The County Reads

Five County residents make the case for their favourite book

The nineteenth annual County Reads book debate took place last Thursday evening at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Picton. The event is based on the CBC’s Canada Reads debate, but the County’s version is shorter and very much friendlier, being more of a sales pitch than bare-knuckle fight. Shepherded by moderator Janet Kellough, five County residents were each given five minutes to speak about their chosen book, and tell the audience why it should be their top choice as well. After their five-minute entreaty, each was given the opportunity of a one-minute “elevator pitch” to bring home the message, after which the audience would vote by secret ballot. The votes were counted—securely and fairly, assured Ms. Kellough—during a brief intermission while the audience fortified themselves with coffee and home-baked cookies in preparation for the announcement of a winner.

Ms. Kellough is the author of seven books in the Thaddeus Lewis mystery series and her book The Bathwater Conspiracy was shortlisted for the 2019 Alberta Book Publishing Award. She writes contemporary novels as well as historical fiction and books based on the history and legends of Prince Edward County, and was the recipient of a PEC Heritage Award in 2020. She began the evening by noting that her plot to replace long-time County Reads moderator Ken Murray had finally succeeded, and that for the first time the event was being broadcast live on County FM. She reviewed the format for the evening and warned the presenters that she was a very strict timekeeper and would announce a 10-second warning as their five-minute allotment drew to a close. The first presenter was Shelagh Hurley, who had chosen Margaret Atwood’s Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts. Ms. Hurley is a lawyer and former part-time assistant Crown Attorney, and has been a County resident for nearly 40 years. She is the author of Blackwater Bluff and The Sevens. She said the Margaret Attwood’s books can sometimes be a tough read, but this memoir contains a lot of humour as well as cartoons and photographs. “We learn much about the how and why of her writing and how her life informs her writing. Many of the chapters are named after the titles of her books. It’s fascinating, wise, beguiling, hilarious, uncomfortable, and she shares many aspects of herself—generosity, empathy, grief,” said Ms. Hurley.

Dorothy Spiers-Vincent makes the case for her chosen book.

The second presenter of the evening was Carlyn Moulton, who had chosen Starry, Starry Night by the County’s Shani Mootoo. Ms. Moulton is the owner of Oeno Gallery and was a founding member of The County Foundation and PEC Syria. She was also at one time a researcher for Margaret Atwood. She asked the audience to picture in their minds what they think a good book should be. “I’m not here to defend a good book; I’m here to defend a great one. We are dropped into another time and place, replete with the smells of garlic and soap, chicken blood and gasoline and wet feathers. It’s a master-class in ‘show, don’t tell’ and this book conjures a universe so richly that the world outside your own home ceases to exist until the final page is turned,” she said. She added that the genius of the book lies in the first person voice of Anju, who begins the book as a four-yearold and takes the reader on an eight-year journey of self-discovery. “Shani Mootoo has crafted an unforgettable personal and yet universal story of forgiveness that everyone should read,” said Ms. Moulton.

Next to make their case was Penny Morris, who owns health food store Penny’s Pantry in Picton. She had a career in early childhood education before moving to the County in 2010 to start a new phase in her life. Her chosen book was 13 Ways to Kill Your Community by Doug Griffiths and Kelly Clemmer. This book was recommended to her by her brother-in-law after she told him about her frustrating saga with an illegal quarrying operation in the County. “This book is required reading for Council, County staff and every PEC resident. Each chapter is on a specific topic in general terms and straightforward language. The author brings these ideas to life with real-life anecdotes from specific communities. He shows how come communities have sabotaged their futures and how others have been widely successful,” she said. The chapters, as the book’s title suggests, are named after actions that will kill a community—Forget the Water, Don’t Attract Business, Ignore Outsiders, Don’t Take Responsibility, etc. “If a community believes they’re going to thrive, they will. No amount of government aid will help a community thrive if the will isn’t there,” said Ms. Morris.

Dorothy Speirs-Vincent was the third presenter to have a connection to Margaret Atwood. Her chosen book was Fourteen Days, by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston, a collaborative novel from 36 different writers. Ms. Speirs-Vincent is a former professor and special collections curator at the University of Toronto specializing in 19th century French literature. She retired to the County in 2010 and is a member of the Perfectly Preserved team that supports the Hospital Auxiliary through the sales of preserved foods at local farmers’ markets. The book Fourteen Days tells the fictional story of a group of residents in a tenement in the Lower East Side in New York in 14 chapters spanning 14 days starting on March 31, 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through that city—and the world. The residents of the building would gather on the rooftop at 7 p.m. and bang on pots and pans to show their support for the overburdened health care workers. As the time goes by, the residents begin to tell their own stories as crafted by the 36 writers and stitched together by Douglas Preston. “I think you’ll find it unlike anything you’ve read before. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling and its power to unite the community. You’ll love the stories and you’ll be carried along by the conflict, the tragedy, the humour and the many surprises along the way,” said Ms. Speirs- Vincent.

The final presenter of the evening was Judy Kent, who presented What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad. Ms. Kent moved to the County in 1999. She had a career is strategic planning and change management and worked in Amman, Jordan with Generations For Peace. She was inducted in the Sports Hall of Fame and is a Member of the Order of Canada. What Strange Paradise is a fictional book on the migration crisis written through the eyes of a child and prompted by the 2015 photograph of the body of two-year-old Alan Kurdi lying on a Mediterranean beach. Alan and his family were Syrian refugees trying to reach Europe by boat from Turkey. He and his mother and brother drowned in the attempt. The book looks at the story of a nine-year-old survivor washed up on a beach in Greece and his relationship with a 15- year-old Greek girl who helps him. The book was published in 2021 and won the Giller Prize that year. “I picked this book because I’m sad about the world right now, and I see almost no outrage. We’re almost immune to what we see on the news or read in the papers, where we have people dying every day who are migrating or who are refugees,” said Ms. Kent.

Each presenter was then given one minute to bolster the case for choosing their book, after which the audience was asked to vote. Ms. Kellough said it was an incredibly close vote and the winner just squeaked through. The audience choice was Fourteen Days as championed by Dorothy Speirs-Vincent. She graciously thanked the audience. “It was a pleasure to read this book and to talk about it with you,” she said. All of the books are available at the County library, or for purchase at Books & Company.