Canadian Author Alistair MacLeod's "No Great Mischief" Winner of the It'l IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

Alistair MacLeod (b Canada 1936-2014) has received numerous literary awards including the Int'l Dublin IMPAC for "Not Great Mischief" and the PEN/Malamud Award.  MacLeod's expansive novel is an epic tale that traces the MacDonald clan from Scotland at the end of the 18th C to Nova Scotia where the family brood took root and ventured out up until the 1980's.  The underlying pulse to the novel is the importance of blood and family loyalty.  The historical background from their origins on the Highlands of Scotland is told from the family patriarchs repeatedly throughout this family saga. For fans of the show OUTLANDER (and I'm one) this is somewhat interesting but also somewhat labored.  The MacDonalds are a proud & hard working people of sturdy stock.  Except many also become heavy drinkers and social outcasts; living off the rough land & becoming eccentric & self-destructive.  Alexander MacDonald is the narrator whose coming of age story reflects on his undying love for his clan, their hardships, unconventionalities and firm reliance on one another.  Alexander & his twin sister are orphaned at a young age when their parents & an older brother drown while crossing over the ice to the lighthouse they maintained.  The depiction of this tragedy is both harrowing & beautifully told.  Alexander & his twin sister are left to be raised by their hard working & hard drinking grandfather.  Alexander's three older brothers are they left to live on their own in a rustic shack with no plumbing or heating.  Still, none waver in their faith & loyalties to one another.   Such strong family ties builds divides between people of different lands; different languages, views & ways of doing things.  Adversities & resentment develop between those outside the family with drastic consequences.  The unifying language among humanity comes from music.  Music is the lubricant that makes life easier and unites people.  I felt "No Great Mischeif" became overburdened in its repetitiveness.  The trope touted throughout "look after your own blood" and it's a shame "to care too much an try too hard."  MacLeod's steadfast efforts to create a family saga of a devoted clan did not move me enough to care.