Sing Me No More

Lori A. Dunn is an ESL teacher and editor of the Toronto women’s
magazine Feminie.

This novel examines the inner world of Nemah, a woman traveling through
the ravages of an unfortunate childhood, an abusive relationship, and
the depravations of alcoholism. At the end of her long path, strewn with
roadblocks—not the least of which is Source, her lover—Nemah finds
the stability to begin healing.

Sing Me No More is written as a series of prose haiku, each short
“chapter” an excursion into Nemah’s mind, documenting her
oppressive memories, addiction to psychiatric drugs, and painfully
realistic sex. Dueck creates a mood of emotional turmoil and her novel
is lyrical, personal, and uncomfortable to read. Ignoring the precepts
of linear time, she follows her heroine’s descent into mental anguish
and, subsequently, her slow climb out of madness. A simple, elegant
style and a discomforting theme make this a soul-searching book to read.