A Bird in the House*is an extraordinary novel (series of short stories) by Canadian writer Margaret Laurence. I was first introduced to the book in Senior High School English during a particularly coming of age time. The short stories, themes and images in this novel left a lasting impression, continuing to resonate through the years as I forge my own path in this world (okay, to be perfectly honest, they have at times haunted me, too).
Dad was particularly fond of this book, and was even able to secure his own cherished (and very rare) signed copy. Themes and expressions from these poignant short stories would arise in family conversations through the years (including the last weeks in the hospital). Below are a few of his posts to absorb.
(I’ll begin to share the significance of this book in the next blog post…)
June 9, 2021: Dad’s Blog Post on ToThineOwnSelfBeTrue.ca:
January 9, 2019: Dad’s Blog Post on ToThineOwnSelfBeTrue.ca:
March 10, 2022: Dad’s Blog Post on ToThineOwnSelfBeTrue.ca:
Our family continued to stop at Neepawa, Margaret Laurence’s home town as we travelled on road trips across the prairies to Dad’s home town of Winnipeg, and visit her houses and grave. We would also make stops in the graveyard, stopping by the family’s gravestones and pausing at the awe-inspiring angel statue in the cemetary, which served as inspiration for the title of another of Margaret Laurence’s novel, The Stone Angel. (Below picture was taken in 2019 – Jason and I (and our travelling rabbit Skye) stopped in Neepawa after meeting up with Mom and Dad for a sublime Winnipeg trip in the city).
* Remarkably, I do not currently have underline capability on this blog, apologies for bolding this title instead of giving it its proper due with an underline.