Last Dance in Shediac: Memories of Molly Lamb Bobak, My Mum

A vividly wrought memoir, Last Dance in Shediac is a collection of the authors personal memories of her mothercelebrated Canadian artist Molly Lamb Bobakand a tender meditation on life and death.

I had always assumed that neither of my parents would end up in an old folks home. And yet here was Mum, ensconced in a world of pad-covered recliner chairs, legion singalongs, ball-tossing exercises done sitting down, plastic cups of juice, Jell-O, and fluorescent lights. Mum, this really isnt a home; its more like a hotel for old people, Id tell her, and that temporarily softened the blow for both of us. An excerpt from the book

Molly Lamb Bobak (19222014) was the first woman to travel overseas as an official Canadian war artist. She was also the daughter of famous Canadian artist Harold Mortimer-Lamb, whose contemporaries included Emily Carr, A.Y. Jackson, and Jack Shadbolt. In this homage to her artist mother, Anny Scoones rounds out her mothers public profile by revealing personal stories.

Annys memories reveal the funny and touching details of her relationship with Molly, from the road trips they took together to the visits Molly would make to Victoria to visit Anny on Glamorgan Farm, and the lovely chaos that ensued when Annys five dogs would greet Molly in the car. Anny shares their little inside jokes and the memories they made together in a way that brings their connectionbeyond motherdaughter bond to close friendshipto life for the reader.

As her mother ages and becomes increasingly frail, Anny spends more and more time in Fredericton. Their road trips grow shorter, and Annys reflections on how it feels to finally watch her mother go are tender, heartbreaking, and memorable.