My October

by Claire Holden Rothman

Luc Lévesque is a celebrated Quebec novelist and the anointed Voice of a Generation. In his hometown of Montreal, he is revered as much for his novels about the working-class neighbourhood of Saint-Henri as for his separatist views. But this is 2001. The dreams of a new nation are dying, and Luc himself is increasingly dissatisfied with his life.

Hannah is Luc’s wife. She is also the daughter of a man who served as a special prosecutor during the October Crisis. For years, Hannah has worked faithfully as Luc’s English translator. She has also spent her adult life distancing herself from her English- speaking family. But at what cost?

Hugo is their troubled fourteen-year-old son. Living in the shadow of a larger-than-life father, Hugo is struggling with his own identity. In confusion and anger, he commits a reckless act that puts everyone around him on a collision course with the past.

Weaving together three unique voices, My October is a masterful tale of a modern family torn apart by the power of language and the weight of history. Spare and insightful, Claire Holden Rothman’s new novel explores the fascinating and sometimes shocking consequences of words left unsaid.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Contemporary, Book Club, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Canadian Literature

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2014

About the author

Claire Holden Rothman is a Montreal writer who taught literature at Marianopolis College for many years and headed the advanced fiction workshop at McGill University. She now makes her living translating and adapting scripts for television. She has also translated literary works, including the first novel written in French Canada, Philippe Aubert de Gaspé’s 19th century classic Le chercheur de trésors (The Influence of a Book), for which she won the John Glassco Translation Award. Claire’s own fiction publications include two collections of stories (Salad Days; Black Tulips) and a novel, The Heart Specialist.

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reality boiled down to this in the end: the story you told. Everyone had one. No one could claim the right to the last word.

My October is a book about language and communication and discovering and protecting one's identity; and, for this purpose, what could be a more fitting setting than the multilingual west end Montreal neigbourhood of Saint-Henri? Luc Lévesque is a celebrated author -- the voice of his generation -- who witnessed and memorialised the October Crisis of 1970. Hannah is his Anglo wife (and the English translator of his books) who has essentially cut ties with her Toronto-based family to preserve family harmony. And Hugo is their fourteen-year-old son; a confused adolescent trying to figure out what this mixed parentage means for him. When Hannah is called away and Luc begins to suffer a mid-life crisis, Hugo's acting out at school blows the lid off of the slowly boiling pot of their lives.

Communication is so important here: Luc was the "voice of his generation" who is now frustrated by writer's block; Hannah rarely speaks up for herself, preferring to translate her husband's words; Hugo refuses to answer anyone's questions about his alarming actions; Hannah's father -- the formerly famous lawyer and special prosecutor against the FLQ -- has been rendered mute by a stroke; and while Hugo uses English as a weapon against his father, Luc uses French for the same purpose against the American therapist his wife has urged the family to see.

My October is also a wonderfully Canadian story -- I've never read fiction about the FLQ/October Crisis before (although Heather O'Neill's The Girl Who Was Saturday Night, also released this year, featured a character who was the folk singing "voice of his generation", but that was more about the votes for separation), and this includes a non-partisan overview of the events. The nationalist point of view is presented by Hugo's history teacher (who insists that the bombings and kidnapping weren't true terrorism) but the experience of the sole kidnapping victim, James Cross, is also included:

He described the room on Avenue des Récollets in the city's north end where he had spent fifty-nine days in captivity. He described how he had been forced to sit with his back to his captors. How he had been forbidden to look at them. If he turned reflexively at a noise, say, or an unexpected movement behind him, they panicked. The woman in the group, whom he now knew to be Jacques Lanctôt's sister, Louise Cossette-Trudel, would scream threats and cock the gun. He had become convinced that he would die…

"I've been a pawn," he said, looking at the camera. "A pawn in your history. Maybe now, I'll be a face. Not the British diplomat, not the imperialist, but a man. A husband. A father. A human brother."

Also mentioned often in My October is the Canadian classic The Tin Flute (a book I've long been meaning to get around to): Luc has often been called his generation's Gabrielle Roy as he also lives in and sets his books in Saint-Henri; Luc jumps at the opportunity to locate his new office in a building that was prominent in The Tin Flute; and, apparently, the structure of My October -- with multiple first-person perspectives -- echoes the classic. I do wonder if it would have been a richer experience if I had read The Tin Flute first, but I don't think it's necessary for understanding.

This is a thoroughly interesting and readable book with a few jumps in time that increase the intrigue factor. I don't know if I loved the ending, but when I finished and then reread the two prologues, I was entirely satisfied. I'm saddened to see that Claire Holden Rothman didn't make it to the Giller Prize shortlist with My October (maybe, in the end, it's too thematically similar to The Girl Who Was Saturday Night?) because I enjoyed it more than some that did make the cut, but I'm glad to see that she is in the running for the Governor General's Literary Award.

[Gail Amendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting family drama that examines the language divide in Quebec. Hannah and Luc have a mixed marriage, Hannah being anglophone, and Luc being francophone. Their son Hugo has been raised in French schools, and the family largely lives in French society. When Hugo gets in serious trouble at school, it throws the family into turmoil. This is a good look at the language issues in Quebec, and frequently references the October Crisis, which took place some thirty years before the events in the book, but still effects the characters in their present lives. The characters are complex and well developed, although I would not necessarily call them likeable. It's always good to learn something about your country that you didn't know. I remember learning about the October Crisis in school, but really didn't understand the issues.

[Jill Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too self-satisfied about being Set In Quebec, with francophones who are Like This and anglophones who are Like That.

The discussion of language and culture, and how it can be love or hatred is both good and, I think, a little dated, even for 2001 (when the book is set). The characters are boring cutouts: the middle aged man who is looking for something more, the woman who regrets building her life around her husband's, the son whose dysfunction mirrors the marriage. The ending (surprise! Hannah's parents knew the kidnapped trade commissioner and she had no idea they were close friends who had dinner regularly, somehow, and now he will talk) is way too pat.

[Wendy Comba · Rating 2 out of 5]

I asked for this book for Christmas because it takes place in the neighbourhood where I live. I also wanted to learn a little more about the October Crisis as I have recently moved to Quebec. The only parts I liked about this book were the setting and the references to places I know. While I wanted to continue reading to find out what happened in the end, I didn't find the book particularly satisfying and the themes were too obvious. Not that I'm a literature expert, but I just don't like when themes and metaphors are thrown in your face.

[Jennifer Mathison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book - not at all what I expected. It has been quite awhile since I have read anything which illustrated the "English vs French" conflict. Actually, "October", by Richard B Wright, (funny that these books share nearly identical titles) did have overtones of the English/French divide and friction.

"October" is not a happy book. You will not laugh or even smile often as you read it. Instead, you will find yourself examining your own marriage, parenthood and/or career choice. Relationships between adult children and their parents and friendships which change over decades, are also topics which this novel illustrates.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This family drama centered around a mixed Anglophone-Francophone Quebec family was mediocre. The writing was good and parts of the political discussion about the October Crisis of 1970 were interesting. However, I found it difficult to sympathize with or relate to the characters, and given what happened earlier in the story, everything wrapped up just a bit too neatly to be believable. I might give this author another try, but there was really nothing special about this book.

[Weiyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to learn about some of the history behind the Quebec language issue, especially interesting in the backdrop of bill 96. I will definitely seek out more Quebec writers from now. (Still not getting used to being called an anglo here lol I only just learned English like not that long ago....)

[JMacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about a family experiencing their own personal crisis in 2001 with the backdrop of the historical October crisis. It has been awhile since I have read anything that relates to the topic of Quebec nationalism and the relationship between the “anglaise and francais”. The characters were both likeable and frustrating but altogether very real. “The power of words, of stories untold and told?"

[Merrill Matthews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. I found it slightly patchy but I like her style of writing.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this novel that was set during early 2000's w/ flashbacks to the October Crises in Quebec,1970. At the time, I was too young to fully grasp the significance of this highly politically charged event in the Separatist movement & was looking forward to a fresh view & a better understanding into why James Cross was kidnapped for 60 days leading to Martial Law in the province. Can't Historical Fiction enlighten it's reader in 300 plus pages while being considered entertaining at the same time! The main characters in 'My October' were also somewhat 2 dimensional making it difficult to relate to their personal struggles like midlife crises, inability to communicate w/ each other, as well as everyday issues of around Control. The only one that partially drew me in was the son Hugo, being brought up in a 'mixed' family unit & while trying to cope w/ Identity & Adolescence. I actually felt sorry for him at one point, but his parents on the other hand simply fell short as we never really know their motivation for their actions that ultimately destroys the family unit.
I can only give this book 3 stars.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire Holden Rothman reimagines Hugh MacLennan's Canadian literature classic Two Solitudes through the eyes and voices of an extended family touched in various ways by Quebec's October Crisis. Rather than using her characters as symbols and thematic representations, however, Rothman creates palpably believable human beings touched by social, political and cultural forces, not just those buffeting Quebec in the 1970s, but reaching back to World War II. Beyond those external forces and influences, other connections and secrets are interwoven in the lives of prominent francophone author Luc Levesque, his wife Hannah, who is also the English translator of his works, and their troubled teenage son Hugo. There is an imperative tone to the "My" in the book's title, driving home that what has happened in this pivotal month affects each character very differently, tests their strength and resourcefulness as individuals and challenges them collectively as a family.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to say about this book. I was 10 in October 1970 during the FLQ crisis and was totally precociously absorbed by the whole thing. I knew who all the players were, Vallieres, the Rose brothers, Lanctot, Simard, etc etc etc. I grew out of that. Fast. Rothman's work focuses on those aging Quebecois intellectuals who refuse to grow out of that. Lots of consequences and poisoned legacies result. Choosing to be eternal victims of perceived historical circumstance. The most enlightened character in My October is young Hugo, who has his own journey out of the pit that is his upbringing of an infantile and self absorbed Quebecois father, and an anglo mother, still confused after all these years. Excellent supporting characters. I recommend. Lots of meaty things to discuss at the next book club!

[Marianne Ackerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding work of fiction. I bought the book one night and had finished it by the next. Rothman really captures contemporary Montreal. She goes deeply into a believable family in turmoil, balancing three points of view. Stylishly written, wise and quite wonderful. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes messy family novels with lots to say about the human condition and our enduring solitudes.

[Tammy AK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great modern day read that reflects on history in Canada with the FLQ. Loved it!

Second time reading it through and still loved it! Its amazing how you forget some parts after time. This time around I appreciate the strength we see in Hannah, as a conflicted character that comes to resolution in the end.

[Penny (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sincerely enjoyed this one. So much to offer. FLQ/October Crisis. Anglo vs Francophone. Montreal. So many familiar things about Montreal and about the Québécois and separatism. Many layers many stories.

[Despina · Rating 3 out of 5]

general consensus of our book club; hard to get into, but glad they persevered. A good story, a good ending.

[Martha]

slow read, but worthwhile

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting novel about Quebec and the October crisis in 1970, as well as the continuing language issues in the province.

[Deborah Sowery-Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book in an online order as it was inexpensive, looked interesting and I needed to order a certain amount to get free shipping. And what a gem it was, I loved this novel! It is the story of Hannah, a daughter of a special prosecutor during the October crisis, and Luc, her famous novelist husband, whose works she translates into English, and their teen-aged troubled son Hugo who feels most keenly the "two solitudes" nature of their family. Okay, I was just about Hugo's age when the October crisis was going on so it was personally interesting to read about it now (I assume much of the references to it in the novel are accurate, as the names are) as since I was only a teen I was more concerned with the cute SWAT teams guarding the mayor's house only a couple of streets from my flat and am pretty sure I was unaware of the mailbox bombings etc altho I did know about the kidnappings and ultimate death of Laporte. But all of that aside, I loved the way it was written, how she captured the disintegration of the marriage (Luc is a bit of a dick IMHO), the heartbreak over their son's choices, and how skillfully she weaves the historical context with the family dynamics. I may have gone on too long with this review & not made any sense at all as I seldom write this much here, but honestly, I really loved this book.

[Anne Caverhill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story begins with a young boy taking a gun to school but immediately cracks open to the marital fissure of his parents: an Anglophone mom from Toronto married to a nationalist francophone from Quebec. An angry 14 year old who carries not only the emotional burdens of his parents but also his maternal grandfather who fled Austria as a young boy in 1939 only to end up being the special prosecutor for those arrested during that harsh period Canadian history—October 1970.
Remember that time? When the acronym FLQ carried the pernicious weight of Quebec radicals who stopped the rest of Canada in their their tracks as English speaking citizens tried to get their collective head around a British Diplomat being kidnapped and...a Minister of Labour being murdered.
This novel is a thinly disguised perspective from the angle of an ardent Quebecois as well as a Westmount anglophone whose family fled the province once Rene Levesque was elected. It ends amazingly enough (spoiler alert!) with an interview with James Cross....
This is so worth reading. There aren’t any easy answers. But lots of passion and a convincing thesis that we bring our family history (and its baggage) with us. And THAT...this novel gently reminds us...is what defines us.

[Joy]

I’d been wanting to read this for quite some time. Big points for its setting so deeply entrenched in a specific time (and place). Montreal, after the whole October Crisis of 1970/upheaval. This novel is about a family dealing with the ongoing tensions from that and their current day, daily life.
I felt like the first half of this was excellent and then the second half kind of fizzled out. It almost seemed to lose its focus/point. But the first half was excellent.
One of the reviewers said this is a delightfully Canadian story, and I would agree. There is a lot here about language and storytelling/perception. It might be interesting to critique this book in a lit class.


Best quote:
“Reality boiled down to this in the end: the story you told. Everyone had one. No one could claim the right to the last word.”

[Thebruce1314 · Rating 4 out of 5]

La belle province seems to be a bit of an enigma to most of English-speaking Canada: a place with a European feel, a different language and a sense of disdain for those pesky Ontario tourists. But I love it, and I really want that love to be recriprocated. Le sigh.
Rothman does a really amazing job of painting a picture of that tension within a fictional family that straddles the divide: English-French, separatist-federalist. The family is haunted by the spectres of the FLQ crisis of the 1970s and their own personal history. Though it is a work of fiction, this could easily be a true story. Essential reading for those who want a primer on modern French-English relations, couched in a digestible novel form.

[Ang · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a new Canadian, this book provides an interesting glimpse into the complex political history of Quebec. Hugo, the son of two people from polar opposite political and linguistic worlds, finds himself navigating his province's past through the lens of his own family history. If perhaps the story centered only on him, rather than switching perspectives back and forth between him and his less dynamic parents, I would have rated the book a star higher. Nonetheless, I know considerably more about Quebec's history than I did before after reading this.

[Émilie Weidl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, had a hard time putting it down. The ending was very satisfying. However, I feel like the author might have had a political agenda. The politics were sort of one-sided. Would recommend.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping there would be a heavier focus on the actual October Crisis. It was still a good story, but the beginning was confusing with all the references to Quebec writers, novels, and characters that I had no idea about. I feel like Hugo's storyline was never really explained.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

My October became my October as I gobbled Rothman's visitation of my country's two solitudes on both political and familial levels. Written with a light touch, the punches and jabs hit home with bruising impact. O Canada.

[Daniel J. Rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really fun and readable bit of historical fiction. A nice look at the FLQ’s legacy in Quebec. There were moments where I would have liked a bit more and it wraps up a bit quickly and a little too cozily.

A very good book though and well worth a gander.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

French -English tensions played out in the context of a family. A return visit to the FLQ crisis in 1970 focusing on current repurcussions.

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting point of view

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing, but not necessarily the story. I guess I just wanted to know what happened to Hugo. I’m surprised it was published as it really would only appeal to an Anglo Montrealer of a certain age. Even then I was a bit lost with the Quebecois literary references.