"You've got to take the bitter with the sweet," Grandma used to say. "No one said life was going to be a bed of roses."
"All of us are better when we're loved."
Alexander MacDonald and his twin sister were orphaned at the age of three when their parents fell through the ice and died. Their three brothers were much older and were already on their own when their parents died. Although he and his twin sister prospered in life, Alexander wass drawn to tracing back the history of his family and the Scottish clan they descended from, originating from the original Alexander MacDonald who came to settle in Nova Scotia in the eighteenth century. This is a novel that explores brotherhood and "the conflict between the rise of individualism and family". Alex was with his older brother Calum as he dies peacefully at the end of the novel even though Calum was a convicted murderer and an alcoholic.
If you are Scottish, or if you have a large family, this is a beautiful novel to read, as you would see one of your siblings or relative in any of the characters.
-o0o-
our day started out as cloudy, windy and quite cool, a promise (or threat) of things to come, say in about a month when the fall season officially starts. but after lunch, the clouds lifted and a few hours before the sunset, the sky was a glorious blue, dotted by fluffy clouds here and there and by the end of the early evening, the sunset has this golden glow and the sky a beautiful deep indigo. which i wasn't able to capture because by then i was sitting in a patio out in the west end drinking white wine with my pasta with scallops and shrimp in a light cream sauce.
and blame the white wine, i am a bit groggy so i will retire for the night and i will catch up with you tomorrow. 'night all!
pasta with scallops and shrimp in a light cream sauce and a glass of white wine??? oh so lovely...now I am completely distracted by that! lol
nice collage, like these a lot, gives one a good indication of the various changes of the day. This book sounds good, but since you just told me the end I now don't have to read it! lol
@danig - food for the gods, i tell you. and my head is swimming right now so i gotta to go and sleep it off seeing it's past 11 anyway. thanks, friend.
Oh, to be sitting with you on the patio, drinking wine and eating such a delicious dish!! Go to sleep -- and thank you for the intriquing review -- and shots that tell the story of the day!!
@cscecil - thanks you so much, CS, you are always kind to me. and when you do come visit, i will take you to that tialian place to partake of wonderful food and incredibly beautiful wine.
@bkbinthecity - thank you. this is also one way of enjoying some of canada's history without getting bored. it has a lot of historical infusions.
@steeler - your favourite, too, howard? thank you, howard.
Are you still doing the Beetles for September? I think I will try Rod Stewart- I need some inspiration and a challenge sounds fun. love the pm shot- your dinner sounds great!
oh, this book sounds wonderful. my maternal grandfather was a macdonald, came from scotland indentured to a famer in canada, worked it off, married my grandmother lived in massena, ny, and went to work for her father, who owned the local factory. i never met either of them - but then, i only met my bio mom once i was an adult.
@jannkc - go for it, jann. yes, i am going to be doing the beatles songs in conjunction with the september song challenge. but if i photograph something unrelated to the challenge i would post it then continue on. so you do RS and i'll do the beatles? ok, look forward to it. thanks so much, jann.
@catsmeowb - oh my goodness, so you have canadian roots, too! well, camille, it is a very interesting book. and you have a very interesting story there. you should consider writing it. :-) thanks, camille.
@roth - the a.m. one is queen street, we had brunch at the beacher cafe. the p.m. one is greenwood ave. by gerard going down south. see the beautiful water of lake ontario.
nice collage, like these a lot, gives one a good indication of the various changes of the day. This book sounds good, but since you just told me the end I now don't have to read it! lol
@pamfromcalgary - thank you, pam. enjoy your evening, too.
@bkbinthecity - thank you. this is also one way of enjoying some of canada's history without getting bored. it has a lot of historical infusions.
@steeler - your favourite, too, howard? thank you, howard.