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Sep 28, 2015geordie18 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
If I Fall, If I Die definitely exceeded my expectations. Though I liked Michael Christies book of short stories, Beggar's Garden, I much preferred If I Fall, I Die. At it's heart, it is a coming of age story. It is the story of young fellow, Will, aged about 9 who has lived " Inside' he and his mother's home for most of his life. His mom suffers with agoraphobia and anxiety. Eventually curiosity overcomes Will and he decides to go " Outside" and to school. Having lived inside all of his life, naturally he is bullied at school and regarded as rather odd. He makes friends with a small group of people, a fellow student, Jonah, a First Nations boy, and girl who suffers with cystic fibrosis. The town of Thunder Bay , Ontario is where he lives. I found Thunder Bay to be a fascinating and well described place. While many years ago, it was bustling town full of grain pools and the shipping of grain, it is now a dying town, with illegal grain alcohol as one it's biggest products. Subtly ,the author acquaints us with the lack of acceptance of First Nations people, the feel of a small a decayed town, with the many people living on the margins. I really got a most interesting feel for Thunder Bay, a gritty, decaying place, that likely exists in far more small towns across Canada than I realized. The situation of First Nations people became more real for me. The story also became a page turner, in that Will and his friend are pulled into the cross-hairs of the criminal element of Thunder Bay. I very much enjoyed the story, even if parts of it strain credulity. Thunder Bay almost became a character to me , so well was it described and I felt I gained a much better understanding of First Nations people and the lack of integration that happens in so many places. Will's story of dealing with an mom suffering with agoraphobia was certainly an interesting one, but only one part of the story. My suspicion is that this book will have a limited appeal. Though I am giving it 4 stars and very much appreciated reading it, it will appeal most to those who are keen on Canadian Literature , with it's quirky , dark appeal and unusual story line. Will it make the short list? One never knows what the Giller Prize Judges are looking for . I was really was fascinated at how the author was able to give the feel of how marginalized First Nations people are, just by presenting them as part of the story. The decaying small town feel became so real for me too. Living in a large, growing urban centre, this was very interesting story for me. Very glad I picked up this book from my local library. Guardedly recommended. For me , it was a fabulous but unusual read, but it won't appeal to everyone - even those who want to it read for the Giller Prize. 4 keen stars from me