The village of Elbow, Saskatchewan was where Evangeline Lundgren taught grade 2 in 1961-63. (She was Miss Wiens then.) Here's her excellent review of my novel CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS.
This book is an enjoyable read. I was kept guessing as Tina struggled through her complicated relationship with Frank, the love of her life, and as she wrestled with her spiritual communion with the God of her Mennonite faith. How would she justify her marriage to Frank, a man who didn't share her deeply held religious beliefs and who had difficulty fitting in with her pious Mennonite church family? How would the death of her child affect her marriage and her relationship with God? How would she react when a former boyfriend comes back into her life? Would her marriage, already straining under the weight of her disagreements with Frank, survive? Her journey takes her through a range of deep emotions and encounters some unexpected twists and turns along the way.
My own Mennonite heritage made it easy for me to identify with the characters in the book and their way of life in rural Saskatchewan in the 1940's. The story is set in a fictional prairie town which closely resembles the author's hometown of Elbow, Saskatchewan. Since I taught school at Elbow in the early 1960's I recognized several familiar surnames used in the story and the references to the Scandanavian Lutherans who live there was noteworthy to me.
The Mennonite Timeline at the end of the book which outlines the history of Mennonites beginning in the 1500's and continuing to the present day was of great interest to me. Our ancestors sojourned through different areas of Europe seeking a land where they could freely live within their Pacifist beliefs. Military exemption was of utmost importance but this became an irritant to the political rulers where they lived. So, when in 1786 Empress Catherine of Russia extended an invitation for them to settle in her newly acquired land in the southern area of Russia, many Mennonites relocated there. Along with fertile farm land they were offered freedom from military service and control of their own churches and schools. However, the "golden years" in Russia ended with the Communist Revolution of 1917. Today, Mennonites are scattered throughout the world with significant numbers in Canada and the U.S.A.
If you're interested in CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS, ask for it in a store or library. Or order online:
-Amazon.ca http://tinyurl.com/hrcr398
-Amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/z9bmupk
-Chapters Indigo http://tinyurl.com/hkdf2fl
-Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/1fdo9pf
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