A sweeping, multi-generational, multi-family saga, Trillium tells the story of the European settlement and development of the Canadian lands bordering Lake Ontario, the Niagara Peninsula in particular.
Many more decades ago than I like to admit, in my final year of high school I took a locally-developed history course focused on exactly the same time period as the first section of Trillium, and even covered some of the same historical characters that are interwoven in the fictional story here. The book took me back to that course, my second-favourite in all my high school courses.
For readers interested in the details of this area, from the names of personalities behind towns such as Beamsville, or the vagaries of technological advances that left Ancaster and Dundas as sleepy towns compared to Hamilton’s industrial bustle (I’ve canoed the vestiges of the Desjardin Canal many times) Trillium is a wealth of detail and research framing the fortunes of three fictional families. In its early stages, it is primarily a story told, not fully shown, but that is true of many historical sagas.
Characterization in the first sections – ‘Seeds’ – of the book is perhaps a weak facet of Trillium, characters are to some extent place-holders establishing the foci and purpose of the three families. Again, the same could be said of other sweeping tales, such as London and Sarum by Edward Rutherford. The subtlety and space needed to fully round out characters in a story of this scope, especially in its early stages, may be beyond its mandate.
But as Trillium approached the modern day – and perhaps the years experienced rather than researched by the author – the story comes alive. As the stories of the three families entwine through friendship and employment and marriage, pressures both external and internal create conflict, and the focus shifts more to personalities. The tone of the narrative changes, too, the themes become more adult and more fully described, the author reflecting, perhaps, the increasing freedom and changing behavior of the post WWII years.
It is obvious that the author knows the geography and history – both political and social – of the Niagara Peninsula well, and her deeply appreciative eye shines through. Recommended for anyone wishing to better understand the long European settlement history of this area, a district of rich agricultural bounty fast disappearing under the demands of housing and transportation. One consideration: reading the first sections of the book might suggest it is suitable for a skilled young adult reader, but adult themes and descriptions in late sections might also suggest otherwise.
- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 1094 KB
- Print Length: 342 pages
- Publisher: MLH Productions / Acorn Press Canada (Jan. 3 2019)
- Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
- Language: English
- ASIN: B07J2TV7GX
- Text-to-Speech:
Enabled
- Word Wise: Enabled
- Customer Reviews: 4 customer reviews
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#320,463 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #4789 in Family Saga (Kindle Store)
- #7368 in Family Saga (Books)
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