The name W.O. Mitchell will ring a bell for those who are familiar with Western Canadian literature. He is perhaps best known for his 1947 hit novel Who Has Seen the Wind. Renowned for his descriptive prose about the prairies and poetic reflections on mortality, Mitchell has earned his place on bookshelves all throughout the West. Upon recently reading his 1962 novel The Kite, I believe Mitchell deserves to be discovered by a new generation of Western Canadians..Mitchell’s second novel, The Kite takes place in a small town in southern Alberta in 1960. The protagonist is a writer and TV personality David Lang, who is unsatisfied with his professional life in Toronto and Montreal. At the beginning he is assigned to a story that brings him back to the place of his upbringing in the foothills of Alberta..The purpose of David’s assignment is to interview and write about a spirited old man named Daddy Sherry, who is about to turn 111 years old. The writer is at first disappointed in his assignment, and the task seems impossible upon discovering Daddy Sherry’s apparent senility. However, David soon realizes that this assignment is also an opportunity for him to rediscover his roots. As he gets to know Daddy Sherry and the other colourful characters of the fictional Shelby, Alberta, David soon begins to appreciate the sense of community and connectedness that was missing in his ambitious career-driven life out east..Mitchell masterfully weaves together an entertaining narrative. He keeps the pages turning by treating the reader to a series of unique and occasionally absurd scenarios, including a short-lived trapeze show in a barn, a tense confrontation with an elusive and legendary goose, an unexpected trip down river, and a most unfortunate end to an otherwise cordial birthday party. With amusing dialogue, Mitchell somehow manages to scatter hilariously comedic moments in amongst heartfelt and sometimes tragic reflections upon life and loss. Such drastic contrasts must be experienced to be fully appreciated.. FORBES REVIEW: The Kite is a book of the old West that the new West needs to readFort MacLeod, Alberta in the 1940s-1950s (Source: Galt Museum & Archives, WikiCommons) .The story of The Kite explores themes of aging, impermanence, and the essential connections between past and future generations. Through the eyes of 111-year-old Daddy Sherry, readers will consider what is most important at the end of the day – and they will laugh out loud all along the way..The author, who passed away in Calgary in 1998, came by his love of the prairies naturally. William Ormond Mitchell was born and raised in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. He studied at the University of Manitoba and the University of Alberta, and worked briefly as a writer out east for Maclean’s Magazine before returning west and settling in High River, Alberta. Most of Mitchell’s works reflect this lifelong attachment to the West, and The Kite upholds that pattern proudly..This story is fundamentally about Westerners, for Westerners, and written by a Westerner. Like Mitchell himself, the character of David Lang returned home to the West after a time away for career reasons. With this background in mind, Lang’s comments comparing “the tempo of Yonge with the leisurely saunter of a foothills main street” take on a personal significance for the author.. FORBES REVIEW: The Kite is a book of the old West that the new West needs to readA driver in Fort MacLeod, Alberta in the 1940s (Source: Galt Museum & Archives, WikiCommons) .Mitchell’s vivid descriptions clearly reflect a strong appreciation for the natural majesty of this land, and his colourful cast of characters convey a profound tenderness for the people of the prairies. Readers throughout the West may see something of their own lives and upbringings reflected in these pages..This classic novel is a veritable love letter to small prairie towns and to the people who call the West home. Whether you are already a W.O. Mitchell fan or you are just discovering his works for the first time, you will want to add The Kite to your library list (or Christmas list) today..James Forbes is a Columnist for the Western Standard
The name W.O. Mitchell will ring a bell for those who are familiar with Western Canadian literature. He is perhaps best known for his 1947 hit novel Who Has Seen the Wind. Renowned for his descriptive prose about the prairies and poetic reflections on mortality, Mitchell has earned his place on bookshelves all throughout the West. Upon recently reading his 1962 novel The Kite, I believe Mitchell deserves to be discovered by a new generation of Western Canadians..Mitchell’s second novel, The Kite takes place in a small town in southern Alberta in 1960. The protagonist is a writer and TV personality David Lang, who is unsatisfied with his professional life in Toronto and Montreal. At the beginning he is assigned to a story that brings him back to the place of his upbringing in the foothills of Alberta..The purpose of David’s assignment is to interview and write about a spirited old man named Daddy Sherry, who is about to turn 111 years old. The writer is at first disappointed in his assignment, and the task seems impossible upon discovering Daddy Sherry’s apparent senility. However, David soon realizes that this assignment is also an opportunity for him to rediscover his roots. As he gets to know Daddy Sherry and the other colourful characters of the fictional Shelby, Alberta, David soon begins to appreciate the sense of community and connectedness that was missing in his ambitious career-driven life out east..Mitchell masterfully weaves together an entertaining narrative. He keeps the pages turning by treating the reader to a series of unique and occasionally absurd scenarios, including a short-lived trapeze show in a barn, a tense confrontation with an elusive and legendary goose, an unexpected trip down river, and a most unfortunate end to an otherwise cordial birthday party. With amusing dialogue, Mitchell somehow manages to scatter hilariously comedic moments in amongst heartfelt and sometimes tragic reflections upon life and loss. Such drastic contrasts must be experienced to be fully appreciated.. FORBES REVIEW: The Kite is a book of the old West that the new West needs to readFort MacLeod, Alberta in the 1940s-1950s (Source: Galt Museum & Archives, WikiCommons) .The story of The Kite explores themes of aging, impermanence, and the essential connections between past and future generations. Through the eyes of 111-year-old Daddy Sherry, readers will consider what is most important at the end of the day – and they will laugh out loud all along the way..The author, who passed away in Calgary in 1998, came by his love of the prairies naturally. William Ormond Mitchell was born and raised in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. He studied at the University of Manitoba and the University of Alberta, and worked briefly as a writer out east for Maclean’s Magazine before returning west and settling in High River, Alberta. Most of Mitchell’s works reflect this lifelong attachment to the West, and The Kite upholds that pattern proudly..This story is fundamentally about Westerners, for Westerners, and written by a Westerner. Like Mitchell himself, the character of David Lang returned home to the West after a time away for career reasons. With this background in mind, Lang’s comments comparing “the tempo of Yonge with the leisurely saunter of a foothills main street” take on a personal significance for the author.. FORBES REVIEW: The Kite is a book of the old West that the new West needs to readA driver in Fort MacLeod, Alberta in the 1940s (Source: Galt Museum & Archives, WikiCommons) .Mitchell’s vivid descriptions clearly reflect a strong appreciation for the natural majesty of this land, and his colourful cast of characters convey a profound tenderness for the people of the prairies. Readers throughout the West may see something of their own lives and upbringings reflected in these pages..This classic novel is a veritable love letter to small prairie towns and to the people who call the West home. Whether you are already a W.O. Mitchell fan or you are just discovering his works for the first time, you will want to add The Kite to your library list (or Christmas list) today..James Forbes is a Columnist for the Western Standard
