Readpool: Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton (Online)

Readpool is an adult graphic novel discussion group with a focus on challenging and acclaimed stories.

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

Book Synopsis: Before there was Kate Beaton, New York Times bestselling cartoonist of Hark! A Vagrant, there was Katie Beaton of the Cape Breton Beaton, specifically Mabou, a tight-knit seaside community where the lobster is as abundant as beaches, fiddles, and Gaelic folk songs. With the singular goal of paying off her student loans, Katie heads out west to take advantage of Alberta’s oil rush―part of the long tradition of East Coasters who seek gainful employment elsewhere when they can’t find it in the homeland they love so much. Katie encounters the harsh reality of life in the oil sands, where trauma is an everyday occurrence yet is never discussed.

If you need assistance with getting a copy of the book, please contact Nate Miller at nmiller@mgpl.org or at 847-929-5115.