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Richler, Emma Feed My Dear Dogs ISBN 13: 9780676976724

Feed My Dear Dogs - Softcover

 
9780676976724: Feed My Dear Dogs
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In Feed My Dear Dogs, Emma Richler returns to the life of the Weiss family, first introduced to readers in her debut–and much-celebrated–book, Sister Crazy, through a series of interconnected stories narrated by Jemima (Jem) Weiss.

The Weisses are a tight unit of seven: father Yaakov, a gruff sportswriter whose love for his children is manifest in his stern instructions and impromptu boxing lessons; mother Frances, a wise and gentle beauty adored by her family, almost to the point of obsession by her husband; Ben, the most heroic of the siblings, by virtue of birth-order and also for knowing the answer to all questions; Jude, Jem’s almost-twin, who is only fifteen months older than she and the most serious of the children, careful to point out the anti-Semitic leanings of Jem’s literary heroes; Jem, the narrator, who would prefer to never leave the comforting confines of her family; delicate yet hilarious Harriet, Jem’s only sister, who can sound like a little old lady or a sultry vixen, depending on what movie she’s quoting; and Gus, the frail little boy who completes the circle at the beginning of the book with his birth and arrival home from the hospital.

Feed My Dear Dogs beings with the family in London, where eight-year-old Jem and her sister attend a convent school to the consternation of most of the nuns, since not only are the Weiss children not Catholic, but, most perplexingly, they are half-Jewish. Not surprisingly, Jem prefers home to school. At home she is surrounded by the books she loves, (particularly Tintin and Le Morte d’Arthur) and the comforts only a big, happy family can provide.

Soon, however, the family departs for Canada –“Dad’s country,” as the children see it–where together they begin a new life, shuttling between a Montreal townhouse and a country home, and adapting to their new land –even creating the “Weiss on Ice” hockey team. No matter where the family is, each member is fiercely loyal to home. From the use of short notes: “Out. Back soon. – Jude” to a simple “I’ll be up in my room!” yelled down the stairs, to Yaakov’s frantic bellowing of “Frances!” through the house, the family keeps close tabs on its members, which also allows Jem to subconsciously control it: “. . . my universe still the Universe, a place I wander with a slight swagger.”

But the comfort and security of family can’t last forever, Jem learns in high school, as Jude plans an extensive travel itinerary for himself and Ben contemplates moving out on his own. Meanwhile, Jem’s burgeoning feminism pits her against her father and brothers while she battles with a burden of guilt over the near-drowning death of her youngest brother. Spiraling into a breakdown by the story’s tragically beautiful end, Jem discovers that families simply can not remain fixed, like the stars in the galaxies, unchanged forever.

Intermingled through the story of the Weiss family are Jem’s (and her siblings’) encyclopedic knowledge of history, literature, film, religion and language. Richler also interweaves the almost mythic life story of Frances, the family’s matriarch, into the book, and provides glimpses into Jem’s troubled mind through a series of present-day conversations with her therapist, all of which serve to create a fully drawn portrait of Jem, her mother and the bond between them and the family as a whole.
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From the Inside Flap:
"I never really grasped why it was at all necessary to leave our house now and then and go to other houses, to play with other kids. . ." So begins Emma Richler's story that takes us back to the magical world of the Weiss family with Jem, the sensitive heroine of Sister Crazy, once again narrating.
When Dad and Mum announce that they will leave their idyllic, rambling home in England to move to "Dad's country" (Canada), Jem is not sure it's such a good idea. Staying close to her nearly twin brother, Jude, Jem must find ways to cope with all of this unnecessary chaos. As the family journeys across the ocean and Mum becomes very ill, Jem knows things will never be the same and so she begins to retreat into her imagination: the history of astronomy and Shackleton's miraculous Antarctic mission captivate her and her world expands by her reading of Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur -- applying all she learns about knighthood, chivalry and loyalty to the family she loves.
Slowly she begins to adjust to this new place -- she's playing hockey with the neighbourhood kids and feeling the intensity of Canadian winter -- but her world is suddenly thrown into disarray again: Jude, her touchstone, is going travelling and he hasn't made it clear when, or if, he'll return. Jude's breaking up of the Weiss family circle unmoors Jem and sets her off on a series of reminiscences about her magical early childhood -- and gives the reader a glimpse into the unusual, heartbreaking early life of her beautiful mother, Frances.
Darkly humorous and full of intimate, funny-sad portraits, Feed My Dear Dogs explores the delicate emotions of childhood and leads us to a conclusion that at once reinforces andredefines familial love.

"From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author:
Emma Richler was born in England in 1961, the middle child of five. She attended a convent school in London until 1972, when the family relocated to Quebec, where her father, Mordecai Richler, and her mother, Florence Wood, were born.

In Montreal, she attended a French convent school and later studied French literature at the University of Toronto and the Université de Provence in Southern France. Unlike her four siblings – all of whom have careers in media–she trained in the theatre, studying at the Circle in the Square in New York. Richler was an accomplished actor for over a decade, working in Canada at the Young People’s Theatre in Toronto and at Stratford, and later in the UK, appearing in various plays and television and radio dramas.

In 1998 she decided to give up acting to turn her attention to writing full-time. With full support and encouragement from her father, she completed her first book, Sister Crazy, a collection of related short stories. Published in 2002, it garnered high praise, became a bestseller, and was recognized by literary-prize juries on both sides of the Atlantic.

Only three and a half weeks after finishing Sister Crazy, Richler began writing her first novel, Feed My Dear Dogs, which was published in 2005. Feed My Dear Dogs was a national bestseller and was described by many reviewers as one of the best books of the year.

Emma Richler lives in London, England, and is currently at work on her third book.
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  • PublisherVintage Canada
  • Publication date2006
  • ISBN 10 0676976727
  • ISBN 13 9780676976724
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages512
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