Reviews

Finding Edward by Sheila Murray

naomisnovelnest's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

carolineballyd's review

hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.75

zee's review

informative inspiring medium-paced

3.5

After losing his parental figures in Jamaica, there is no question that Cyril Rowntree must take the classic step to bettering his family's future — education and career in Canada. While he tries to adjust to this unknown society, he stumbles upon the mystery of a small Black child, given up long ago in 1923. In trying to find Edward, he ends up on a journey to also find himself.

Finding Edward is packed full of Black activism, and lesser-told stories of Black Canadian history. In trying to weave between Cyril and Edward and their dilemmas, the writing is often clunky. There are often ham-fisted references to important historical figures, and every character except Cyril seem to be all-knowing when it comes to the histories Cyril is learning. He will bring up a name he's recently learned, and other characters will acknowledge him and start quoting these persons.

While a very valuable book in terms of learning about the Black Canadian historical perspective (Africville, sleeping car porters, the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association), James Douglas, etc), I had a tough time connecting with the story through the disjointed plot points and heavy-handed references. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Police brutality, Racism, and Racial slurs

Minor: War, Suicide, and Gun violence

mikeelik's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

trishtalksbooks's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

njw13's review

challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

tsoutham's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book had some reviews that made you think this would be a difficult book but worth it. It is. Somehow all the damning that is due to colonizers, today and in the past, is delivered with hope. In a world where residential school graves are being uncovered, the murder of young black men are being filmed, and people continue to be murdered for the colour of their skin or gender, we are constantly reminded of injustice. This book takes these injustices to such a personal level, softened by the believable life of an imagined persevering and loving young man who is attempting to follow the life of a similar but older man. The youger man's name is Cyril and he has moved to Canada from Jamaica to make his future. His daily life is tense and eventful. I hated to put the book down at night. The book is also full of insights. Here's a rather long passage but the reader will get a sense of the writing and these insights:
 

“Cyril was learning his place in the structure. Bumping just above the concrete and cardboard bed bottom. The bottom he'd known before, at home, had a different profile. The beggars were the mentally ill. The community cared for them- to some extent. They didn't starve. It mattered less where they slept when it was nearly always warm period sometimes they got messed up, and if they got really sick, they disappeared to the mental hospital or into the jails. Those places swallowed people whole, and when they came out they were often worse than before, needed, pummeled, and person shaped into someone who babbled instead of threatened. No longer knew how to do constructive harm- deemed safe. 

 

But here, in Toronto, so many seemed not so much mad as fallen. The big net of their world had been worn so thin that it opened a whole. Then the weight that they put to that place, the burden they carried, the great and growing bundle of it ripped the whole open- and they fell. Cyril’s net-world was a little scuffed. He tried to keep his burden light" (145)

I give this book five stars. If you have any interest in finding justice then this book will go a long way in building your empathy for imaginary, yet imaginable people, who could very well be your neighbours.

hippiequeen's review

dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5