Clarence’s Big Secret

The big secret that Clarence Brazier carried for most of his long life was that he could not read. Born in Ontario in 1906, Clarence did not learn to read until he was well into his 90s. Christine MacGregor Cation and Roy MacGregor’s story, Clarence’s Big Secret, is based upon the real-life experiences of Clarence Brazier. With illustrations by Mathilde Cinq-Mars, it is an attractive book conveying an inspiring story of overcoming obstacles and never giving up.
Embarrassed on his first day of school to a point he could not bear, Clarence fled the classroom and never returned. Throughout his childhood, he worked with his father on the family farm. Driven by a strong work ethic, he succeeded in a variety of occupations in adulthood and was also able to raise a loving family of his own. After the death of his wife of 65 years, Clarence faced a series of new challenges. His wife had always done the shopping, paid the bills, and attended to any necessary correspondence. With the help of one of his daughters, Clarence learned to read. Clarence had a natural curiosity and soon was reading for at least two hours every day. He died in 2012, aged 105.

Clarence’s Big Secret tells an inspiring story of perseverance, but the brief written text simplifies the struggles Clarence undoubtedly faced throughout his life. It also bypasses difficulties and frustrations that would have hampered his efforts to become literate. Other than to say that he was assisted by a daughter, there is little detail of how he actually learned to read. In contrast to the writing, Mathilde Cinq-Mars’ large illustrations contain considerable detail. The watercolour and pencil illustrations consist primarily of a cool colour palette with gently muted colours that seem to fit with the times being portrayed.

An afterword note from the daughter and father MacGregor writing team provides additional details about Clarence’s life. For instance, at the age of 102, Clarence was the recipient of the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award. The afterword section from the authors also contains a colour photograph of Clarence reading from a book. That afterword also provides some startling illiteracy statistics.

Although Clarence’s Big Secret is not likely to become a big favourite for young readers, it does tell an interesting story and conveys important lessons about the value of reading and the fact that it is never too late to learn something new. It is likely that primary grade teachers will find this a worthwhile classroom addition. Children experiencing particular difficulties in learning to read may be encouraged to learn that Clarence’s determination and hard work eventually yielded pleasing results.