I just finished Peace by Chocolate: The Hadhad Family’s Remarkable Journey from Syria to Canada, by Jon Tattrie.
Of the thousands of free books to read between my library’s e-book lending program, and a three month trial of Kindle Unlimited, it was the only one that caught my eye, and it had no holds on it.
Tangent: That’s not entirely true. I do want to read Neko Case’s recently released memoir, but there’s an 18 week wait to borrow an available copy. In the meantime, I found it as a free audiobook on Spotify. It’s fantastic. So much so, that I’ll also grab a paper copy to read some day.
Through the author, the Hadhad family shares an incredible story that should resonate with every Canadian and everyone on the planet who feels empathy for displaced people no matter where they are, and no matter where they come from.
The writing style is quite simplistic, and I wish Tattrie made the reader work harder, especially in the second and third parts, but I enjoyed reading it overall.
Not that it’s entirely hard to believe the fairytale ending, I guess. If there’s anywhere in the world where nothing but good thing after good thing could happen to good people, it’s Nova Scotia. It’s just the nicest place.
Read the book, buy the chocolate, support Canadian makers, manufacturers, and businesses.
This is not a book review.
W.
Photo: I’ve been to Antigonish but stopped only briefly for a coffee on the way to the below-pictured Peggy’s Cove. 2016, right around the time Piece by Chocolate was born.
