For adults. Engage in a discussion of Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. New book club members are always welcome!
This is an in-person program.
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Shuggie Bain is the unforgettable story of young Hugh "Shuggie" Bain, a sweet and lonely boy who spends his 1980s childhood in public housing in Glasgow, Scotland. Thatcher's war on heavy industry has put husbands and sons out of work, and the city's notorious drugs epidemic is waiting in the wings. Shuggie's mother Agnes walks a wayward path: she is Shuggie's guiding light but a burden for his artistic brother and practical sister. She dreams of a house with its own front door while she flicks through the pages of the Freemans catalogue, ordering a little happiness on credit, anything to brighten up her grey life. Married to a "whoremaster" of a husband, Agnes keeps her pride by looking good-her beehive, make-up, and pearly-white false teeth offer a glamourous image of a Glaswegian Elizabeth Taylor. But under the surface, Agnes finds increasing solace in drink, and she drains away the lion's share of each week's benefits-all the family has to live on-on cans of extra-strong lager hidden in handbags and poured into tea mugs. Agnes's older children find their own ways to get a safe distance from their mother, abandoning Shuggie to look after her as she swings between alcoholic binges and sobriety. He is meanwhile doing all he can to somehow become the normal boy he desperately longs to be, but everyone has realized that Shuggie is "no right," and now Agnes's addiction has the power to eclipse everyone close to her-even and especially her beloved Shuggie. A heartbreaking novel of addiction, sexuality, and love, Shuggie Bain is an epic portrayal of a working-class family that is rarely seen in fiction.
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Learn and Personal Interest | Books and Storytelling |
TAGS: | Book Clubs |
Sunrise Branch first opened its doors to the public in 1990 and since then has operated as a full-service branch for the residents of Regina.
The Branch offers a variety of programs, services, and collections suitable for all ages:
Newspapers, magazines, and more than 47,000 books
Recorded books, large-print materials and a special collection for learners of English
French language books for children and a small, regularly changing collection of Chinese language books
A DVD collection
Over 2,000 music CDs
A permanent book sale shelf
A book drop for items to be returned when the Branch is closed
Computer Workstations