Finnie Walsh

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

The lives of two friends growing up on Canada’s East Coast revolve
around the game of hockey. The narrator was actually born on the
historic day Paul Henderson scored the winning goal in the 1972
Canada–USSR series, and was named for him. His best friend, Finnie, is
a natural goalie. The book chronicles their lives, on and off the ice,
until Finnie dies in his early 20s—possibly a suicide, alternatively
an accidental misadventure—while watching Paul score the goal that
wins the Stanley Cup.

The mystery surrounding Finnie’s death sets the tone for the
deceptively simple story. The characters are complex and
multidimensional; Paul’s sister, for example, insists on wearing a
life jacket for several years. Interweaving threads running through the
story connect the plot and characters: years later it is the whistle
from the life jacket that chokes Finnie to death when he swallows it.
The classic Moby Dick is also tied into the plot, reinforcing the
nautical theme.

In some instances, characters’ behavior goes from idiosyncratic to
bizarre, and it becomes difficult to believe that people could behave in
such a way. Also, the mystery aspect of the work sometimes becomes
obfuscation, and one wishes for clarification. Nonetheless, Finnie Walsh
is an exciting and thought-provoking read. Recommended with (a couple
of) reservations.