Broken Ground

Jack Hodgins once recalled a writing seminar attended by William Golding. When a student mentioned she'd heard authors should "write what they know", Golding "mounted his transparent Nobel pedestal" to thunder that he'd never been marooned on a desert island nor constructed a cathedral. Jack Hodgins may have listened to his relatives relate land clearing on Vancouver Island. He may even have blown a few tree stumps. Certainly, he never slogged through muddy trenches on the Western Front in France in 1916. Good thing; we might never have had the opportunity to relish his descriptions of the agonies of living through and having to remember that conflict in later years. For Hodgins is a master of writing "what he knows" in combination with what he learns or conjures. The result is an engaging read, writing not to be missed.Broken Ground's account of veteran resettlement in Canada strikes a touchy spot. Seeing the remnants of post-World War I rural allotments [don't grace them with the name 'farm'], along country lanes in the US and Canada or in bleak isolation in Australian paddocks, induces the conjuring of ghosts. Cramped houses, wretched and sagging, roofless or home to hay bales were once inhabited by families seeking a promised future. These abandoned sites are vivid testimony of how fragile that future valid rewards given men who'd survived Western Civilization's [sic] most horrendous conflict. Hodgins gives us a fresh reminder of the impact of that strife and the pitiable acknowledgment given its participants. They had just spent years combating enemies both human and natural, only to return home and learn struggling to survive remained central to their lives.Hodgins, who has a fine knack for portraying people, here expresses several voices in depicting those post-Great War conditions in rural Vancouver Island. The common thread of those voices is Matt Pearson, veteran, farmer, teacher. Hodgins' style makes it easy to consider Pearson a projection of Hodgins himself, thrust back in time, living an imagined life. Pearson isn't hardened by the war, although he's certainly toughened. Disillusionment assaults, but doesn't overwhelm him. Pearson's role grows as the book wends its way to a conclusion in modern times. Throughout the book, Hodgins' portrayal of the survivors of that era of unfulfilled promises reflects what he knows, yet hasn't lived. It's a fine expression of writing talent. You needn't be either Canadian nor World War I veteran to enjoy what Hodgins has produced. Reading this book requires no more than to be sympathetic to human values.

I realy enjoyed this novel. Sometimes it was difficult but always worth the effort. A settlement on Vacouver island in the 1920's is the setting. It was mainly for soldiers returning from WWI. So in addition to the grind of removing huge stumps and trying to farm the land they worked in the woods as loggers, or shop keepers; WWI was always in the background. The characters did not especially become close to me but I still liked the over all flavor of them. I don't think they were well developed in the sense of getting real close to them. The main character, Matt Pearson is developed and you understand him as the ending is disclosed...