Molly O

Molly 0, a novel

Cormorant Books, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-77086-430-6

On a three-tiered stage in the Ontario countryside, the mellifluous voice of an auctioneer can induce grizzled farmers to buy broken shovels. His two sons help out with the business, but it’s his strangely mute young daughter who seduces auction-goers with her elaborate vintage costumes. When she disappears, the younger brother — now a Montreal film professor — begins an obsessive search that ultimately leads him to the silent, experimental cinema of Molly O.

Excerpt

“I found great comfort in rendering scenarios as precisely as possible, but Candy was a free spirit, even as a five-year-old. Instead of appearing guilty when I screeched out “Ring around the collar,” she slammed down the lid of the suitcase, and — my narrator trapped inside — I had to muffle my accusation. Instead of pouring liquid detergent on the stain, she squished a strawberry on the pocket and wiped juicy seeds all over it. Once she brought out a pair of scissors and made a snipping motion. I adjusted the narration as best I could. “We are having temporary difficulties. Please do not adjust your set.” This was where it all began — Candy’s silent performances and innate understanding of how to take power from men, and my need to restore normalcy at all costs.”