Like Margaret Atwood’s Cat’s Eye, Anomaly explores the dynamics of female relationships in a Toronto that many people remember, but that no longer exists. Set in the 1970s as the city evolved into an international hub, the novel centers around four women: two sisters, Glynnis and Carol, just coming of age, their troubled mother, Mrs. Riggs, and an elderly neighbor, Miss Balls, whose most vivid memories are of her days as a young nurse in World War II. As the two girls struggle to navigate their stormy relationship, the events of a turbulent era are reflected in the lives of all four women. Each suffers a loss of innocence — and so too does the city. Detailed, emotionally complex, and rich with exceptionally well-drawn characters, Anomaly is a debut novel that lives up to its promise.