That's tricky with how time flows differently in different places, though. I do not fully have a handle on that, but I like how it is playing out so far

Yes, I've read all of it so far! I enjoyed Pali on the second read. The first time I read it I was too offended at her not liking Kip! How dare!

I think the HotE Discord I'm on is building a timeline. I'll have to check.

How dare!

I know! OTOH these novels are very reliant on people not understanding each other because of poor communication. So that tracks pretty well. I think that over time Pali could grow to like Kip, because she's a scholar and so is he.

I think that over time Pali could grow to like Kip, because she's a scholar and so is he.

Oh, definitely, He absolutely would appreciate her ability to throw dry commentary in, too.

I splurged this week on Kate Beaton's new book Ducks. I haven't finished it yet: it's pretty long and quite heavy in its subject matter. But it's SO GOOD. She's so impressive as an artist and writer.

Anyway, here's a link to a New Yorker review: [link]

I splurged this week on Kate Beaton's new book Ducks. I haven't finished it yet: it's pretty long and quite heavy in its subject matter. But it's SO GOOD. She's so impressive as an artist and writer.

I also bought it and read it this last week. I agree with your assessment! It is soooo good. It's sort of a hard sell, especially if you're coming to it from Hark, A Vagrant. It's not funny with the Bronte jokes.

But it does completely immerse you into that world, and it's a world I do kind of know from memory (having lived in very northern Canada for 18 months of my childhood) and also experience doing construction work out of college. Those very masculine realms and the ingrained sexism (and racism) and culture.

It's just so rich and artfully done that it takes you to places you haven't been and makes you feel them. You will not just know but understand more about the world because she's so good at creating her experience. You can read about capitalism, or environmentalism or sexism but she parses all those complex liminal spaces and you understand the weight of things. Their context. Their human value and cost.

It's really masterful. It did remind me a bit of Alison Bechdel's Fun Home. Very different in subject but similarly adept at catching ambiguities.

On top of everything else, it’s just a gorgeously-made book: The dust jacket, the leafing, the paper stock. It was well worth the 40 bucks to me.

I got to her book launch last week. She gave a bit of a presentation, then did an interview. I didn't stay around to get my book signed because the line was long and I thought I might give my copy away. (And a friend who grew up with her said he could get it signed for me if I wanted)

And a friend who grew up with her said he could get it signed for me if I wanted

Oooh, the Haligonians were on my mind as I read it. Now I want to go to Cape Breton.

Now I want to go to Cape Breton.

You might want to wait until it dries out and turns itself upright again. Fiona hit it hard.