Somewhere Else, the debut novel from local author Jan Guenther Braun, has been widely distributed within the genre of queer fiction. Yet, the style of the narrative seems to more aptly suit the coming-of-age tradition.

Braun has written a smart, heart-wrenching tale of a young woman who must learn to accept herself as a homosexual Mennonite living in rural Saskatchewan. To do so, she must leave her home, her family and her assumptions behind, striving to forge a new life for herself somewhere else.

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is more difficult than most for Jess Klassen, but the journey is one of empowerment, acceptance and, eventually, self-actualization.

This is perhaps best realized in the meta-narrative moments of the text, where Braun writes dialogue in Low German, includes a few lines of poetry now and again, and also questions the reliability of her narrator, the protagonist, herself. The effect is one in which readers may better understand Jess’s own growth and personal development.

It is in these moments where Jess Klassen most clearly identifies herself. And it is in these moments where the novel pulses with life.

Throughout this search for identity, Braun has written Jess’s character with a sort of sad sense of humour, but full of passion and insight, and not without a stubborn streak. In many ways, Jess hides behind her fears repeatedly in the narrative, but her courage of conviction ultimately sees her through, time after time. This is where she finds her incredible strength – the kind of strength it takes to leave home at 16.

“Nobody tells me what to do, least of all the people I love the most. Nobody tells me what to do, least of all the people who have a better idea than I do of what I should do,” Jess thinks.

Eventually, Jess is able to find her way after all – to find the strength to reach out to her family, to find out who her true friends are and to find true love. Through it all, she finds herself.

As a work of prairie literature, Somewhere Else is sure to stand out. Jess Klassen is clearly the powerful product of a very powerful landscape. Identity; it’s what we all strive for, to know exactly where we stand. And Braun has certainly established herself as an up-and-coming Canadian writer with this book.

Published in Volume 63, Number 24 of The Uniter (March 19, 2009)