Review: Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (January 20, 2015)
• ISBN: 9781476755670
• Source: Publisher

When Otto awakens one morning, he finds the following note from Etta, his eighty-three year old wife:

I’ve gone. I’ve never seen the water, so I’ve gone there. Don’t worry, I’ve left you the truck. I can walk. I will try to remember to come back.

Yours (always),

Etta.

The water Etta refers to is the Atlantic Ocean, a mere 3,200 kilometers away from their Saskatchewan village.  Having undergone a similar journey himself, decades ago when he went off to war, Otto understands the importance of Etta’s journey.  In her absence, he reminisces about the war and the demons that continue to haunt him. Not used to the isolation, Otto uses a spark of creativity Etta’s absence has lit to create the most elaborate of creations.

Long-time friend, Russell, struggles with Etta’s absence as well. He doesn’t comprehend her decision, doesn’t understand her need to embark upon this journey. He is taken back to wartime, when he and Etta were two of the few residents who remained in town. Wounded as a child, Russell was never permitted to fight in the war. He can’t bear a reality that Etta isn’t a part of.  Completely unintentionally he too, embarks on his own journey, his disability no longer holding him back.

Miles and miles away, Etta faces her own war of sorts. On the cusp of Alzheimers, she must refer to a slip of paper that lists her identity, along with those dear to her, most of whom have already passed.Etta is joined on her journey by James, a wolf who becomes her companion on this long and arduous journey.  They share in conversation to make the journey move faster. Etta struggles with the woman she has become with the woman she was back then. Never given the opportunity to discover herself, she walks in a fog of sorts, never really noticing what is going on around her.  Instead, she reflects upon the past, a time when she lost her dear sister and nearly lost a the man who was to become her husband. It isn’t necessarily the destination that defines her, but the realization and understanding she embraces during the journey.

At its very core, Etta and Otto and Russell and James is a novel about the power of love, both romantic and familial, and the power of identity. Etta and Otto’s story is a remarkable one, told through letters they shared during times of war and now, with letters that often go unanswered.  The journey they each take may seem to have different destinations but the intentions are all the same; recognizing and understanding one’s self in an effort to truly love those around you.  An incredibly heartfelt and emotional read, Etta and Otto and Russell and James is told in a format devoid of much punctuation. Off-putting and startling at first, it instead forces the reader to focus on the characters and the story they share.  Additionally, while the novel covers historic and key moments in history, they are never named properly. Readers won’t find it difficult to recognize them. Once again, this is the author’s attempt to focus not on what is happening in the world around Etta and Otto and Russell and James, instead giving all due and necessary attention to the main characters themselves.

Bottom line, this is a novel certain to evoke a wide range of reactions. Those who “get” it will adore it, those unable to recognize its brilliant message will fail to understand it and shun it as incomplete.  This is a novel that must be savored, enjoyed, absorbed and lived. Highly, highly recommended.