A Review of Camilla Gibb’s “The Relatives”
What is a Family?
Canadian author Camilla Gibb might not exactly be a household name in her native country (yet), but if you have been around literary circles, you will have heard of her. Before she was being published by the likes of Doubleday Canada, I’m pretty sure she was a featured reader at the TREE Reading Series in Ottawa in the early 2000s — a series that I used to frequent and read at during the open mic sets. (I tried to verify if Gibb was a featured reader at TREE as fact and bolster my memory as to if and when she read, but when I went to visit the official homepage of the reading series to do some research, I was greeted with a warning from my web browser that to do so would be a major security risk — so I’ll just have to take my memory on faith.) Well, I have to say that her latest and forthcoming novel, The Relatives, is a firecracker of a read — one that should be destined to get her again to the shortlist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize in Canada, if not other awards.
I’d like to tell you what The Relatives is all about, but I want to do so with a caveat or two. For one, while this book is a novel, it is a noticeably short novel that clocks in at about 200 pages. You can easily read the book in one or two sittings. Thus, to say a lot about it risks giving away entire plot points or even the ending of the book! That means that, two, this is the kind of book that might be best read by those who don’t have a lot of knowledge of what the book’s about — although it probably will endear itself to female readers best, as a lot of the book is about motherhood and being a parent. (It also seems to draw a lot on the author’s personal experiences, from what I can understand.) It might be best to do yourself a favour and steer clear of any review, including this one, until you’ve read the book, digested it, and are ready to have a conversation with it.
Having given away all of those warnings, I will say that the book is three novellas tied together by character and theme. The first of the stories involves a Toronto child social worker named Lila who is taken by her mute charge, Robin, so much so that she begins to have fantasies as adopting her as her own — fantasies that begin to take on a life of their own. The book is also about a woman named Tess who has come out of a toxic marriage with another woman she has separated from, and the point of separation is about what is to be done with some sperm and eggs that have been donated to and by the couple. The third story is about a man named Adam who is captured in northeastern Africa and held for ransom — and is the connective tissue, so to speak, between the first and second stories.
As the publisher would have you believe in press materials, and quite rightly, too, this is a book that questions the nature of what makes a family a family in this post-modern (or even post-post-modern) world. To that end, this short novel is about the fallout of the post-nuclear family and whether a family exists when it is missing a father hovering over the unit. It is a fascinating read, and even though the characters are not particularly likable, there is a sense of propulsion to this book that makes it read like a thriller or suspense novel. The only knock against it is that it wraps up a little too quickly and the ending is a little messy — especially given that, except in one case, we’re not given any timelines for when these stories or fictions are set. However, there is a lot you might be able to relate to with these characters, even if you find yourself not particularly liking them.
As someone who has not had alcohol for more than four years now (I found I was starting to self-medicate with it, so I quit it entirely), all of these characters have a complex relationship with booze — and if you’re anything a little like me, you might be able to see a bit of yourself in all of these characters, even if you don’t have kids yourself (procured either the old fashioned way or through sperm or egg donation). Since this was the case for me, I found myself wanting to know what would happen to these individuals, even if — sometimes — I felt that I wanted to throw a brick at them. The parenting angle is also interesting because it seems so novel and unpredictable. There’s a bit of philosophy in the read about the rights of donors and those who have received the donations, so there’s a depth that adds quality to this volume. Just about everything about this book is perfect, save, perhaps, for the very ending (which feels as though the author felt that she just had to stop and leave some questions and plot points dangling because she had run short of ideas).
To that end, I cannot be more effusive in saying that The Relatives is a mostly stellar read. I have been starved for Canadian novels, and The Relatives is that kind of Canadian novel that is a pleasure to read: urban (but not urbane) and sophisticated. This is the sort of book that will be talked about when it comes to drawing up year-end “Best of” lists, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it picked up a nomination for a major writing award, Giller or not aside. Even though I’m in my mid-40s and am single without children of my own (aside from having a cat who is active enough to be considered a child), I found The Relatives to be an absolutely compelling book. If you’re looking for something short that might keep you up at night between the covers (both on your bed and in your book), The Relatives is the rarity of being literary fiction that is also quite thrilling to read. Make no bones about it, The Relatives is exciting to behold. It marks the return of one of Canada’s great authors, one who has certainly come a long way from reading at a small literary event I used to frequent. The Relatives proves (once again?) that Camilla Gibb is destined for great things, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
Camilla Gibb’s The Relatives will be published by Doubleday Canada on March 23, 2021.
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Get in touch: zacharyhoule@rogers.com
