Breakwater Books
Book Details
Lovesongs of Emmanuel Taggart
Author(s): Syr Ruus
Genre(s): Fiction
Publish Date: 2009-08-26
ISBN: 1-55081-263-7
EAN: 978-1-55081-263-3
Softcover: $18.95 
Things no longer look the same for 45-year-old Emmanuel (“M”) Taggart. Thinking he has a bad case of the flu, M leaves the office to embark on a road of self-discovery. Although the doctors find nothing medically wrong, M becomes convinced that he is suffering from an undiagnosed terminal disease, a brain tumour perhaps. During his brief period of “illness,” Emmanuel is increasingly peevish, irritable, mean, selfish, and nearly impossible for his long-suffering wife, Emily, to withstand. Moreover, M runs into Juhan Lipp, an old man for whom he immediately feels a unique and filial attachment. Juhan seems to have acquired the wisdom that M is lacking. Lovesongs of Emmanuel Taggart is a comedy, focusing upon the antics and perceptions of an ordinary person as he finally comes to terms with his own humanity.
WINNER OF THE HR (BILL) PERCY PRIZE.
Reviews:
"Lovesongs of Emmanuel Taggart explores a blurred divide between the commonplace and the surreal."
- Fred Armstrong, CBC Broadcaster and author of Happiness of Fish
“[A] highly readable novel, full of memorable characters … She writes with wit and grace … The efforts of other characters to solve Emmanuel’s “problem” provide little solace to him, but plenty of humour for the reader.”
- Joan Givner, critic and author
"Lovesongs of Emmanuel Taggart is an off-kilter, but ultimately insightful novel... done in a funny, crisp way. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel."
-Chad Pelley, Saltyink.com, January 2010
"The confident writing and the interesting twists go deep and keep you reading."
-Sharon Hunt, The Chronicle Herald
