The Company We Keep is a 2020 novel by Frances Itani, multiple award-winning Canadian author and member of the Order of Canada. Her writing is uniformly excellent and this novel is thoughtful and comforting - the overall feeling I felt is "welcoming".
Hazzley is at loose ends three years after the death of her husband. Tired of moving boxes of his things around in an attempt to look productive, but really solving nothing, she posts an ad at the local grocery store: Grief Discussion Group, Tuesdays 7-8:30, Cassandra's Cafe. Her long time friend Cass has offered her back room as a meeting space (and acts like mother hen so things run smoothly). Four disparate people show up, each with a unique history and way of dealing with loss. Gwen (who is babysits a large, demanding parrot) lost her alcoholic husband recently; Chiyo, a fitness instructor who nursed her demanding mother through the anger of her leukemia; Tom, who runs the local antiques shop is a widower after losing his wife years ago and is hoping there will be cake; and Addie, a nurse who is dealing with the current grief of helping her friend through chemotherapy.
The first meetings are tentative enough that Hazzley wonders if they will continue - but her open candor and insightful interest in this little group wins them all over. We follow each character in turn as they describe their lives, losses and questions of the future. There are many ways "grief could pursue: a scythe whipping through the air, closing in on the wounded", not to mention the anger, stress and frustration - which, medically assessed, would reveal dangerous limits. Soon they are learning from and supporting each other outside of the meetings, and a new member invites them out into the community.
While this is essentially about the pain and grief of dealing with the death of loved ones (or in some cases feeling the new freedom of the future), the feeling is uplifting and the characters charming. Everyone faces death in different ways, and those who are flailing without direction (like Addie, whose grief is developing as she puts her life on hold to nurse her friend) come together here with support.
Why did I find this book to read after just living through 2 years of anxiety driven fear and life-changing loss? I wondered why I was reading it now, but wasn't sorry or uncomfortable that I did.
Itani's multi-faceted novel emanates a welcoming feeling - light enough to be an enjoyable read, but with deeper feelings to mull over after. Really enjoyable.
2020 / Tradeback / 330 pages
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