Family and the weight of change in Montreal's West End: Arjun Basu's latest novel, The Reeds

Arjun Basu’s newest novel The Reeds (ECW Press, 2024) is, in more ways than one, far outside the usual literature set in Montreal.

A fresh take on contemporary family dynamics, the book’s also set in the city's quiet, often overlooked West End. It follows a family of four during one transformative summer, “with each member going through significant changes that affect the entire family dynamic,” Basu explains.

“It’s set in 2017, during a time of political upheaval worldwide. That backdrop of global change amplifies the theme of change within the family, with each member responding differently to personal transitions.”

Set in the city's uncelebrated corners

For Basu, who grew up in Montreal, the city’s uncelebrated corners are a natural choice for a novel that explores what it means to be a family—and to feel at home—amidst the relentless currents of change they experience.

While The Reeds isn’t necessarily a “Montreal book” to Basu, the almost-forgotten quality of the West End underscores the family’s self-contained struggles and interactions, making it a fitting, natural choice for a story that examines the complex dynamics of a family unit.

“There’s a realness to these neighbourhoods. It’s a place where nothing particularly glamorous happens, which I felt fit the story’s tone,” the author says.

“While I don’t [always] name specific spots, those familiar with Montreal will recognize landmarks. The characters’ journeys are partly shaped by their environment.”

A very loving, slightly dysfunctional family

Unlike the city’s frequently celebrated Mile End or Plateau neighbourhoods, the West End offers a quieter, more residential side of Montreal where the story unfolds, grounded in a place largely absent from the city’s literary canon.

The Reeds introduces readers to Bobby and Mimi, a couple whose lives are diverging: Bobby, the father, has just lost his executive job, while Mimi’s home-based business is thriving. This imbalance forces them to reassess their roles within the family and their relationship, considering how a modern family adapts when life’s familiar rhythms are disrupted.

Their adopted children, Abbie and Dee, are also on journeys of self-discovery: Abbie, who has cultivated an online following, begins leveraging his internet stardom into a burgeoning career, while Dee, at a pivotal moment, is coming into her own identity.

The Reeds unfolds against the cultural and political inflection points like Brexit, Trump’s election, and rising climate anxiety hover in the background. Yet, it’s Montreal’s distinctly familiar neighbourhood nuances—including how some potentially more recognizable parts of the city like the Lachine Canal, a Mile Ex gallery, and the downtown core, are treated—that give the novel its depth.

Home as comfort and confinement

For Basu, the West End serves as fertile ground for portraying a sense of “home” that reflects both comfort and confinement. The setting can be viewed as symbolic of a world that feels left behind amid a rapidly modernizing city, lying on the periphery of an urban core that has seen transformation after transformation.

“The location is familiar to me, and I know the feeling of being in a part of the city that’s uncelebrated. Montreal isn’t the focus, though—it’s just where the characters happen to live. The story is ultimately about them, not the city,” Arjun says.

“Each member of the family lives in their own bubble,” he adds, noting that the isolation of their neighbourhood underscores the Reeds’ personal journeys.

The family’s home life becomes a character itself—an anchor amidst the societal shifts happening around them. The father’s job loss, for instance, reflects workplace alienation, showing how quickly a person’s role can become dispensable in a modern economy and how life outside of work can change someone drastically. In contrast, Mimi’s entrepreneurial success highlights how traditional family dynamics can be reshaped to adapt to new realities. 

Basu illustrates that the drama of self-discovery and change is not limited to cultural hotspots by centring their stories where they are. Rather, these universal experiences are just as vivid—perhaps even more nuanced—when set in unexpected places.

So, while The Reeds is more than just a Montreal story, locals can love it both for where it’s set and the story it tells. It’s a portrait of a middle-class family navigating the tensions between tradition and modernity, change and constancy, comfort and ambition.

It opens a window into the complexity of family life and the ways place and identity intertwine.

Arjun Basu is the Montreal-born author of Waiting for the Man (2014), which was longlisted for the Giller Prize. He’s also the host of Magazeum’s podcast, The Full-Bleed.

Grab a copy from the Dépanneur here.