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White Pine Spotlight

 Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen

  • A lovely quiet little book.
  • Clearly the author is inspired by Flannery O’Connor… and that can’t be bad!
  • There is nothing easy about this book, and some will take exception to treating such subject matter with such light-heartedness. I just found it so refreshing.
  • Nielsen writes with natural ease, taking the art of imagery to the level of mastery.
  • The relationships in the book are genuine and supportive – including positive family dynamics – and help to move the characters past the various degrees of guilt they each feel about their individual situations.
  • The book is chock full of humour and touchstone cultural references (music, film, literature) and is quintessentially Canadian in it’s setting, amounting to a love letter to Vancouver.

Read the review at Quill and Quire.

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  • Learn more about the Forest of Reading here.
  • Check out Forest Fridays, virtual visits with featured authors (link is to last year).  We look forward to their return. When they do, we will be hosting a couple of them here at ESA.
  • Students who would like to join us at the Festival of Trees, at Harbourfront, on Tuesday May 15th should see Ms. Wray or Ms. Kennedy in the Library.
  • Permission forms will be available closer to the date.