Canada Reads is an enjoyable CBC program that once a year draws attention to some of the best Canadian books. In 2023 I already posted about the winner, but more recently checked out another of the nominations and was pleasantly surprised.
There often is curiosity about where and how an author gets inspired to write a novel. Dimitri Nasrallah had already written a few books and received some literary awards. An idea he had considered for years was about his mother. She had come to Montreal as an immigrant who overcame common obstacles for newcomers.
At the same time Dimitri was part of that experience, but admits he didn't really appreciate his mother's perspective. The actual details can only be guessed, but Dimitri often found himself alone while his mother tried to deal with many difficulties. Getting inside her head was a challenge and a reader can't be certain how close he came, but it is believable. There is a lot of psychology as his mother ended up being a sales consultant dealing with a lot of unhappy people.
A key part of any immigrant story is where they came from. Muna Hedad came from Lebanon during a civil war during which her son Omar was born. In the book she is widowed, although her husband's death (after a kidnapping) was not concluded. She had been trained to be a French teacher and it was suggested her skills would fit well in Quebec. As it turned out (in reality) they were not looking for foreigners to teach French in Quebec. What to do? As many newcomers learn their foreign credentials do not pay the bills so you need to find an alternative.
The alternative in her case was to become a sales consultant for a diet program. The company did ads offering a solution to dietary problems with a hotline number. At that point trained consultants would listen to the problems and steer the callers to a diet program. Unhappy marriages or those unable to marry steered many to comfort food and then weight problems. There was a high turnover of trainees, but Muna (who called herself Mona for a her sales persona) was very good at listening to sad stories that drove people to bad diet habits. Most readers will soon see this as a scam, but many callers felt better understood and followed the program of buying packaged food and even lost weight.
Her relationship with her son is awkward. She is very concerned about him and early on was worried that he didn't fit in. Some of her efforts resulted in Omar befriending another newcomer, a Chinese boy named Chang. One thing leads to another and Chang's mother, another overqualified immigrant has problems learning French and convinces Muna to give French lessons to a group of Chinese immigrants which turns out not only a significant source of money but also a boost to her sense of purpose.
She is offered a promotion with the company and is able to move into a new better apartment and spend more time with her son. The process is not unusual, but is painfully gradual.
The book was published in English, but we are to assume that most of the actual dialogue was in French. There are a few Arabic words. One that got my attention was "habibi". At one time trying to sell ads I encountered an Arabic speaking fast food owner who wanted to change the name of his business to "Habibi" because he said it meant "Sweetheart", but in this story it was used as a frequent endearment for Munu's son.
Dimitri gifted this book to his mother who apparently commented that it was easier to read than his previous books which seemed to have been written by an "angry young man". In an earlier book that he won an award for he delved into the background of power brokers in the Middle East.
Quebec is a unique part of Canada. There are many who feel their French culture is under assault. At the same time immigrants are arriving and trying to fit in. This book reflects some of the tension, but as an outsider it seems the situation is progressing. When I say it is unique I mean it in a positive sense, one of my favorite places to visit. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/07/travels-of-salesman-part-3-quebec.html
My wife had persuaded me to attend a Toronto Blue Jays game so we could get a
giveaway. From previous experiences the process can be tiring and
boring. Read a book was suggested and I thought "Hotline" might fit the
bill. It eased the two plus hours of agony, mostly standing up.
Hopefully you will get a chance to read it in a more relaxed circumstances.
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