Something Remains

November 2, 2009
A burned-out Toronto cabdriver named Andrew holds together a debut novel that braves big themes of grief and loss, but drowns in an excess of characters and plot. A former war photographer, Andrew abandoned his career after an existential crisis; meanwhile, his recently widowed father has become dangerously helpless in his grief; and Andrew's best friend, a literary magazine editor (and a Somali immigrant, like the author), feels his marriage withering after his son's death. In addition, Andrew crosses paths with an old student of his mother's, a successful actress named Sarah, with potentially serious consequences. Santur weaves together these relationships believably and invents credible interior lives for his characters, but his narrative has a tendency to wander in random directions: Andrew's Helsinki lover; Andrew's sister, Natalie; the minutiae of characters' work (including a full-length short story written by one). Heavy-handed rumination over life, death, art and politics also weighs down the proceedings. Though a disappointing start, Santur's career could blossom with experience and a more diligent editor.