The Flying Troutmans by Mariam Toews ***1/2

A captivating excursion into the workings of a somewhat disfunctional family. Min, the mother of two teenagers has a history of excentricism and periodically has some kind of mental breakdowns. With her being committed to the psychiatric ward her sister, Hattie, is determined to look after the teenagers. She decides to track down the kids father who supposidely lives somewhere in the U.S. The novel traces their journey from Manitoba to Texas. Hattie learns a lot about herself, the teenagers, who are very unique in their own ways, and the importance of family as their expedition sojurns across the continent. It is a delightful read with the combination of totally unique and origianl characters, a continuing contrast of locations and events, and an ultimate insights about life, love, commitment and family.