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Starting over is the theme of this year’s @CBC #canadareads #ad

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CBC. All opinions are 100% mine.

Starting over is never easy. Whether it’s a new home, a new city or a new relationship, starting over comes with a long list of unanswered questions, possibilities and sometimes fear of the unknown. Growing up I loved hearing my parents tell stories of how they started over. My dad left his parents and eight siblings behind in Pakistan to study abroad in Germany. He lived in a one bedroom apartment with four other young men who were all just as homesick as he was. They would divide their chores and try to save as much money as they could so they could spend their weekends piling into the small car they all shared and drive around to different European cities. Their meals often consisted of toast topped with mayonnaise, cucumber and sliced tomatoes, a snack my dad still enjoys to this day. My dad was a great driver so his roommates would often take on his share of chores so he could drive them to Paris for the weekend where later on, two of the men he roomed with wound up meeting their wives of now over forty years.

I loved hearing how my dad went back to Pakistan to marry my mom, a school teacher with a university degree which was a big deal in the early 1970’s. They moved to Germany and had my sister. My mom spoke neither German nor had any friends. She had my father and a resolve to build a new life for her family. My parents immigrated to Montreal on Christmas day of 1974 with their four-month old daughter, a couple of suitcases and their life savings. It was a strange land that held the promise of a better future, they had each other and that was all that mattered. From there my dad managed to find an apartment, a job a few days later and settle into his home now of over 40 years. He and my mom raised their children in a new land, away from their family (some of whom only immigrated here over the past decade) with a resolve to educate their children and give us the chance of a better life.
 
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Starting Over is also the theme of this year’s Canada Reads, the CBC’s annual battle of the books. Recorded live in front of a studio audience and broadcasted on CBC Radio One, CBC TV, and at cbcbooks.ca, Canada Reads features five prominent Canadians each defending a book. At the end of each show, one book is eliminated, with the final book being declared the winner. The books are selected based on a theme. 
 
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The five books/authors featured this year. 
Birdie by Tracey Lindberg,
Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawaz,
The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami,
The Illegal by Lawrence Hill,
Minister Without Portfolio by Michael Winter.
 
I was intrigued by one of the five books/authors featured this year in particular:
 
Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawaz (fiction/House of Anansi Press)
In this debut novel, two sisters are raised in Montreal by their traditional Sikh uncle, who takes them in after the death of their parents. They come of age in a clash of cultures, values and traditions and face intense personal struggles (anorexia for one, a teenage pregnancy for the other). When one sister dies unexpectedly at the age of 32, the other is left to discover the truth about her family, her sister’s death and herself.
 
Canada Reads is more than just an annual battle of the books. This is an opportunity for all of Canada to come together to have a conversation around one topic  – Starting Over.
 
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The five Panelists speaking this year are:
Vinay Virmani (Actor/Writer)
Farah Mohamed (Activist)
Clara Hughes (Olympian, Humanitarian)
Bruce Poon Tip (Social Entrepreneur)
Adam Copeland (Wrestler, Actor)
 
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Hearing my parent’s story of starting over, their resolve for building a better future for their family even if it meant leaving their own family behind and their strength in the face of unknown has been an inspiration for me my whole life. It has served as my resolve towards striving to build a better future for my own family while honouring the sacrifices my parents made for me. Ultimately it has helped me grow as a person.
 
I wanted to share my story with you and connect with my readers across the country as there is strength in numbers and we could all use a little help through our own periods of change. 
 
 
Canada Reads takes place March 21-24, 2016
You can live-stream the action on CBCbooks.ca at 10:00AM EST
On-demand video will be available each afternoon at http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/index.html You can follow along on CBC Radio One at 11:00AM local time (1:30PM NFLD), 8:00PM local time (8:30PM NFLD)
A podcast will be available to download each afternoon
You can also watch the action on CBC Television at 4:00PM EST (3:00PM EST on Tuesday March 22)
 
Connect with CBC Canada Reads on Twitter and Facebook

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16 Comments

  1. I’ve never heard of Battle of the Books before, but I love the concept. I’m sure the panelists all have great options, but the debate will be equally interesting.

  2. Your parents story is amazing! Their starting overs were so much more than most people will ever experience. I’d love hearing those stories, too! Reading is a passion of mine, and I’m thankful that I’ve passed it on to my kids. Love that Canada is taking such a great road to get the word out about reading.

  3. Wow, sounds like your Mom was amazing on striving to make something great for you all. I know when we relocated to the mid-west with nothing but our suitcases it was super-scary but ended up being for the best. I love this initiative!

  4. Sounds like your dad is very brave. Starting over is rough! I need to check out the books battling for top spot. I’ve been looking for some new books to add to my “must read” list.

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