A Family Place

Steven Lehman teaches English at John Abbot College in Montreal.

This nonfictional narrative chronicles the triumph of a family over the
disintegrative forces of modern society.

Charles Gainess and his wife, Patricia, worked hard through the 1970s
and raised three children in the radiance of their love for each other.
He was the author of such best-selling books as Stay Hungry and Pumping
Iron. She was a well-known visual artist and the anchor of their home
life. Unfortunately, success brought with it the temptations of modern
life, 1980s images of self-fulfilment through self-indulgence. Money,
drugs, and macho megalomania loosened the ties that bound them together.
The end of the decade found the family in ruins, Charles and Patricia
separated by hundreds of miles and sinking into their respective
alienation.

Almost out of desperation, they buy a piece of land on the Nova Scotia
coast near Antigonish. They plan to build a cabin there, and stake
everything on the rejuvenating effects of the common project. Their
grown children and neighbors lend a hand as the new home begins to take
shape. Away from the American urban nightmare and the constant
bombardment of the mass media, the deep faith they once had in each
other blooms again in the Canadian countryside. By the end of the
summer, the couple has reunited on firmer ground. They are prepared to
welcome their remaining years cheerfully, together.

A Family Place is a smart and sentimental affirmation of traditional
values, an inspirational account of victory over postmodern social
fragmentation. The book is written with energetic clarity. Gaines shows
real insight when he focuses on the relationships and issues involved.
Unfortunately, the bulk of the book is devoted to historical background,
landscape description, and details of construction. If confession is
good for the soul, the writer has improved his own here, and the reader
will benefit accordingly. Perhaps it’s part of Gaines’s genius to
leave his audience wanting more.