A Road Trip to Remember – The Flying Troutmans
Miriam Toews’ Latest Novel Promises a Wild Ride
Aug 24, 2009
The Flying Troutman by Miriam Toews has been hailed as “compelling, beautiful and frantic” by The Vancouver Sun and, after reading this beautifully crafted tale, it’s easy to see why. Similar in style to her latest An Uncomplicated Kindness, The Flying Troutman is a perfect mixture of honesty and eccentricity in a lighter, faster read.
The Flying Troutmans tracks three of the most interesting characters in Canadian fiction. Eleven-year-old Thebes Troutman, her fifteen year old brother Logan and their young aunt, narrator Mattie, embark on a journey from Manitoba to California in search of Thebes’ and Logan’s father.
The Plot Line
Mattie returns to Canada after hearing word that her sister, Min, a long time sufferer of depression is heading back to the hospital. Mattie, who is in the midst of her own relationship dramas, must take control of her niece and nephew. After spending a few short hours with them, she realizes the responsibility required is simply too much and instead opts to journey over the American border in an attempt to locate the children’s missing father. What ensues is a novel filled with comical dialogue and eccentric characters that readers cannot help but love. The book offers easy reading with short dialogue and details that truly accentuate both the hilarity and the sadness of the situation.
Capturing the Scene
Toews does an excellent job of painting the picture of the open road. Like the movie, Little Miss Sunshine, The Flying Troutmans puts readers in a beat up van as the Troutman family head across North America. As a Canadian native, Toews captures the hilarity of crossing the United States/ Canada border with accuracy and precision. She allows for just enough detail of each run down motel, sleepy American town and unusual visitor they meet along the way. Readers are brought into the Ford Aerostar with the Troutmans and experience every single bump along the way.
Character Development
Every character in The Flying Troutmans has his or her issues. Older sister Min wishes she would just die while Mattie struggles with her own failed life in Paris, as well as her painful past growing up with Min. Logan is the typical teenage boy who spends much of the novel stoned and deep into his headphones.
However, perhaps the best aspect of the novel is the character of Thebes, who, through her eccentricities, readers come to understand how this young child is affected by her mother’s illness. Thebes is a talkative, happy-go-lucky eleven year old who loves art and drama. Behind her dyed blue hair, all white outfits and creative craftiness, readers see a little girl screaming for attention in fear of being unloved and abandoned.
Toews mixes irony and innocence with humor and sadness to create one unusual road trip that anyone can appreciate.
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