Book review: Irma Voth by Miriam Toews

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . September 10, 2011 . 7:41PM

Irma Voth is a young adult who struggles with things she can’t control. Her husband, Jorge, is a drug dealer who is uninterested in her both as a wife and as a person. To Irma, the bigger issue between them is that Irma comes from a Mennonite background and things that she feels should come naturally to her as a woman and intuitively as a person about her surroundings just don’t. Jorge is a Mexican man, living in Mexico, who expects that his wife will be able to conform to societies standards and lacks a basic understanding of the world in which she became a person. To top it off, they live on her parent’s land and Irma constantly deals with the threat from her father that he will throw her out if Jorge, who is off dealing drugs, doesn’t come home and work the farm. Her younger sister, Aggie, constantly begs Irma to allow her to come live with her as things at home are getting worse. The bottom line? Young Irma has a lot on her mind.

The thin balance that Irma has managed to eek out is tested when a movie director comes to town and looks for a translator that speaks Dutch German. Irma needs the money, as Jorge is gone, and eagerly accepts the job offer. Her work on the film triggers a serious of events that lead to an uproar in the lives of everyone she holds dear.

Irma Voth by Miriam Toews is a strongly written novel about the ways that our life is a safety blanket and if we let go of the familiar how much we stand to gain and how much we can lose. Irma is a sympathetic character with stilted dialogue and I constantly found myself wishing that I could help her in some way, but realizing that she brought many troubles on herself. When Irma finally stands up for herself I found myself wishing that she could be more thoughtful and not make bad decisions, however, the bad decisions were consistent with her character as someone who was highly sheltered. My frustration does not make her an inconsistent character.

Overall, the book was a good read, though a little short. I was a little confused by the ending, as well as many of the laws in Mexico, I suppose, but otherwise, this was a good read. It’s not a fast read or a beach read, rather, it’s going to be a thoughtful one with a decently moving storyline.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to review it and share my opinion.