The Bubble Star

Ellen Pilon is a library assistant in the Patrick Power Library at Saint
Mary’s University in Halifax.

Bourne’s first novel uses multiple perspectives to tell the story of
three sisters: Peggy Leigh, Janis, and Imogene. Each sister carries
vivid memories of the past (most notably of their childhood home on Bay
Lake, Ontario), and each is removed from reality. Imogene distances
herself from the present by imagining herself elsewhere (Imogene =
imagine). Janis immerses herself in the image she conveys through her
clothes and appearance. Peggy Leigh lives in a dream world befitting her
experiences as an anorexic. Although not in the least well adjusted, the
sisters are all survivors. By the end of the novel, they are
experiencing relationships and having babies: “My baby is composed of
every moment up until now, and now, and now,” says Peggy Leigh.

All three characters are realistically drawn. Janis and Imogene tend to
be overshadowed by Peggy Leigh, an unforgettable character whose
harrowing struggle with anorexia occupies a substantial portion of the
book. Ultimately, The Bubble Star is a journey into the minds of three
young women whose stories are highly individual yet at the same time
curiously familiar.