From My Bookshelf: Terry Fallis

When I read “The Best Laid Plans” for Canada Reads, I just didn’t get what the hype was about.  Now, reading this newest book by Fallis I am on board with his quirky wit and humour.  Although there are some devastating and disturbing parts to this novel, it is essentially a story of love, understanding and humour.

Alex MacAskill is a painfully shy software engineer writing code for a large international company which has plans to greatly improve facial recognition.  Alex has one friend at work, his deskmate Abby, who is constantly reminding him to make eye contact.  Some devastating and traumatic incident in his past, known only as “Gabriel” has landed Alex in therapy for the last ten years.

When his mother dies, she leaves Alex a mysterious photo – about parts of his family he didn’t know existed.  With the funds of his inheritance he travels from Ottawa to London to Moscow.  How do the Russian KGB,  his high school acting and skill with accents, the company known as Innovatengage, the 1972 Russian hockey team playing in the eight game series against Canada, his name, an old photo, tattoos all help Alex unravel his past??

I was crying, I was laughing, I was gasping.  I was just totally engrossed in this story.

The Summit Series was an eight game tournament of hockey between the Soviet Union National Team and Canada represented by players in the NHL, known as Team Canada.  Four games were played in Canada, then four games were played in the Soviet Union.  Because the hockey tournament was played in 1972 during the Cold War, there were intense feelings of nationalism on both sides.  Do you remember where you were during game eight??