In a Wide Country by Canadian author Robert Everett-Green is a book that deals with journeys. Twelve-year old Jasper and his free-spirited mother hit the road and amble across Western Canada and along the way, Jasper learns more about himself, his family and the world at large. The time is 1961, a difficult time to be a single mother, and Corinne isn’t one to either be pinned down or allow anyone to throw insults their way.

I enjoyed this book although I did find myself getting exasperated with Corrine, who, I felt, was more interested in her desires than that of her son. Jasper is always looking for answers and a solid outcome and his mother is simply too footloose to provide anything even approaching a stable life for them. As they drive across the Canadian prairie, staying with various relatives or in roadside motels, Jasper and his mother meet a variety of interesting characters from whom Jasper gathers a certain amount of insight and realizes that eventually he will have to be the one to make some important decisions about his life.

I found the book moved a little slowly and it was obvious as to where the book was heading, but it was well written and full of interesting characters. In 1961 I was only slightly younger than the fictional Jasper, but his life and mine were so different that I couldn’t help but appreciate my stable growing-up-years in the Canadian suburbs. In A Wide Country was a quick read and one that easily held my attention. ( )