by Jessica GrantNew Face of Fiction Series
Knopf Canada
~ Review in Halifax Herald, April 2009
Audrey Flowers lives in Oregon with her tortoise, Winnifred, who ‘came with the apartment.’ When her father has a freak accident involving a Christmas tree, Audrey leaves Winnifred in the care of less than enthusiastic friends and flies off to St. John’s.
Audrey Flowers is odd. Both she and her family have known this for a long time. Oddly, they call her, Oddly Flowers. She views the world differently and makes rules to govern her place in it. “Rule Number One of Things that are Plugged In. Don’t put in mouth!”
Pining in Oregon, Winnifred is used sometimes used as a bookmark, an occupation she feels is less that worthy. She figures out that if her “plastron is wet, then I’m off bookmark duty.” She spends more and more time in her pool.
The free associative narration gives a humour to Come, Thou Tortoise that is both laugh out loud and poignant, often at the same time. Audrey’s behaviour at her beloved father’s funeral is enchantingly offbeat, which annoys some of her family, but because she is telling the story, we understand. Her family does not.
This is a wonderful, engaging, funny story about the need to belong, and about family, friendships, the strength of bonds that are never broken and the steadfastness of tortoises!
