They Sing

The books I read over the last couple of weeks are not examples of great literature.  There's not a Jane Eyre among them.  So, I was surprised to find myself so moved.  These autobiographies of four Canadian singers are full of humour, wisdom, and vulnerability.  Each impressed me.  Shania Twain's book was the most unnerving, maybe because she grew up in the town where I find myself.  She writes frankly about the terrible abuse of her childhood with an amazing willingness to forgive and understand.  Jann Arden's book is just what you'd expect, dark and hilariously funny.  I laughed really hard.  Anne Murray's book focuses on her career, and what a career!  She's spent time with everyone from John Lennon to Doris Day to Queen Elizabeth to Shania Twain, Jann Arden, and Rita MacNeil.  Which brings me to the last book.  Of these four singers, Rita MacNeil is by far my favourite.  What is it that draws me to this shy Cape Bretoner?  Of course, she has pipes, is strong, humble, and funny.  Plus, I grew up listening to her, so there's also some nostalgia at work here.  But there's something more.  Her songs feel highly personal.  They graze the longing and the steel hidden in me.