Jann Arden (M) has been a household name in Canada for about 20 years, yet I knew so little about her until now, having read her memoir Falling Backwards (M). It was written with the same voice I’ve heard in interviews – that open self-deprecating, funny Jann Arden which contrasts with her soulful and reflective songs. Her life reflects that same contrast between the tragic and the comic.
There was also a dark side. Arden’s father was a alcoholic and this had a serious impact on the young family. Perhaps the most transformative event the Richards’ family life was not necessarily Jann’s fame, but her brother Duray’s legal troubles. Her elder brother has been incarcerated for more than 20 years and his youth was ruined by substance abuse and poor choices. Arden doesn’t present this information as a tell-all, but rather in a neutral matter-of-fact way. It’s a testament to the family unit that they remained together and supportive of one another despite their troubles.
If you are interested in reading more by and about Canadian performers, you might want to consider Far and Away: a prize every time (M) by Neil Peart, Four Strong Winds: Ian and Sylvia (M) by John Einarson and Leonard Cohen: a remarkable life (M) by Anthony Reynolds.
Source: http://www.thereader.ca/2012/07/staff-pick-falling-backwards-by-jann.html