Anomaly

Like Margaret Atwood’s Cat’s Eye, Anomaly explores the dynamics of female relationships in a Toronto that many people remember, but that no longer exists. Set in the 1970s as the city evolved into an international hub, the novel centers around four two sisters, Glynnis and Carol, just coming of age, their troubled mother, Mrs. Riggs, and an elderly neighbor, Miss Balls, whose most vivid memories are of her days as a young nurse in World War II. As the two girls struggle to navigate their stormy relationship, the events of a turbulent era are reflected in the lives of all four women. Each suffers a loss of innocence — and so too does the city. Detailed, emotionally complex, and rich with exceptionally well-drawn characters, Anomaly is a debut novel that lives up to its promise.