I conclude Bill’s Best of 2025 with the categories of Non-Fiction and Most Interesting. The latter is a list of books that were not favourites of the year in Fiction or Non-Fiction but had qualities that I found intriguing.NON-FICTION
1.) Three Against the Wilderness - Part I and Part II by Eric Collier - The saga of the Collier family in the eastern Chilcotin of British Columbia from the 1920's to the 1950's was my Dad's favourite book in the 1980's when he was in his 70's. I re-read the book this year as I am in my 70's.
Collier, an upper class Englishman ill-suited to becoming a lawyer, was invited by his father to try life in the B.C. interior. He met and married Lillian, an indigenous woman.
With a wagon containing their belongings they set out into the bush where they build a cabin on Meldrum Creek and lived off the land as trappers. My Dad, who trapped for 60 years, loved reading about their experiences.
The book is most memorable recounting how they re-introduced beavers into their area and re-created wetlands.
As I wrote this post I realized that one of my favourite books of fiction in 2025, Finding Flora, and my favourite work of non-fiction are both about English immigrants establishing homesteads in Western Canada a century ago. Flora and Eric had both lived their lives in cities but, with great determination and adaptability, succeeded in the prairie and bush of rural Canada.
2.) Captured by Fire by Chris Czajkowski and Fred Reid - Fred was a childhood friend in Saskatchewan who moved to British Columbia with his family in the 1960's.
By 2017 he was living on a small farm with his wife, Monika, in the western Chilcotin when they were threatened by the huge Precipice Fire.
Despite a mandatory evacuation order they stay to fight the fire.
My review sets up the drama of August 3:
"...the fire reached but 2-3 kilometres from the home of Fred and Monika, exploded into a rank five fire (fires are ranked 1-6) and the last helicopter flew away ....."
I concluded my review:
"It is a gripping draining story. I felt as if I was in the midst of the 'ordeal'. The fire dragon may rest awhile puffing smoke but can suddenly erupt in rage."
MOST INTERESTING
1.) The 6th Lamentation by William Brodrick - Last year Brodrick's book, The Discourtesy of Death, was my favourite work of Fiction.
This year the first book in the Father Anselm series tops my "Most Interesting" category.
Brodrick drawing on the Lamentations of Jeremiah makes the Holocaust the 6th Lamentation.
The book challenges the reader as it explores the deportation of French Jews to concentration camps and what was known in 1942 about the fate of the deported.
At the same time Father Anselm is having powerful conversations with Agnes Embleton, born Aubert, who is dying from motor neuron disease.
2.) Prairie Edge by Conor Kerr - Isidore “Ezzy” Desjarlais, an experienced car thief, and Grey Ginther, a university educated Indigenous activist, steal bison from a national park and release them in the Saskatchewan River valley in Edmonton. Drama ensues.
Kerr is not predictable. He examines "activism":
"Kerr’s depiction of the indigenous activist business is biting. Fame and a comfortable living for full time activism is alluring. While Grey is a dedicated activist she is reflecting on the nature of professional activism."
What made Prairie Edge a "Most Interesting" book was Ezzy. He is a remarkable character. While he has spent his life surviving he is a thoughtful man. I wish Kerr would write another book on where Ezzy goes in his life after Prairie Edge.
3.) The Katharina Code by Jørn Lier Horst - It is the coldest of cases. It has been 24 years since Katharina Haugen disappeared.
As he has done on each anniversary of her disappearance Norwegian Chief Inspector, William Wisting, examines the file.
The routine review becomes compelling when Katharina's husband, Martin, is connected to another missing persons case.
What made the book "Most Interesting" was the code left behind by Katharina “a series of numbers arranged along three vertical lines”.
I described the code:
"Its design was ultimately simple but unless you had the key impossible to decipher. It was a brilliant concept."
