A Better Man

A Better Man
by Louise Penny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The province of Quebec is threatened with catastrophic flooding as this 15th novel in the Gamache series begins. The fight to save the province from the rising waters provides a throughline to the other events in the novel, surete politics for Gamache and Beauvoir, a crisis of artistic conscience for Clara, and a case involving a woman gone missing from her abusive husband. Like all these novels this one is a page turner and filled with wise observations on the world. 

“Consequences,” said Gamache. “We must always consider the consequences of our actions. Or inaction. It won’t necessarily change what we do, but we need to be aware of the effect."

What jumped out at me in this book was the questions to ask yourself before you speak: “Is it true? Is it kind? Does it need to be said?”

This book counts toward the 13th Canadian book challenge.