THE BLUE JAR. Konrad, Anne. Winnipeg, Queenston House, c1985. 225pp, paper, ISBN 0-919866-89-1 (cloth) $19.95, 0-919866-90-5 (paper) $9.95. CIP Grades 10 and up Reviewed by Ruth Cosstick Volume 13 Number 6 1985 November This is an unremarkable book. It is in no way distinguishable from any of the other books of immigrant literature that seem to be making their way in large numbers from the small presses of Canada. More scrupulous editing might have removed some of the more awkward constructions, but on the whole one wonders why it was published at all. The title is taken from an episode involving childish cruelty, not particularly memorable in itself. The story, supposedly told from the point of view of a Mennonite child living in northern Alberta, fluctuates from the immediacy of the present to the recollections of an adult, resulting in an inconsistent narrative voice. While the customs of the Mennonites have been related in many other guises, a junior student might find this aspect of the novel of some value. Perhaps it is time for publishers to be less compassionate in accepting memoirs of descendants of new Canadians. Books such as The Blue Jar and Barbara Sapergia's Foreigners* add little to Canadian literature. Ruth Cosstick, Ottawa, Ont. *Reviewed vol. XIH/2 March 1985 p.69.