Book Review: Too Close To The Falls by Catherine Gildiner
Genre: non-fiction, memoir
Until I read Catherine Gildiner’s childhood memoir Too Close To The Falls (1999), I was primarily a fiction reader. I hadn’t given the art of non-fiction a fair chance. This tale of growing up in the town of Lewiston near the Niagara Falls during the 1950′s delighted me so much, that I have now become an avid memoir reader.
The book spans from Gildiner’s earliest memories of working at her father’s pharmacy, at the age of four, to her teen years when she was expelled from Catholic school. Gildiner’s story is masterfully told with wit and tenderness. The reader succumbs to young Catherine’s naivety, as Gildiner captures the essence of childhood. This memoir has the power to fully engage the reader down to the last word.
The humor Gildiner uses reflects the authenticity of her childhood. When she discusses her friend Roy, whom she assists while delivering prescriptions,the reader gets the clear impression that young Catherine is unaffected by racial prejudices. She does not see Roy as an African American man; she sees him only as her friend.
Childhood is also a time where we learn to deal with the bullies of the world. When Catherine fights back against her nemesis Anthony, her inability to predict consequences lands her in the office of a child psychologist where she feels has to defend her sanity.
There are many laugh out loud moments in this book. The bond between Catherine and her mother is priceless.
Too Close To The Falls is a worthwhile read for anyone who is interested in writing a memoir, or anyone who is interested in an entertaining read that is both sincere and full of heart.
Writers Take Note:
If you are interested in writing a memoir, study the tone and voice Catherine Gildiner uses. Try to find your authentic voice and match it to the age you were when the events occured in your past. The dialogue in this book is matched with the background of the person speaking, which adds to its authenticity.
Even the most serious of subjects can use an injection of humor here and there. Pay attention to Gildiner’s subtle wit and situationally appropriate use of humour.
Examine the way Gildiner uses description to develop the setting. Think about how the objects she focuses on reinforce the memory she is recounting. Practice some descriptive writing that transports the reader into the moment with you.
Author Info:
Catherine Gildiner is a psychologist with a practice in Toronto. She has written the next stage of her memoir in the book, After The Falls (2009). She has written the novel Seduction (2005), and has contributed to the collection of writer’s memories of their fathers titled, The First Man in My Life: Daughters Write About Their Fathers (2007). Catherine Gildiner’s website is http://www.gildiner.com Too Close To The Falls is published by ECW Press.
No Comments to “Book Review: Too Close To The Falls by Catherine Gildiner”