They Left Us Everything is Johnson’s account of dismantling decades of memories from her childhood home in Oakville, Ontario after her parent’s passing. As she examines the contents within the 23-room home in the shores of Lake Ontario she comes to terms with her relationship with her mother and father while also learning more about her own nature.
For over two decades Johnson and her brothers tended to the needs of their parents, Alex and Anne. Alex, a no-nonsense English man, and extrovert Southern Belle Anne were polar opposites. Their marriage survived because of resolve and an unfaltering love even when the couple drove each other and their children crazy.
Alex, proud and strong, spent his latter years in a maze of dementia cared for mainly by Anne. As the years took their toll Anne, the happy-go-lucky woman who knew no strangers, grew increasingly trapped within her home battling back with a demanding nature that set her and her only daughter Plum at odds. As her parents aged Johnson dealt with feelings of being trapped in a role that was beyond her control and resenting the mother that she loved.
When it came time to sort through the contents of the home the surviving siblings decided that Johnson was the best choice to move into the family home to pack it away. What started out as a six-week stay lasted for over a year and a half.
Each box sorted through brought a new wave of memories, new discoveries and clues into who the people who raised Johnson and her brothers really were. As she reconnected with those memories Johnson was able to understand who she is and come to peace with the relationships she had with both the father she adored and the mother who frustrated her.
While reading Johnson’s account I had to put the book down often, my own memories of caring for my mother during her last days and the following clearing out of her things overtaking me. This is the story that most of us share with each other. Our parents age and die leaving behind a legacy in boxes and bags for their children to sort through.
Each word of They Left Us Everything is heartfelt and moving. We are privy to Johnson’s emotional journey to the point that it feels like she is part of our own family. Her story lingers inside, touching the soul, and thus Anne and Alex live on.
They Left Us Everything is on the Short List for the RBC Taylor Prize. On March 2 the 2015 winner of the RBC Taylor Prize will be announced at The King Edward Hotel in Toronto. The winner of the prize will receive $25,000 and a crystal trophy. The runners up each are awarded $2,000.
