Anna McGarrigle

[Mountain City Girls: The McGarrigle Family Album]

I really enjoyed this family memoir, written by the 2 older sisters of the late Kate McGarrigle. I took breaks in reading this to listen to a CD I have of Kate & Anna, called Matapedia, and I also watched the delightful short animated film produced by the NFB (National Film Board) for which they did the soundtrack while still part of a group called the Mountain City Four, called The Log Driver's Waltz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upsZZ2s3xv8), a true Canadian classic.

This family story/memoir, told alternately by Anna and Jane, tells of their family's history, their growing up years, and beyond. Plenty of name-dropping, told incidentally, as it involved them. I loved the references to many familiar place names (I grew up in Montreal though a good decade or more later than they did). There is something about seeing your own city, whether in a book or on screen, that is kind of exciting, even when the places themselves are hardly glamorous! There are sections of photos as well, which I was happy to see.

The next generation of McGarrigle kids are also a talented bunch: Rufus and Martha Wainwright (Kate's kids), Lily Lanken (Anna's daughter). Anna and Jane are in their 70s now and are both still involved in music, in one form or another. And writing! Thankfully.… (mehr)