To The River: Losing My Brother, by Don Gillmor
Random House Canada - 2018
Non-Fiction
Audiobook
Narrated by Michael Riley
Non-Fiction
Audiobook
Narrated by Michael Riley
5 hours, 17 minutes
Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction 2019 this book is my choice for #19 - The Winner is...Read a book shortlisted for a major literary award on my 20 For 2020 Reading Challenge. You can see the whole challenge HERE.
Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction 2019 this book is my choice for #19 - The Winner is...Read a book shortlisted for a major literary award on my 20 For 2020 Reading Challenge. You can see the whole challenge HERE.
A moving tribute to a man lost to suicide and the family he left behind.
There are three main aspects to this book. The first is a memorial of sorts and a look at what caused David Gillmor to leave behind his family and take his own life. The second part is a heartfelt look at the effects of suicide on the family and loved ones left behind, and the third is a presentation and well researched examination of why baby boomers - particularly the men, have come to have the fastest rising suicide rates.
One would think that a book about the writer's loss of a sibling to suicide would have a dark, oppressive feel to it. That is not the case. While Gillmor's book is heartbreaking, it is not without beauty and hope, and even - at times, humor. Perhaps that is due to this book being published 10 years after David Gillmor's death. Don Gillmor seems to be writing from a place where the wounds while still there, are not quite so raw.
Don Gillmor's brother David disappeared one day, leaving behind his truck and his hat, and some footprints on the half-frozen Yukon River near the town of Whitehorse. In doing so he left behind more questions than answers, and the family was left in a sort of limbo as nobody could even confirm his death. They were forced to wait as the river's secrets remained locked in ice until the spring thaw six months later. When the waters did thaw, Don embarked on what was to be a canoe trip to look for any trace of his missing brother, but David's body was recovered before Don could dip his paddle into the water, and he received the news shortly after arriving in Whitehorse. The remainder of the trip was Don's exercise in mourning and an attempt to understand.
With the warmth of nostalgia, Don Gillmor takes us back to the beginning; the early days of their childhood in Winnipeg. What set David apart from Don and the other neighborhood kids? From there examines their lives through growing up, from moves to Calgary and beyond, and the growing challenges and responsibilities of adulthood.
Gillmor then calls on his gift of prose to explain what was like for him and his surviving family after David's body was recovered. His ability to express the complicated emotions and impact on the remaining family resonated powerfully with me as a reader.
Finally, Gillmor expands past his family's own heartbreak and discusses in more general terms the personal, professional and socio-economic pressures and triggers that are contributing to a higher than ever suicide rate among middle aged men.
Narration was by Michael Riley and was well suited to the subject matter of the book, and was delivered with a clear voice and pleasant tone and cadence.
To The River is a beautiful and meaningful tribute to one man, and a thoughtful look at a growing social issue. It is touching, it is informative, and it is powerful.
There are three main aspects to this book. The first is a memorial of sorts and a look at what caused David Gillmor to leave behind his family and take his own life. The second part is a heartfelt look at the effects of suicide on the family and loved ones left behind, and the third is a presentation and well researched examination of why baby boomers - particularly the men, have come to have the fastest rising suicide rates.
One would think that a book about the writer's loss of a sibling to suicide would have a dark, oppressive feel to it. That is not the case. While Gillmor's book is heartbreaking, it is not without beauty and hope, and even - at times, humor. Perhaps that is due to this book being published 10 years after David Gillmor's death. Don Gillmor seems to be writing from a place where the wounds while still there, are not quite so raw.
Don Gillmor's brother David disappeared one day, leaving behind his truck and his hat, and some footprints on the half-frozen Yukon River near the town of Whitehorse. In doing so he left behind more questions than answers, and the family was left in a sort of limbo as nobody could even confirm his death. They were forced to wait as the river's secrets remained locked in ice until the spring thaw six months later. When the waters did thaw, Don embarked on what was to be a canoe trip to look for any trace of his missing brother, but David's body was recovered before Don could dip his paddle into the water, and he received the news shortly after arriving in Whitehorse. The remainder of the trip was Don's exercise in mourning and an attempt to understand.
With the warmth of nostalgia, Don Gillmor takes us back to the beginning; the early days of their childhood in Winnipeg. What set David apart from Don and the other neighborhood kids? From there examines their lives through growing up, from moves to Calgary and beyond, and the growing challenges and responsibilities of adulthood.
Gillmor then calls on his gift of prose to explain what was like for him and his surviving family after David's body was recovered. His ability to express the complicated emotions and impact on the remaining family resonated powerfully with me as a reader.
Finally, Gillmor expands past his family's own heartbreak and discusses in more general terms the personal, professional and socio-economic pressures and triggers that are contributing to a higher than ever suicide rate among middle aged men.
Narration was by Michael Riley and was well suited to the subject matter of the book, and was delivered with a clear voice and pleasant tone and cadence.
To The River is a beautiful and meaningful tribute to one man, and a thoughtful look at a growing social issue. It is touching, it is informative, and it is powerful.
Happy Reading,
Christine
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