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Stella, a young Metis mother, lives with her family by the Break, an isolated strip of land on the edge of their small Canadian town. Glancing out of her window one winter's evening Stella spots someone in trouble; horrified, she calls the police. But when they arrive, no one is there, scuff marks in the compacted snow the only sign anything may have happened.
What follows is a heartbreaking and powerful tale of a community in crisis as the people connected to the victim, a young girl on the edge of a precipice, begin to lay bare their stories leading up to that fateful night. Lou is a social worker grappling with the end of a relationship. Cheryl, an artist, mourns the premature death of her sister. Phoenix, a homeless teenager, is released from a youth detention centre with no one to turn to. Officer Scott is a Metis policeman caught between two worlds.
A powerful family saga, Katherena Vermette's urgent, acclaimed and multi-award-winning novel shines a light on the fear every woman carries within her―fear of male power and violence―and on the love and empathy shared by all women.
Hardback, 350 pages
Publication: Feb 1st 2018 by Atlantic books
Fiction
For review
My thoughts:
People can be so evil. I do not care if you had a messed up life. That is just wrong.
Stella sees something happening. And hey I get it, I'd be afraid if I was in my place with my babies and being scared they come after you. She calls the cops and they only find blood.
We then learn what happened, and it is horrible. Who does that? Rot in jail!
I do get that it wanted to show the lives of women around this, but at times, well too many women. I never got a hang of them all. Stella I knew since she saw what happened. Emily and Ziggy cos they are young. Phoneix cos she ran way. Paulina cos of who she was. But Cheryl, Lou blended into each other. There is also a cop investigating and wondering about himself. His partner keeps calling him something offensive too and he never says anything about it.
Still, less women would have been good. Never thought I say that. Less Povs more like it. For me that took away things
But she is a good writer and have I ever read anything set here or more the fact it is about a Metis family...nope. I did read a book taking place like 10 000 ago in the Aleutian Islands and that is about it. White people in Canada, sure, but indigenous, I am unsure if I ever have. And she shows the darker sides. Of someone just wanting a red bride. Of being pink. The violence. The gangs. Things I had not seen before.
A powerful book about family, loss and darkness
Sounds intense even if it didn't 100% work for you.
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
Can't all be 100 all the time
DeleteI don't like too many POV's in my stories. I am sitting on the fence.
ReplyDeleteIt is tricky
DeleteMultiple POVS can take something away from the book, glad you still enjoyed it tho
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to get right
DeleteI read this book last year and it was a difficult read. The subject is hard and real. The amount of murdered and missing aboriginal women in Canada is high. Often it doesn't get investigated. The women did blend together for me and made it harder to get through.
ReplyDeleteSo you had the same problem as me then. Maybe if they had not all been related...
DeleteALso I had no idea about that! How horrible
Glad to hear this made an impact despite having too many women to keep track of. Wonderful review! :)
ReplyDeletethanks!
DeleteUnfortunate that there were so many POVs but it does sound like an important story to be told. I didn't know there was issues with native women disappearing. Very sad that abuse usually happens to women. :(
ReplyDeleteImportant yes, lesser POvs, sure
DeleteOh wow, that sounds like it would be an emotional read.
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteSometimes too many POVs can make it hard to keep the story straight. This does sound like an interesting story though.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds great. I've only read one or two about the Canadian First Nations so I'm glad you pointed this one out. Though, I'll keep in mind about the confusing POVs.
ReplyDeleteI have read historicals, but present day...nope
DeleteWhoa this sounds intense. I wonder what was the main event that precipitated it all. What did Stella see O_o
ReplyDelete~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum
Something really really horrible, omg, it was so awful
DeleteThis sounds like a powerful, moving read. It's a gripping subject matter for sure.
ReplyDeleteThat it is
DeleteSounds like an intense read for you.
ReplyDeleteHorrible things people do
DeleteGreat review Blodeuedd. I'm just now reading a historical fiction based in Canada in the mid 1700s featuring the Acadian's mandatory expulsion by the English. It also includes some Mi’kmaq indians. I really like learning history this way, unfortunately its not always viewed through rose colored glasses.
ReplyDeleteHistoricals yes, that is where I have met Canada, but present day, nope. We really should have both
DeleteInteresting but yeah that is a LOT of women to keep track of in one story.
ReplyDeleteThat there is
DeleteThis does sound intense!
ReplyDelete*Nods*
Delete