The Flying Troutmans

Author: Miriam Toews
Publisher: Faber
Price: $29.99

The big empty

Miriam Toews’ has created a novel which is a super easy read. It attempts to thrash out some seriously hard hitting issues of everyday life life. Toew’s aims to develop characters who struggle with mental illness, teenage angst and troublesome parenting issues. Overall, I’m neither here nor there about Toews’ foray into the afore mentioned topics. To be brutal, I found the whole thing somewhat beige, I read the entire book in a quick few bedtime reading sessions and since, forgotten what happened or lost interest in the characters and story as soon as I closed the book.

The Flying Troutmans, which is Toew’s fourth novel, is fairly pedestrian though I thoroughly enjoyed her ability to give birth to eccentric and quirky characters that compelled me to laugh on a few occasions. Toews’ succeeds in crafting alluring wisdom regarding ridiculousness but maintains a true affection for the characters who populate her tale. Through these peculiar inhabitants, she endeavours to educate the reader about the tragedy and repercussion of mental illness.

Hattie Troutman is the narrator in The Flying Troutmans. Poor Hattie has been dumped by her half-witted boyfriend in Paris, when she receives a call enlightening her that her sister, Min, has yet again descended into the pit of depression. Although Hattie would rather mop around the ‘city of love’ feeling dejected she dusts herself off and hightails it back to Canada to take care of Min’s kids.

Unfortunately, when Hattie arrives circumstances are worse than she expected. Min is suicidal and bedridden, needing instant hospitalisation. Min secretly asks Hattie “Please help me die”. This request angers Hattie and drives her to commence an impulsive road-trip to search for Min’s children’s father. Maybe he will be able to fix things?

The journey begins. Hattie and her sister’s kids, Thebes and Logan, set off on journey/voyage to find their father. Toews’ maintains the reader’s interest through her thoughtful portrayals of Logan and Thebes. Vulnerable, frightened, brave and irritating kids dealing with issues well out of their expected emotional ability. Nevertheless, they have insight which tends to continually cause chaos chaos and havoc on their young lives.

Despite the characters mildly funny interludes and oddball characters, I often thought to myself ‘are we there yet?.

Hattie finds the kid’s Dad in the middle of the desert with surprising ease, allowing for a ludicrously happy reunion. Low and behold, at this time Hattie experiences her long awaited life-changing epiphany “I had a mission. I’d become a cartographer of the uncharted world of Min”, besides the fact that Hattie and the kids left their mother, Min, lying comatosed on a cocktail of drugs in the psychiatric ward. Hattie’s witty account of the road trip events becomes progressively slapdash and tedious, with numerous dubious characters who dart in and dart out of the story, contributing very little the Troutmans’ mission.

As this mishmash family rambles through their voyage across Canada/America, Hattie has numerous memories of the grisly childhood she and Min shared. Detailing the fact that mental illness is a struggle not only for the patient but for anyone that crosses their path. Overall, I think that Touws’ aims to identify that although the world is frenzied and confused, you can find stability in your loved one (in spite of their peculiarities).

Clichéd, predictable, and generally unrealistic are the eventual feelings I’m left with about the book. If you are on holidays, melancholy as the underlying story is, read this novel - it is inoffensive and mind numbing. Surprise yourself by knocking off 200 odd pages, then realise you have drifted off in your luxurious beach lounge whilst being fanned by a huge palm frond. What more could you desire on your overdue escape from reality and a blast through the American landscape.

Bridget Barnett

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