The Queen of Cans and Jars — Michael Christie

Bernice is a collector -- of items rescued from her thrift shop and memories of a husband who abandoned her years ago -- until one day she decides to take her sister's advice and downsize. “The Queen of Cans and Jars” is part of Michael Christie's critically acclaimed short-story collection, The Beggar's Garden.

The Beggar's Garden follows a diverse group of characters, from a bank manager to a drug addict to a retired Samaritan, a web designer, and a car thief, as they drift through each other's lives in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Michael Christie's darkly funny debut collection won the Vancouver Book Award; it was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and was a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.

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