My first impression of Owls, Doughnuts and Democracy was that it was simply a bizarre book of political ramblings by the author—and not the type of book I would normally have sought out.

After a beat, I discovered that the ramblings and thoughts of Jason Taylor have been cleverly woven into a satirical story that is particularly relevant in the current political chaos of British Columbia. The novel gives a strong voice to the notice of including ordinary people as well as politicians in the decision-making of every idea brought forward in the formation of a new political party called Direct Democracy, where everyone can vote on every issue. 

Taylor’s characters are all appealing and he describes them well. There is Bea, a Victoria resident with a questionable past who is not afraid to say what she thinks. She works hard at a debt collection agency to make money to pay off her student loan debts. As a condition to gain further custody of her son, she volunteers at a seniors’ home in James Bay. Then there is her ex-husband Marcus who she met in college, fell in love with, had a baby, and then realized it was all a mistake. Marcus now has a new wife, Amy, and full custody of their son, Sam, with whom Bea only has visitation rights. Although Bea is Sam’s biological mother, he refers to her as Momma B, whereas Amy is Momma A. Sam’s passion for owls is something that Bea has in common with her son and she enjoys the adventures of finding them around the city with him. 

We also meet some quirky characters at the Home where Bea volunteers. There is the Honourable Harold Gordon, former MP from Courtenay Mid-Island, and two of the other residents, Wendy and Irene, who enjoy Bea especially because she brings doughnuts for them all. They soon discover they like her political view points.  

There are other characters of interest such as Derek Nelson, the lawyer, and Ajay and Knight Rider, who all play various roles in the story.

The plot is a good one, but it was marred somewhat by the printing of the book with paragraphs that don’t align and some typos. Plus, it was produced in a very small font that is of no benefit to the seniors who would be the main demographic to read this book and certainly would enjoy the author’s witty sense of humour.

I was rooting for Bea and her attempt to make something of her life and to use her political and technological talents to find a better job. However, I lost some empathy for her when she was willing to compromise herself with two suspicious men living in her Quadra Street village apartment building by drinking alcohol and using drugs to find a bargain to pay for an expensive bike for Sam for his birthday. Her motives were understandable as her pay cheque did not include the promised bonus she was hoping for and she desperately wanted to give her son the best, but her methods were questionable. She’s also tired of having to compete against Momma A for Sam’s love.

The book might also not appeal to those with a limited technical or social media knowledge, as the author tends to discuss both in detail while teaching the seniors at the retirement home how best they can use social media to spread the word about Direct Democracy. And it certainly would not be enjoyed by anyone who objects to foul language (the book includes several “blue” words). 

In addition to all that, I feel a better edit would have cut out much of the meandering text and moved the story along at a quicker pace. Those 376 pages could well have been cut to under 300. It’s perhaps unfortunate but appearance and presentation go a long way to make a book both enjoyable and successful.

I did enjoy the setting though—Victoria—as living here myself I could easily picture Bea passing the Legislature as she walked to work in James Bay; and the mention of Dallas Road and the Bard & Banker pub on Government Street was noteworthy. Bea’s encounters with cyclists on bike lanes were humorous. Giving them the finger is often the highlight of her day.

I regret having to give this book a less than worthy review, but the story did not appeal to me for many reasons, most of all its lack of professionalism as a published book. I hasten to add, however, that this need not be the case for others who might simply enjoy Taylor’s wordiness as he describes Bea’s journey from Victoria to Ottawa with an idea that could even be a good one in both provincial and federal politics today. And the author has cleverly woven the three nouns in his title—owls, doughnuts, democracy–into his plot.

Taylor, who resides in Victoria, is also in many ways an inspirational writer who has struggled since childhood to read. Like both his parents, he suffered from dyslexia. It is admirable that by perseverance, he has overcome this handicap and thrived on his own journey for equity in all things.