Connie Gault's Euphoria: Regina Cyclone

Euphoria - more than a tornado

I waited till this weekend to read Connie Gault's Euphoria, a novel set partly during the aftermath of the Regina Cyclone.

The timing was perfect.

It was the 100th anniversary of the Cyclone.  

I was alone, and could immerse myself in the story by this talented Regina writer.

And just days before I turned the first page, Regina was under its first significant tornado watch of the year.

The storm chasers came to town looking for funnel clouds and following storm cells across Saskatchewan's back roads. 

Seeing the footage on tornadohunter.ca brought it home to me how vulnerable we are to the weather on this wide open plain. 

Reading Euphoria, I could imagine wooden buildings constructed a century ago splintering under the wind, floors collapsing, roofs fleeing their foundations...

But Gault's novel is not about that storm. It's about promises, compromises and the stories people tell themselves, pivotal moments of change (including the cyclone), choices facing girls 100 years ago, a mysterious speechless child and the engaging character of Gladdie McConnell. And, yes, euphoria. And more. 

I sped through it in two evenings, and wished it was longer. Thanks, Connie, for an engaging read. 

~~~~~