When I Was Young and in My Prime
Published on 1. August 2007
Book
Paperback/Softback
250 pages
978-1-84659-033-7 (ISBN)
Description
A young woman helps her mother sort through her grandparent's belongings. Her grandmother has died, and her grandfather is preparing to move to a home, but first he will hold an auction. As they work together, she reflects on the untold stories and unsung bonds that make up the life of her family. Meanwhile, the day of the auction looms, and with it all the laughter and dread of family and loss. This sharply observed, funny, shape-shifting book weaves together voices, lists, and diary entries in a story of one family, in all its ordinary complexity.
Reviews / Votes
"If the well-mannered audience of poetry devotees assembled at Harbourfront had been given whiskey and score cards at the launch of "Breathing Fire 2: Canada's New Poets, " they'd have held up 10s for a curly-haired, unassuming young Parkdale denizen. A captivated hush fell over the room as she read poetic excerpts from "When I Was Young and In My Prime"... Munce has an astounding ability to innovate stylistically without alienating the reader. In this brave pastiche of letters, diary entries, dialogue, transcribed medical texts, poems and straight-up story, she brings poetry to the novel without making it incomprehensible or inaccessible... Inhabiting different characters, Munce deftly and without sentimentality spins a beautifully written story about family history and how lives can change from one generation to the next."- Zoe Whittall, "NOW Magazine"More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Saqi Books
Dimensions
Height: 200 mm
Width: 130 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84659-033-7 (9781846590337)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Alayna Munce grew up in Huntsville, Ontario, and now lives in Toronto, where she spends her time writing and working in bars and community centres. She is a past winner of the CBC Literary Awards. This is her first novel.