Kate Braid's memoir is beautifully written, with the lilt of poetry and the rich descriptiveness of a novel. In fact, in my first couple of attempts at reading this book, it was that style that I found off-putting. I was expecting something different: more fact and less flair. I found, for example, the detailed descriptions of scenery and the light on a certain morning more than 30 years ago a bit difficult to believe. Ditto for the detailed retelling of conversations presented in quotes as factual recitations.
At a certain point I decided to suspend my disbelief and found myself lulled by the rhythm of Braid’s storytelling. I became eager to find out where her journey took her and greedily consumed the last two thirds of the book. I have to admit my connection to her story grew as I realized the parallel courses of our experiences.
I too worked in a “non-traditional” job in the late 1970s. Kate Braid was the first woman member of the Carpenters local in...
Frances Lankin is a former member of Ontario’s legislature and Cabinet minister. Lankin spent more than a decade as CEO of the United Way of Toronto. She was recently commissioned by the Ontario government to co-lead a review of the province’s social assistance program.
Advertisement
Advertisement