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Lale Eskicioglu Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood If you are going to read only one Margaret Atwood book, then it has to be Alias Grace. Born in Ottawa
in 1939, Margaret Atwood has long been one of the pillars
of Canadian Literature, having won all Canadian literary awards
at least once. Her masterpiece Alias Grace was short-listed
for the prestigious Booker Prize in 1996, didn't win, but the Booker
award committee granted her the award for her
A page-turner murder mystery and a social history of late 19th century Ontario, Alias Grace is an exquisitely-written historic fiction, full of detail and intricate plot elements. Based on the true story of an unsolved double-murder of 1843, for which 16-year-old Grace Marks was convicted, Alias Grace is a thought-provoking examination of public's fascination with gory murders, suspects and victims. Grace Marks, at the time a mere child by today's standards, was a maid in the household of rich Thomas Kinnear, when she was convicted, along with another servant, James McDermott, for the murders of their employer Kinnear, and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery. The murders titillated the population of Upper Canada. Was 16-year-old Grace a ruthless bloody murderer (it didn't help that she arrived in court wearing the clothes of murder victim Nancy), or was she just a simple young girl who may have been framed or manipulated for her part in the crime?
Margaret Atwood tells this sensational story from the point of view of Grace, who was spared the death penalty while James McDermott was hanged. After almost thirty years in prison, Grace Marks was pardoned and moved to Northern New York. She then disappeared and was not heard from ever again. Atwood's readers may choose to believe in the fictional alternative ending she provides for the Grace's life after being released from prison.
As soon as Alias Grace was published in 1996, Jodi Foster, the famous American actress, film director and producer, purchased the film rights of the novel. Recently there has been news of a movie based on the book, starring Cate Blanchett, but so far it hasn't been released. Non-fiction of the month: Climate Wars: How Peak Oil and the Climate Crisis Will Change Canada (and Our Lives) by Gwynne Dyer Historian Gwynne Dyer has worked as a freelance journalist, columnist, broadcaster and lecturer on international affairs for more than 20 years. Born in Newfoundland, he received degrees from Canadian, American and British universities, finishing with a Ph.D. in Military and Middle Eastern History from the University of London. He served in three navies and held academic appointments at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Oxford University before launching his twice-weekly column on international affairs, which is published by over 175 papers in some 45 countries. Dyer's most recent book Climate Wars contains extensive interviews with scientists and military planners. The author has compiled and sorted, with impeccable care, massive amount of information he has obtained through his exhaustive research. Dyer argues that, concentrating only on reduction of the CO2 emissions would not prevent the climate change and that humanity might be forced to undertake some geo-engineering measures even though they might not be the most desirable options. Dyer warns the world to get the possible solutions well researched and tested before we actually need to employ them. The book is an eye-opener for those of us who care about the environment but don't know much other than what the popular media focuses on. In Dyer's book we get to see all of the less-known facts of climate change, and come face to face with some of the more worrisome facts, such as the fate of oceans (their salvation might no longer be preventable.) An expert on Middle East, Dr. Dyer has published many books on international affairs. "War: The Lethal Custom" and "After Iraq: Anarchy and Renewal in the Middle East" are two of his other best-selling books.
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Arguably,
Atwood is the best-known Canadian author outside of Canada.
She has received numerous recognitions around the globe, including
a Humorous Writer Award from Sweden and a Norwegian Order of Literary
Merit. Atwood is also very well known in Turkey. Along with many
other Atwood books, Alias Grace was also published
in Turkish, under the title "Nam-i Diger Grace."
Atwood's own website boasts of her books having been translated
into forty languages including Turkish.
