 Holy Days
of Obligation
AUTHOR: Susan Zettell ISBN: 092183361X
Holy Days of Obligation is a collection of short stories which weaves together the family history of a working-class Catholic family. Set in industrial Ontario, the stories are narrated by Bertie, who is the oldest of nine children. Bertie uneasily straddles two worlds: that of her parents, Frank and Elizabeth, who have too many children and not enough money, and that of her siblings, with whom Bertie shares the confidences and frustations and adventures of growing up. Bertie understands better than any of the others what her parents go through with the demands of their children—from young Richard who is constantly in trouble, to Catherine, whom Bertie resents because she is prettier and more popular than Bertie is herself, to Robert, who seems destined to be her only sibling to maintain a happy marriage until he inexplicably commits suicide. After Robert's death, which she had had a premonition about, Bertie inherits her grandmother's quilt. Bertie is unwilling to accept the quilt, which has always been associated with the untimely death of her Uncle Charlie, and carries all the responsibilities of being the eldest. After another close call for her sister Catherine, Bertie passes on the quilt, because she realizes "What happens in families has nothing to do with quilts and doodled words on paper. It has to do with possibilities. And with all we know and say about one another and all we know, and can't say. It has to do with what each of us keeps hidden." This collection of stories uncovers some of those hidden secrets and the bonds that hold a family together. There is a shimmering poignancy to these stories—these characters are real people who live their lives with pride and dignity, and are never pitiable despite their poverty. They are people we care about from beginning to end. people we hold our breath and wish the very best for.
REVIEWS: "These stories pulsate
and resonate with the intimacies and intricacies of family life. Sometimes,
as is the case with great art, they touch the reader unexpectedly, reaching
toward the deep centre of the human heart." "The 15 linked stories of Susan Zettell's debut collection read like an intimate memoir, and indeed move with the deep emotional currents of personal memory.... Life events that inspire the hackneyed in art are here crafted almost invariably with a precision that brings primal shocks of recognition. Keen, unsparing observation expressed in palpable, sometimes shimmering prose moves mind and heart on almost every page. Zettell's most stiking memory jog is her mastery of scent. There are passages here almost certain to return you to a redolent childhood world where living fully and sensually in the here and now was once as natural as breathing."—The Globe & Mail
"What a welcome addition to the literature of our country. Susan Zettell has a passion for careful, sensuous detail. Her mature and skilful handling of story convinces us that illusion is truth. She writes about trust and anger and perplexity and need all of the elements that contribute to complex relations within a large extended family. But most of all, she creates her characters with compassion and love. While reading the title story, I held my breath. A wonderful debut."—Frances Itani
"There are times when Susan Zettell's short story collection reads like lyrics from a Bruce Springsteen ballad. Hard work in a factory town. Too many kids and not enough money. Setbacks and disappointments that can't be explained, only accepted. Holy Days of Obligation has been praised for its sensitive depiction of the complicated and sometimes tragic events of a large Roman Catholic family."—Canadian Press
"Moments of gorgeous writing abound in Holy Days of Obligation, and there are just as many bracing moments of realization on the common ground of families and feelings."—Winnipeg Uptown
"In Holy Days of Obligation author Susan Zettell weaves the past and present together with a skilled hand. Zettell imbues her stories with sensuous commonplace details that illuminate the bonds that hold a family together." —Prairie Fire
"In Holy Days of Obligation, Susan Zettell brings memory to instant life with writing that connects to all the senses." —The Dalhousie Review Other
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