DUCKS Review

Kate Beaton’s new book, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, is a non-fiction work that explores the author’s personal experiences working in the oil sands industry in Alberta, Canada. The book covers a period of two years, during which she worked several jobs. Beaton covers a wide range of topics about the harsh impact of oil sands industry on both the environment, the people, but we turn the page to see her story. It is a deeply personal account of her experiences, growth, and hurts. We bare witness to the pervasive sexual harassment she endured while working in a male dominated industry. I was particularly impressed how Beaton conveyed the scene to the reader of when she first tried to report the harassment to her boss. I won’t spoil the story, but I feel like Beaton did a masterful job with that scene in both its simplicity and relatability. 

In addition to her work on the oil sands, Beaton is also an accomplished cartoonist and illustrator, with her previous works entitled Hark! A Vagrant and Step Aside, Pops.

Overall, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands is an insightful, thought-provoking, and deeply personal story wonderfully rendered and intimately satisfying. 9.5/10