The Prisoner of Cage Farm

Emily Walters Gregor is a graduate student in 20th-century American
literature and an ESL writing tutor at the University of Minnesota.

In The Prisoner of Cage Farm, Cecelia Frey does an admirable job of
re-creating the atmosphere of classic Gothic novels on the Alberta
prairie. Her setting is desolate, and manages to convey both
expansiveness and, as the title would suggest, a strong sense of
confinement. As in any true Gothic novel, this space becomes a strong
presence in the book. The novel strongly evokes the prairie landscape
and the isolation of mid-20th-century prairie farm life, but stumbles
somewhat in plot and characterization.

Part of the problem may be the dichotomy between how the novel is
presented and its content. At first glance, The Prisoner of Cage Farm
appears to be aimed at young adults. A young woman graces the cover, and
the description on the back seems to suggest that inside is a
coming-of-age story. This appearance is deceptive, though, because the
actual story is indisputably aimed at adults. The protagonist and main
supporting characters are all over 30, and are well established in their
personal and professional lives. This incongruence may affect readers’
expectations for the book.

Frey’s greatest fault, however, is failing to use the material and
setting she has created to their full potential. Although the book is
set at a fascinating time and place in recent history, the reader learns
relatively little about life on a prairie farm before electricity or
running water. The female protagonist, though possessing the
characteristics of a contemporary heroine, encounters surprisingly
little hostility to her values and behaviours, which differ so much from
those of others in her new rural community. For the most part, the novel
is a traditional romantic story that pays little homage or allegiance to
its promising environs.