Book of the Month — October 2015
Under the Visible Life
By: Kim Echlin
Called “nothing short of a masterpiece” in Quill and Quire, Kim Echlin’s latest book is about the difficult path women take to achieve their dreams. Katherine and Mahsa are from different worlds but there are things they share. Both of the women are products of mixed-race relationships and both are talented musicians. Katherine was born to a white mother and a Chinese father–a relationship that was taboo in 1940s Canada. Katherine’s early love of music is encouraged by her mother. Mahsa’s Afghan mother also engaged in a forbidden relationship, marrying a white American. While Mahsa’s childhood was happy, it was short-lived. Her mother and father were murdered in an honour killing by relatives when she was 13. Her memories of her father’s love of jazz inspire her to rebel against the restrictions of her uncle/guardian and practice piano secretly.
United by their love of music, a powerful friendship develops between the two women.
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