple has taken the time to learn about First Nations traditions and culture, and represents it here in his secondary characters in a manner that is both respectful and honest. It is obvious that he loves Canada, and at the same time, he does not shy away from some of the problems that we currently face in regards to our treatment of First Nations people. I appreciated that he pointed a lens at the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women, and was honest in allowing that there are some systemic issues of racism that may be behind the lack of movement in solving some of these cases.
Mr. Semple creates characters that are nuanced, and human: no flawless people here, save perhaps the wife who is presented to us through a very loving husband's eyes. Even then, it is clear that we are seeing the version of her that her husband sees, which may or may not be her entire being.
If there is a flaw in the novel, it would be that it is very centered in cis, straight male experience. However, I did not find this grating, perhaps because Mr. Semple's characters are so human, and relatable, and true. The author has written what he knows, and makes no bones about it.
Overall, Intersection is a lovely to read, thoughtful examination of life. Certainly it is well worth the time spent in its company, particularly with a coffee, and a comfy spot to sit - much like chatting with an old friend on a patio or by a fire.
Displaying 1 of 1 review