The Blind Assassin

In a weird twist of fate I am currently reading two books and both books have the word assassin in the title. I finished Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin first. Written in 200, this book is historical fiction set in Toronto and southern Ontario. The story starts out when Iris and her sister, Laura, are children. Their mother dies after a still born birth and the girls are left alone with their father and the house keeper, Reenie. Reenie is like a mother to the two girls. Their father, a reluctant heir to a button factory, descents into despair and alcoholism. At her father's request Iris marries Richard, a businessman from Toronto. Her father implies this marriage will save the family from ruin. As it turns out, marrying  Richard does not help the family. Richard is manipulative and condescending and a philanderer and a politician. This book is about the strained relationship between Iris and Laura. During the telling of the tale, Atwood brings in historical events such as world wars and the communist scare. The story is well-written and interesting.