​The Books
QUARRY
by Catherine Graham
“We all carry a quarry within us,” says Graham, “this subterranean place, as we make our way through the present.”
This was a book written out of necessity, which fuels this heart-felt novel with life. Graham’s prose and the story behind this story are equally compelling, and what Two Wolves is all about – the novel and the person behind it all.
Set in southern Ontario during the 1980’s, Quarry is layered like the open-pit mine for which it is named. Caitlin Maharg, an only child, lives in a house by a water-filled limestone quarry whose gothic presence is elemental to the story. Lyrically charged, jewelled with images and at times darkly comic, Graham’s prose weaves a mysterious and hypnotic tale of loss, secrets, family shame and the courage to swim the depths of life alone.
SOMEONE LIKE YOU
by Aileen Santos
Someone Like You explores the challenges of growing up with the struggles many women face regarding cultural and gender expectations.
Giving birth to her first child, Vanessa Soares is no longer satisfied with her mundane, safe life that she’s built with her near-perfect husband Curtis. The baby blues brings about deep contemplation, especially of her strict Filipino upbringing, leaving her grappling to understand why her mother had neglected her, to a father who abused her. Her one saving grace as a teenager was her first boyfriend John who still haunts her thoughts, often returning to challenge her relationship with Curtis. It comes to light that Vanessa and her mother Maria are more alike than initially thought. Maria has had to endure adversity of her own, suffering the loss of her father’s untimely death during the chaotic political times of Manila in the 1970’s, leaving her vulnerable to abuse and a stranger in a foreign country. Both mother and daughter are resilient, living through hardships that strengthen their connection as women and as mothers
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