25th Trillium Award

Trillium Testimonial: Steph VanderMeulen

 
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This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Ontario's illustrious Trillium Book Award/Prix Trillium. To celebrate this silver milestone, Open Book has asked members of the literary community to tell us what they love about their favourite award-winning Trillium title. If you're looking for a recommended read (or re-read), follow these Trillium Testimonials on Open Book: Ontario from now until the winners of the 2012 award competition are announced. Today, book blogger Steph VanderMeulen tells us why she's chosen Wayson Choy?s All That Matters (Doubleday Canada), winner of the 2004 Trillium Book Award.

Open Book:

What do you love about this book?

Steph VanderMeulen

All That Matters is a magnificent work, so well-crafted and concrete, and most of all powerfully evocative. It?s a good book to study: Choy?s title has several meanings in the novel. I adored Poh-Poh?s character, the grandmother, and appreciated the elements of what seemed to me magic realism and myth combined with history throughout the book. It?s a coming-of-age story and at the same time a tale of the immigrant experience ? in a way, that also embodies a certain coming-of-age. There?s a perfect blend of poignancy and humour to the novel, too. Wayson Choy is simply one of my favourite writers.

OB:

When did you first read it?

SV:

Right when the Anchor paperback came out, in 2005. I?d read the Jade Peony before that, twice, and loved it, so I was eager to read this one. All That Matters is even better.

Steph VanderMeulen is a freelance copy editor and proofreader for Canadian publishers and news sites as well as independent writers. She?s a book blogger and stalwart promoter of authors, publishers, indie bookshops and Canadian literature in particular.

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