Martha Wainwright guest hosts special Canada Reads edition of Homerun

On Feb. 25, CBC Montreal Radio One's drive-home show Homerun broadcast live from Indigo Bookstore in downtown Montreal for a special Canada Reads program.

Homerun host Sue Smith was joined by special guest host singer-songwriter  Martha Wainwright, who will be defending the award-winning book And the Birds Rained Down as part of Canada Reads.

• Canada Reads 2015

They held a live discussion about the book's central theme of aging on your own terms.

The book, written by Jocelyne Saucier, tells the story of a group of men leaving society to live — and die — as they see fit.

Homerun explored aging on your own terms, looking at housing options for seniors, loving — and losing love — later in life, and attitudes toward death. 

You can listen to all six of the discussions from Homerun below:

Homerun9:32Aging on your own terms

Rhoda Eaves, 93 year old former Olympian Rhona Gillis, 93 years old, former Olympian Mark Lovell, 80 years old, art class enthusiast

Homerun9:26Intimacy later in life

Amanda Luterman, licensed psychotherapist who specializes in sexuality Jim Pfaus, professor in the department of psychology at Concordia University.

Homerun6:32Moving on from love later in life

Bev Christmas-Waldorf, 79 years old, widow of four years

Homerun7:56Finding love later in life

- Maria Pitacciato, retired teacher, 66 years old - Irvin Ford, retired dentist, 82 years old

Homerun10:16Living on your own terms

- Janet Torge, runs the Radical Resthome discussion group, a blog that helps seniors organize and plan for their futures. - Cindy Casey, Director of the Rainbow Seniors, an LGBT seniors group

Homerun9:51Dying on your own terms

- Alan Gull, a Cree outreach Worker, Native Friendship Centre of Montrea - Kit Racette, facilitator of the death café and a grief edu-therapist - Dr. Camillo Zacchia, clinical psychologist specializing in depression

Our guest host

Martha Wainwright grew up with music, performing in concerts with her parents and the entire McGarrigle family.

She began singing with her brother, Rufus Wainwright, when he began his solo career in the early 90s.

In 2005, she released her first album, Martha Wainwright, to critical and commercial acclaim. It was followed by: I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too (2008), San fusils, ni souliers, à Paris: Martha Wainwright's Piaf Record (2010) and Trauma: Chansons de la série télé saison 4 (2013), among others.

Wainwright is championing And the Birds Rained Down for Canada Reads 2015.

“And the Birds Rained Down has a clear and defined voice without being overly stylized or overwrought with flowery, self-conscious writing but instead beautifully tells a dramatic and strange story complete with octogenarian sexual mishaps, a suicide pact, total destruction and ruin of landscapes and lives as well as the discovery of artistic genius all in a calm but tenuous constant tone reminiscent of the wild northern Ontario landscape where the book is set. Take a winding ride on the back road to the community at the lake," she says of the book. 

The 14th edition of CBC's battle of the books is all about works that can change perspectives, challenge stereotypes and illuminate issues. 

Find out more about And the Birds Rained Down, and the other books vying for the title, at the Canada Reads 2015 site.