BROWN, Loranne 1955-

PERSONAL: Born 1955, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada; married; husband's name Lorne (an accountant); children: Ian, Hillary.

ADDRESSES: Home—Langley, British Columbia, Canada. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Random House of Canada Limited, One Toronto St., Unit 300, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2V6, Canada.

CAREER: Writer. Worked as a journalist and a legal secretary. Trinity Western University, Langley, British Columbia, Canada, writing instructor, 2001—.

MEMBER: Federation of British Columbia Writers.

AWARDS, HONORS: International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award nomination, 2000, for The Handless Maiden.

WRITINGS:

The Handless Maiden, Doubleday Canada (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1998.

Contributor of poems and short stories to periodicals.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A sequel to The Handless Maiden.

SIDELIGHTS: When Loranne Brown began writing her 1998 debut novel, The Handless Maiden, the former journalist and secretary drew many of the novel's circumstances from her own life. For example, the narrator, Mariah Standhoffer, grows up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, just like Brown. In addition, the fictional Mariah and author Brown were both engaged after college and moved to Bermuda with their new husbands. "Describe the view you know," Brown told Linda Richards in a profile for January magazine. "When I was writing the book I had no idea it would ever be published."

The Handless Maiden tells the story of Mariah, whose promising career as a pianist is ended at age seventeen when she accidentally shoots herself in the hand while trying to kill her grandfather, who has been sexually abusing her since she was eight years old. The story is narrated by an older Mariah looking back at her earlier life. As Mariah reveals her story, she examines the emotional challenges she faces as a result of her abuse, the amputation of her hand, and how changing one element of a person's life can set them on an entirely new path. With her career as a pianist over, Mariah turns to composition and singing and builds a successful career. Along the way, she has several complex relationships that shape her life, including her relationship with a man who has a birth defect. Mariah eventually marries and moves to Bermuda with her husband and son. But tragedy follows once again, and Mariah must face a new set of challenges.

Throughout the book, Brown explores the theme that is presented in the novel's opening sentence: "Change one thing." Several other themes are also explored in the book, as pointed out by reviewer Patricia Fry in Resource Links. "The theme of wholeness versus incompleteness is one that is examined on many levels," wrote Fry. "Ideas of perfection and normalcy are juxtaposed against obvious imperfections and disabilities." In the Canadian Book Review Annual, reviewer Sarah Robertson called the novel "competent if somewhat conventional." Writing in Quill & Quire, Joel Yanofsky noted, "Everything in The Handless Maiden happens at such a high emotional pitch that it's hard to distinguish between dramatic moments and melodramatic ones." Reviewer Linda Richards noted in January magazine that much of the novel takes place in Mariah's childhood and that the author's "handling of these childish voices is masterful. She has the rare gift for remembrance and observation that marks the voice of the memorable writer." Yvette Crittenden of the Toronto Sun called the novel "compelling" and a "powerful and impressive debut."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Canadian Book Review Annual, 1998, Sarah Robertson, review of The Handless Maiden, p. 175.

Quill & Quire, February, 1998, Joel Yanofsky, review of The Handless Maiden, p. 34.

Resource Links, January, 1999, review of The Handless Maiden, p. 23.

Toronto Sun, August 16, 1998, Yvonne Crittenden, review of The Handless Maiden.

ONLINE

Bard's Ink,http://www.globalserve.net/~pjduane/ (January 19, 2004), information on Loranne Brown.

January Magazine,http://www.januarymagazine.com/ (September 18, 1998), Linda Richards, profile of Loranne Brown and review of The Handless Maiden.*