More on "Natural Order"

I have been thinking about this book and realizing that the writing is more extraordinary than I had first realized.  I knew that the characters were magnetic and the language was delightful.  But, on further thought, I ponder how well the plot was developed.  Actually there were stories of three gay men from three different generations.  What a powerful way to show the development of thinking in respect to homosexuality.  But this was accomplished by switching back and forth in time in a seemingly 'natural order'.  In retrospect, I realize how amazing this was.  The narrative just flowed without appearing forced.
Also, I came to realize how much I love a satisfying ending.  For me, that means that people work through the issues that were challenging in their lives.  Oprah called this an 'aha' moment.  I love a big 'aha' moment, when everything starts to make sense.  And, often, that only happens years after the fact.
It was so interesting to see how that 'aha' moment was achieved.  It took a number of circumstances to occur for Joyce Sparks to finally understand her son.


                                               Brian's comments on this novel:


The book tells the story of a senior woman named Joyce Sparks coming to terms with the death of her adult son. It’s about the mistakes we make in the name of love and the second chances that sometimes shine a light in our darkest moments.

The novel came about because I wanted to capture a character in the final years of life. What would she think looking back on her past? What did she think of her life now? What were the things she’d do differently if she were given the opportunity? Out of that curiosity, Joyce Sparks was born.

Brian Francis

Brian Francis (born 1971) is a Canadian writer. His 2004 novel Fruit was selected for inclusion in the 2009 edition of Canada Reads, where it was championed by novelist and CBC Radio One personality Jen Sookfong Lee. It finished the competition as the runner-up, making the last vote against the eventual winner, Lawrence Hill's The Book of Negroes.
Brian lives inToronto and has a cooking blog "Coker Cooking".