Yearning

Bury Your Dead
by Louise Penny

I read a book on Friday that had me pricing flights and hotels within 48 hours.  I simply could not get the setting out of my mind.  “I could go there.”  I kept thinking to myself.  The book wasn’t a happy one.  It was as covered in grief as the setting was covered with snow and ice, but oh how it made me want to go there right NOW.  The book was Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny.  The setting was Quebec City.

This book is the latest in the Chief Inspector Gamache series, all of which are set in the province of Quebec, usually in a picturesque little village.  None of the previous books, though very, very good indeed, made me yearn for travel as this one did.  This one was set almost exclusively in the walled city and the story intertwined several mysteries, one of which dealt with the location of the grave of the founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain.  That meant there was a great deal of history in the book.  Was that what got under my skin?

Also featuring in the story was a Literary and Historical society of the English speaking community in the francophone Quebec.  Were dusty old books and librarians what got me interested?  Given the fact that I am a librarian it seems reasonable, but I am not convinced.

No, I think what got me was the fact the book was excellent.  It was beautifully written, telling a complex series of tales in flashbacks and present day, each drawing forth emotions from the characters involved.  As two of them had recently survived a harrowing police mission, the emotions were strong ones.  The city and the winter weather combined to make the grief, regret, and guilt all that more profound.  Scenes set over warm baguettes and stew or simple cups of coffee became so vivid I could practically smell the food, sense the warmth coming back into bones.  The pride the characters felt for their city and their history was as vivid as their other emotions.  I cared deeply for those characters and wanted to be in a place that they loved.

Unfortunately, I cannot get on a plane until next fall, but in the meantime I will enjoy the anticipation and possibly visit again in the pages of another book.