Open Arms

Lori A. Dunn is an ESL teacher, instructional designer, and freelance
writer in New Westminster, B.C.

In this coming-of-age novel, we follow the main character, Bessie, from
Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan, through different periods in her life, and
into the emotional messes that are part of growing up.

At 17, Bessie leaves her grandmother to live with her mother, Isabel,
again. They share the house with Katherine, the other ex-wife of
Bessie’s father, and Bessie’s half-sister, Irene. Bessie (now 20)
and Irene visit their father for Christmas and witness the birth of
their half-siblings. At 24, Bessie sets out with her grandmother to find
Isabel, and Bessie’s own happiness.

The easy narrative and visual language testify to the author’s
theatre background. At one point, Bessie says, “The small details were
making me happy.” The small details that Endicott so seamlessly
conveys are one of this novel’s many pleasures.