This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. Our goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.
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The text paper used for printing Fishing for Bacon is acid-free, 100% old growth forest-free (100% post-consumer recycled), processed chlorine-free, and printed with vegetable based, low VOC inks.
ISBN-13: 9781897126370
Publisher: NeWest Press
Published: 2009
234 pgs
Let me start off by saying that
Fishing for Bacon is neither a story about smoked meat nor cooking but is a coming-of-age story of a boy called Bacon Sobelowski who has a passion for fishing. When he was ten, his father walked out of their life and it was at that time his mother bought him a fishing rod at a garage sale. He spent much of his time fishing then, thinking it is the only thing that is worth spending his time on though he is not really good in it. He thinks timing is essential in all the things he does but it seems he has no such luck when it comes to that.
So he led an easy, carefree life living with his mother and Grandma Magic Can all the way till high school, when he met a new girl in class whom he thinks might be his special "someone". It all started after he heard Kenny Roger sings a song about there is a someone for everyone, and he intends to seek that someone based on that belief.
However, Sara Mulligan is not the special someone whom he thinks she is, but he went searching for her anyway after she has left him in Bellevue to big city Calgary. And this begins the plot where Bacon will meet a few others that made him wonder if they are his special "someone" and left him wondering if bad timing is the cause for all the disappointment or even some unexpected outcome.
I have to say I loved the characterization in this story. Bacon is an interesting character, and I could simply connect him to most of the teenaged boys today, who are usually full of angst and plagued by their hormonal urges. Secondary characters like Laszlo Maximilian Mursky reminds me of a pimp but not fully a heartless one; and Grandma Magic Can is an extraordinary woman who has some moxie in her despite her age. There are a few more but I will stop here. This story mainly focus on characters and relationships which allow the readers to get to know more about Bacon through various situations or circumstances as the story moves along. Though I have to admit I did not really care for Bacon in the beginning (and it does not help much that he has a passive attitude), my opinion of him gradually changes after following his journey and knowing that he has learned something out of everything towards the end.
There were times I chuckled reading this book but funny aside, I also felt it is poignant at some point which I think it works for this story. Bacon's relationship with 'Woodrat', a laundry girl he knew at work is the most emotional one I read following his journey, and I find it difficult to express my thoughts into words here the way it evoke my feelings while reading it. All I can say is their connections with each other is simple, bittersweet yet a beautiful one.
I want to thank Raz Godelnik of Eco-Libris and the publisher for sending this book to me for review.
GIVEAWAY: In honour of the Green Books Campaign, I am giving away my gently used copy to one lucky reader. Please leave a comment on this post to say you would like to win this book along with your email address. Closing date will be November 15th and the winner will be announced on the following day. Good luck!
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