Book Review – Dining with Death

Title: Dining with Death
Author: Kathleen Molloy
ISBN: 978-0-9784599-0-1
Pages: 295
Reviewer: Rose Ann Reid, The Reader

Ms Molloy has written a very readable, (and slightly twisted!) book in the realm of “magical realism”. The main plot revolves around a group of active and aging residents of Winnipeg who are awaiting the opening of “Canola Fields”, a new seniors’ residence. Doesn’t sound too sexy?? Read on.

The cast of characters includes Zophia Žvirgzdas, who is seeking a gay man she can adopt as her grandson so that she will not die alone, and to whom she can leave her valued legacy; Zophia’s roommate, the shrinking Violet who is hiding a painful secret; socially-awkward Kermit van Tootalot; James McSorley, the Stiff with the Stiffy; Teddy, Jeannie and Maggie, the trisexuals, complete with Gibbon, their seeing-eye monkey; Irish Benny, the good-humoured and wise janitor; Harry Kerry, the beleaguered bureaucrat from Ottawa; and Kiki, a hard-working and generous benefactor who is dying of cancer. Add to this eclectic mix, the Angel of Death. Zophia states early on that the Grim Reaper is in need of a marketing campaign or some apostles to “… jazz up the whole business of dying, make it appealing instead of appalling”. Little does she know that the Angel of Death, or Dewalt Brody to his friends, is about to appear, and that she and Violet will be signed up as his assistants as they try to help the residents of Babylon Towers ease out of this world.

Through its many twists and turns, the book deals with our attitudes towards aging and dying. It also manages to take a swipe at our health care policies; Public/Private Partnerships (P3's); family relationships; our multi-cultural society; poverty; public housing, and so on. The themes are topical and deadly serious, but Ms Molloy uses endless humour, and much word play to make it all palatable. It is also a very raunchy book.

The novel requires concentration to keep the characters and situations straight. Despite that, it should be thoroughly digested along with a bottle of red wine. Or even better, read it twice, with two bottles of red wine! And if you wonder why the book is accompanied by a 5¢ Canadian Tire bookmark, check out page 219.

It has just been announced that the Canadian Book Challenge, sponsored by the Book Mine Set, has selected "Dining with Death" as its February book prize for avid readers of CanLit.

The French adaptation, “La Mort au Menu”, will be available soon. The setting and characters are adapted to reflect the Québec scene with Zophia et al being put out to pasture in Ste-Anne-des-Patates.

Book clubs should note that they are eligible for a 15% discount when they order from the publisher and that book club discussion topics are posted on the website.

Readers will be pleased to know that Ms Molloy already has two more books for this series fermenting in her very unusual brain.

www.diningwithdeath.ca
www.lamortaumenu.ca