The Irrational Doorways of Mr. Gerard

Eve Challoner Pella is a MPP constituency assistant and a past Executive
Committee member of the PTA in Toronto.

Writer and single mother Arlene Monson wishes to interview Mr. Gerard,
teller of futures. A nameless child, mature well beyond her apparent 5
years, admits the visitor. But Mr. Gerard fails to appear, not only for
this interview but also for two subsequent ones. On each occasion,
Arlene and the child encounter a little more of each other, until they
arrive at a point of departure. The enigmatic child methodically
collects her belongings and walks out the door to her chosen future with
Arlene. What follows is the unraveling of the mystery surrounding this
precocious child and, above all, the interweaving of the lives of Arlene
and the child into a tapestry of love, trust, and kinship—concepts
mirrored later in the development of Arlene’s relationship with
landlord/protector James.

The tone of this book is quiet, controlled, understated. The divergent
themes are woven into a whole that is reminiscent of impressionist
painting. However, the novel lacks a dominant focal point to anchor it.
There are some wonderfully arresting incidents, but their effect on the
characters’ evolution is not always sufficiently developed. Similarly,
the exposition of such intriguing themes as spiritual experience and
matriarchal religion would have benefited from a sharper focus.
Nevertheless, this is an appealing narrative that lends itself to
rereading.