Jessica Grant's "Come, Thou Tortoise" is this year's One Book One Community selction.

ALEX MCCUAIG
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One Book, One Community has seen its share of award-winning Canadian writers; Guy Vanderhaeghe, Elizabeth Hay and Joseph Boyden. This year the city's book celebration welcomes one of the country's up-and-coming storytellers, featured author Jessica Grant and her work "Come, Thou Tortoise."
On Friday, Grant will be opening the city's premiere literary event with a talk about the book followed by a wine and cheese reception.
Grant will continue with the event on Saturday taking part in community discussions about "Come, Thou Tortoise" in morning and afternoon events which will also feature performances by FUT in the Hat.
"I'm looking forward to it," said Grant in a telephone interview from St. John's, Nfld., where she teaches literature at Memorial University.
The author says the genesis of "Come, Thou Tortoise" was in Alberta and therefore she has a fondness for the province.
Grant, who attended the University of Calgary for her Ph.D. in literature, has since gone on to receive impressive reviews for her latest novel. She added she's honoured to be invited to Medicine Hat.
"I think (One Book One Community) is a great idea. To have a community read a book, to be so enthusiastic about reading and sharing the experience, it's great," said Grant.
"Come, Thou Tortoise" focuses on two narratives — that of Audrey Flowers and her pet tortoise Winnifred.
"The book is a little odd," admitted Grant,."Winnifred hijacks the narrative in chapter 3 and tells her own story."
But Grant said the idea of telling a story from the perspective of the tortoise helps to fill in the gaps left by the main protagonist's "blind spot."
"She has tunnel vision and there are certain mysteries she doesn't address in her own life," explained Grant.
"The tortoise is a second narrator who can fill in some of the blanks in Audrey's life."
The book turns on the tragic event of Flowers' father being knocked into a coma, necessitating she fly back to St. John's from her home in Portland, Ore.
From there, story follows Winnifred's experiences in the care of less than dependable characters and Flowers' discovery of who her father is.
"There is a serious side to the story as well as humorous one with the two mixed together," said Grant.
Hilary Munro, One Book One Community organizer, described the book being a dark horse when the selection committee tasked with choosing the event's featured novel met.
"We looked at a number of books but we kept coming back to this one," said Munro.
"Finally we said, 'why are we talking about the other ones?' This one struck a cord with everybody. It ended up an obvious choice but it wasn't obvious to begin with."
Munro said this is the seventh year of the event and it continues to attract the A-list of Canadian authors to the city.
One Book One Community begins Friday with the opening talk and reading from "Come, Thou Tortoise" by Jessica Grant at the Medicine Hat College Theatre starting at 7:30 p.m.
Admission is free.
The event continues Saturday between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Medicine Hat College's Crowfoot Room with activities and performances centred around the novel.