The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil by Leslye Choyce [Family Reads]

Why we chose Lesley Choyce’s The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil

I plucked this book off my to-read list cos 1) it’s Canadian, 2) it sounded like something Dad might enjoy, and 3) it was available via the public library in both physical and digital copies. (That third reason is the precipitating factor. I was scrolling through my to-read-fiction shelf and specifically looking for books available at the library.) Penny @ Literary Hoarder’s review originally put the book on my radar. Back in October 2017, I commented “Ooh, these kinds of stories don’t usually intrigue me but your praise + the Cape Breton setting are making me think of checking this one out.”

John Alexander MacNeil is eighty years old. Sharp-tongued and quick-witted, he lives alone in rural Cape Breton, but he still cooks breakfast for his wife, who’s been dead for thirty years. He silently starts to question his own mind after stopping to pick up a hitchhiker — a hitchhiker who turns out to be his neighbour’s mailbox.

Everything shifts, though, when Emily, a pregnant teenager, shows up at his house with no place else to go. Determined to help Emily as best as he can, John must also keep the wolves from his door and maintain some semblance of sanity.

Goodreads

Our Discussion 💬

Slice of Life

Perhaps shortly before we started this Family Read feature in 2015, Dad’s taste in books began to evolve. He used to exclusively read mysteries or thrillers – David Baldcacci, Patricia Cornwell, John Grisham, etc. But he had lost interest in those, so to reignite his reading, he started exploring other genres. He discovered he enjoys slice of life fiction, focused on people interacting with each other in everyday ways. That was the first point he mentioned when I asked if he enjoyed this book. (Which was satisfying for me, because that was what I’d hoped he think when I picked out this book, haha.)

We both appreciated that this story isn’t too twee. I’m wary of “old man does something unusual or unexpected” plots. Dad had read The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed out the Window once upon a time. He confirmed for me that that story is a lot more whimsical and cutesy than this one. Thankfully for me, John Alex’s life remains pretty grounded and relatively realistic, even when the highly improbable situation of a pregnant teen moving into his house occurs. The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil has its moments of humour, but overall is more reflective and serious than other stories about unusual senior citizens. It has some lovely yet bittersweeet emotional moments as well, primarily when John Alex reminisces about his wife Eva.

And in that moment, I ffelt again my own loss of Eva, gone these many years. I almost cried out her name but instead walked to the tiny stream, bent down with cupped hands and tasted the cold water on my tongue. I felt as if I had been living too long and could no longer bear the overwhelming combination of beauty and sadness that a human being was expected to endure.

Pg 65

Redemption

We spent some time discussing the titular ‘redemption’. From what did John Alex need to be redeemed and which part of the story comprised that redemption? I shan’t say here in order to avoid explicit spoilers, but we discussed several different aspects of redemption and whether John Alex was truly redeemed or not. The matter of redemption is one reason why this book would be a good book club pick!

Supernatural Elements

We also discussed the supernatural elements of the story, which primarily manifest as John Alex speaking with Eva. Were they truly supernatural experiences or were they signs of dementia? One could argue Eva is clearly portrayed as a ghost or spiritual manifestation, while perhaps some of John Alex’s other unusual experiences are more likely attributed to his aging.

Assorted Notes

We both found the story to be a quick read, although we debated whether we would describe it as “fast paced”. I read almost the entire thing in one day. However, it did take me awhile to get started. The first 40 pages or slow felt like a bit of a slog. But I came to appreciate that section once the plot started rolling. Those early pages help establish John Alex’s past and personality.

Somehow we didn’t discuss the great cast of characters! So I’ll just quickly note that this story features a host of characters with personalities just as fun to read about as John Alex 😁

We liked the setting of rural Cape Breton. It’s a place neither of us have been to but are keen to visit. I have a wee dream to learn Cape Breton fiddling…

Dad made a note “breadmaking?” but we could not figure out what that was about, lol.

Sequel

A sequel just came out last fall – The Untimely Resurrection of John Alexander MacNeil. We wondered, “What would a sequel be about?” Well! It does sound a bit intriguing… perhaps we’ll pick it up one day.

[…] He accepts his lonely life, ignoring the world changing around him. But one night, he feels his heart stop. After willing himself back to life with sheer stubbornness, John Alex finds Death himself sitting at his kitchen table, perplexed and intrigued by his victim’s recovery. What follows is a tale on the edge of reality, full of love, doubt and the inexplicable details of an extraordinary life. 

Goodreads

Final Thoughts 💭

We both give this book ★★★★. Recommended for readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with dynamic relationships and plenty of spunk and heart.

Further Reading 📰

🍂 Read an excerpt
🍂 Author website
🍂 I didn’t find an author interview specifically about The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil but here is a neat little write up in Quill & Quire about an Ontarion bookshop responsible for about 40% of the books’ sales (at time of writing, about 1.5 years after the book’s publication)
🍂 Reviews: Naomi @ Consumed by Ink, Penny @ Literary Hoarders
🍂 Related: Similar books (slice of life Canadian fiction novels) which Dad and I have discussed for Family Reads include Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta and Nosy Parker by Lesley Crewe

Do you have a favourite story about a senior tumbling into unexpected ventures?
Is there a rural setting in your country that you’d like to read about?

Bonus Temeraire tangent: Dad is currently clipping through Naomi Novik’s His Majesty’s Dragon (Temeraire #1). He is quite enjoying it, finds it easily readable, and would like to do one of the books for Family Reads. Perhaps I will pause my read of the series until he catches up, but it may be difficult for me to hold off as I’m already up to book six… we’ll see how quickly he progresses, haha. He was about 60% of the way through when he asked me 1) will they learn more about what type of dragon Temeraire is? and 2) does Captain Laurence remain through all the books? I said “No spoilers” 😇