Book Review: The Incident Report

When I first finished this book, I was speechless (which is rare for me). I stumbled upon this novel while in a bookstore in Canada and thought that the premise was interesting so I bought a copy. I had no idea how impressive such a slim book could be. I rarely keep books after I finish reading them, however, this book will have a permanent place on my bookshelf for future re-readings and re-re-readings.


Author Mariam Baillie tells the story of Miriam, a public librarian in the city of Toronto. Miriam tells her personal and work story through about 140 "incident reports" in which she records her interactions with patrons. Some of the incidents are humorous while others are disturbing or heart-warming. As the novel progresses, Miriam begins recording certain "incidents" in her personal life and the reader gets a glimpse into Miriam as a person.

Miriam's reports are fragmented, which is symbolic of human interactions in today's cities. Despite the situation, every entry is beautifully written and poetic. A reader could easily fly through this novel in a matter of hours but a true lover of literature will want to savor each of these "reports" and look forward to a second and third read

-DLP