A Complicated Kindness
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| A Complicated Kindness | |
 First edition cover |
|
| Author | Miriam Toews |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf, Canada |
| Publication date | April 2004 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 256 pp (first edition, hardcover) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-676-97612-3 (first edition, hardcover), ISBN 0-571-22400-8 (first American edition, hardcover) |
| Preceded by | Swing Low: A Life |
A Complicated Kindness is a novel by Canadian author Miriam Toews.
Originally published in 2004 by Knopf Canada, it was the winner of the Governor General's Award for English Fiction, and was nominated for the Giller Prize. It spent over a year on the Canadian bestseller lists. East Village, the town in the novel, is generally considered to be a fictionalized version of Toews' hometown of Steinbach, Manitoba.
The novel is told as a memoir of the fictitious character Nomi Nickel, a teenage girl embarrassed by her heritage who longs to escape to New York City to hang out with Lou Reed. At the end of the book it is revealed that she has addressed the memoir to Mr Quiring, one of her school teachers.
A Complicated Kindness was chosen for inclusion in Canada Reads 2006, where it was championed by singer-songwriter, poet and publisher John K. Samson. It won the competition.
[edit] Major characters
- Nomi Nickel
- The protagonist. She is sixteen years old, living in a Mennonite town. She was originally supposed to be named Naomi, but her sister, Tash, could not pronounce it and called her Nomi instead.
- Ray Nickel
- Nomi's father and the family member that has not left town. Ray is quiet and rather reserved.
- Tash (Natasha Dawn Nickel)
- Nomi's older sister. She left town with Ian, her boyfriend. She is an atheist and was excommunicated.
- Trudie (Gertrude Dora Nickel née Rosenfeldt)
- Nomi's mother. She left town seven weeks after Tash, after being excommunicated herself.
- Travis
- Nomi's boyfriend.
- Uncle Hans (The Mouth) (Hans Rosenfeldt)
- Nomi's uncle, her mother's older brother. He is also the church minister.
- Lids (Lydia Voth)
- Lids is Nomi's good friend, a very good Mennonite girl from a Mennonite community in Paraguay who is constantly in hospital due to illness.
[edit] Plot Summary
The novel is told in the style of a memoir and is not fully chronological; therefore there is no classical plot line. The most present-day events detail Nomi's involvement with Travis, whereas she also explores her past and how her family came to be so fragmented.
It is revealed that Tash was excommunicated and left town during her late teens, with her boyfriend, Ian. Tash had become an atheist and her rebellious spirit was not satisfied with the limits of the Mennonite community. Seven weeks later, Trudie also becomes excommunicated and leaves town to spare Ray the agony of choosing between her and the church.
Nomi speculates that Trudie left her with Ray because Ray needs Nomi more than Trudie does.
With Travis, Nomi becomes more rebellious; she spends most of her time trying to get high and eventually goes on the Pill and loses her virginity. She stops going to school and church.
At the end of the novel, Nomi is excommunicated for various reasons, and Ray leaves town because he realizes that Nomi wouldn't have the heart to leave him, and therefore must leave so that Nomi would be free to do the same.
[edit] Editions
- Knopf Canada, Hardcover, 256 pages, April 2004, ISBN 0-676-97612-3
- Vintage Canada, Trade Paperback, 256 pages, June 2005, ISBN 0-676-97613-1
| Preceded by Douglas Glover, Elle |
Governor General's Award for English language fiction recipient 2004 |
Succeeded by David Gilmour, A Perfect Night to Go to China |
