Influence of the Moon

R.G. Moyles is a professor of English at the University of Alberta, and
the co-author of Imperial Dreams and Colonial Realities: British Views
of Canada, 1880–1914.

So many stories to be told; so many good writers to tell them. As
Canadians we ought to be very proud of our past literary achievements
and doubly so of our contemporary writers. Mary Borsky is one of
them—a superb storyteller who re-creates the seemingly narrow (but
universally recognizable) milieu of a small Alberta town in the 1950s,
concentrating on the Lychenko family and depicting, through the eyes of
the young (and later teenage) daughter Irene, their eccentricities,
hopes, fears, and loves. Everything they do, it seems, has an edge of
lunacy—another influence of the moon—from Papa’s impulsive trip to
the Seattle world’s fair and Mama’s trip to the city to Irene’s
kind-of betrothal to Pete Paska. We are always a little uncomfortable in
the company of these characters (never certain just how they will
behave) and sometimes disturbed by the fact that the sentiments they
express belie their true emotions. But one thing is sure: we want to be
with them because the fascination is compelling. Borsky, in this very
impressive literary debut, creates a cast of characters, whose personal
and social interactions are both believable and significant. Her stories
are delightful to read, stylistically engaging, and invested with a
subtle humor that enhances the pleasure.