Over the Counter #110

What caught my eye this week as it passed over my library counter and under the scanner? Support the Girls - Bra Art for Breast Health compiled by the West Parry Sound Health Centre Foundation.

From the publisher Second Story Press:

"Can a book about breast health be both beautiful and funny? This one is.

When the women from a community in Central Ontario needed to raise funds to buy a mammogram machine for the local hospital, it wasn’t laughter that led them to the “Art Bra” project. More likely, it was the fear of breast cancer and the need for early detection that motivated them. But the result is full of fun and whimsy, as people from across the country responded to their call to craft an “art bra”, sending in their creations along with the stories behind them.

You will smile at the bras that have been turned into works of art, with names like “Got Milk”, “Lucky Charms”, “Go, Girls, Go”, and “Cradles of Civilizations”. The book showcases over fifty bras, with accompanying personal stories that celebrate the curative power of laughter. Even hockey greats Bobby Orr and Sidney Crosby have gotten into the act by signing “sports bras”.

The bras come from a community of breast cancer sufferers and survivors, health care workers, friends, and family. These bra “artists” will inspire you and bring you to tears – both of laughter and sadness. Gathered together, their creations bring a sense of lightness and hope to an all-too serious problem.

A portion of the proceeds from every sale will benefit community health care."

(Over the Counter is a regular feature at A Bookworm's World. I've sadly come the realization that I cannot physically read every book that catches my interest as it crosses over my counter at the library. But... I can mention them and maybe one of them will catch your eye as well. See if your local library has them on their shelves!)

The Last River Child - Lori Ann Bloomfield

The Last River Child was next on my pile of books to be read. I thought I'd pick it up just before bed, read a chapter or two to get into it and then take it work to read at lunch. Well - 2 1/2 hours later, I looked up and saw what time it was! I had become completely lost in the story.

The Last River Child opens in 1914 in Walvern, a small rural village, set in Ontario, Canada. Seth Staynor, his wife and two daughters, Peg and Sarah, live on a farm on the outskirts, near the Walvern River.

The inhabitants of Walvern are a superstitious lot. Every child is told the story of the river child - a spirit trapped beneath the water. It will try to lure a child close enough to look in their eyes and escape to dry ground. Once there, it will cause trouble and bring bad luck - droughts, crops will fail and more.

Peg Staynor has been branded as a river child from birth. She is shunned by the town folk and even her own father. Her mother has always protected her, but when she dies just as war is declared, Peg's position is even more precarious.

It is Peg's journey and strength that made this such a captivating read. Despite her treatment, Peg has no urge to leave the farm. Not so with her sister Sarah - she yearns for the city. As war is declared and the world changes, those changes reach Walvern as well. Peg will be the last river child.

Bloomfield has captured the feel of small town Ontario perfectly. Her descriptions of the farming and town ring true. Her prose are smooth and effortless. I especially enjoyed the letters written between Peg and a young man from Walvern stationed in France.

This is Lori Ann Bloomfield's debut novel and it was a gem of a find. I look forward to reading more from this author.