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Three Day Road
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
37 posts | 44 read | 40 to read
Set in Canada and the battlefields of France and Belgium, Three-Day Road is a mesmerizing novel told through the eyes of Niskaa Canadian Oji-Cree woman living off the land who is the last of a line of healers and divinersand her nephew Xavier. At the urging of his friend Elijah, a Cree boy raised in reserve schools, Xavier joins the war effort. Shipped off to Europe when they are nineteen, the boys are marginalized from the Canadian soldiers not only by their native appearance but also by the fine marksmanship that years of hunting in the bush has taught them. Both become snipers renowned for their uncanny accuracy. But while Xavier struggles to understand the purpose of the war and to come to terms with his conscience for the many lives he has ended, Elijah becomes obsessed with killing, taking great risks to become the most accomplished sniper in the army. Eventually the harrowing and bloody truth of war takes its toll on the two friends in different, profound ways. Intertwined with this account is the story of Niska, who herself has borne witness to a lifetime of deaththe death of her people. In part inspired by the legend of Francis Pegahmagabow, the great Indian sniper of World War I, Three-Day Road is an impeccably researched and beautifully written story that offers a searing reminder about the cost of war.
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runswithscissors007
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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@FantasyChick @maich thanks for the tag on this one! Sorry so long to get to it. It‘s been a week.
1. Tagged book
2. This year...Deadwood
3. The Book Keeper
4. The Mists of Avalon
5. Breakfast at Tiffany‘s
6. Gentleman of Moscow
7. The Shire
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
9. 24 book
10. Kitchen table
11. Jack and the beanstalk
12. @UnRuLee (I noticed your current read) and @katy4peas if you haven‘t already!
#quaranteinereadschallenge

runswithscissors007 before editing i accidentally typed the Shite for number 7. Glad i re read it ... 😁 5y
UnRuLee I actually already did this one, but thank you for the tag! I am about 65% through Mists of Avalon right now. It‘s quite a tome! 5y
15 likes2 comments
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Chellebearss
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Pickpick

Three Day Road tells the tale of two young men from the Cree nation during combat in WW1. This is a story of family, survival, addiction and madness. It truly pulls on the heart strings at some points. This tale is beautifully written and easy for the reader to fully envision the horror of warfare and the despair felt by families waiting at home for news of loved ones. Recommended. 4🌟 #2011 #Canadian

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Becker
Three Day Road (Revised) | Joseph Boyden
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You won‘t be able to pull away. Gut wrenching and beautifully written.

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Leftcoastzen
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Pickpick

I have read a lot of fiction related to WW I , but to have a view from First Nation Canadians is special.The horror of that war looms large, trench warfare, lice,mud , devastation in every direction. 2 Cree men , friends Xavier & Elijah ,volunteer for the war and evolve into sharp shooters. So beautifully written.The recent controversy about Boydens claim to native ancestry played in my mind.I would still recommend this award winning book.

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Suzze
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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This one is sitting in my TBR pile (mountain). A novel set in Northern Ontario, with Native Canadian characters. And it‘s historical (my fave) set in the early 1900‘s. #Novemberbythenumbers

Melissa_J I love that book. It‘s so powerful. A lot of it is set in Europe during WWI. 7y
Suzze @Melissa_J Oh, good! I‘m going to move it up in the pile. 7y
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JazzFeathers
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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#FallIntoBooks

Well, turned out l don't have many covers with #cursive on it, but these two are two fine speciments.
Haven't read Three Day Road yet. Read Medicine River and loved it. Definitely a slow Burger, but once you get into the floor of stories, you'd never come out

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teebe
Three Day Road (Revised) | Joseph Boyden
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..Métis, and that others would put stock in that feeling, is nonsense." ??

The Globe and Mail released a profile of Boyden and the controversy yesterday. It's actually well-done (but for a few minor issues) and it gives an excellent overview.

https://tgam.ca/2vDjpyW

diovival Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. 7y
20 likes1 comment
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Auntynanny
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Pickpick

I've never read a Joseph Boyden novel before. I enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more of his work.

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KelseyPek
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Pickpick

Well-written, sometimes heart-rending, hard to put down.

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janeycanuck
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Hesitant to use this as my #indigenousauthors pick given the recent revelation that while Boyden has some indigenous roots, he's pretty much just a white dude, speaking out on behalf of indigenous people when others were better positioned to do so. In spite of that, this is still a very good novel. I hope that Boyden has learned his lesson and I'll be picking up something by Wab Kinew before I read another Boyden. #junebookbugs

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KelseyPek
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Binge-worthy reading. There's a reason this is a Giller Prize winner.

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JazzFeathers
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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I haven't read this yet, but l hope to come to it soon. The protagonist is s WWI veteran, comkng home wounded in more than ond way.
In spite if the controversy surrounding the author and his indigenous roots, this sounds like a good book in and of itself and l want to give it a shot

#MayBookFlowers #War

shawnmooney It is one of my favorite Canadian novels! 7y
JazzFeathers @shawnmooney Haven't read him yet. Read a Canadian Blackfoot author, Thomas King. Loved him 😊 7y
45 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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LauraBelle
Three Day Road (Revised) | Joseph Boyden
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Pickpick

This is the second time I've read this book and I love it. Such an amazing story.

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KVanRead
Three Day Road (Revised) | Joseph Boyden
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The latest in the Joseph Boyden controversy that @shawnmooney has posted about. I've only read Three Day Road which I loved. How does it affect you when you learn disturbing news about an author? Does it color your impression of their work? http://aptnnews.ca/2017/02/22/similarities-between-joseph-boyden-story-and-ojibw...

shawnmooney Based on what is now publicly available about this, it strikes me as more than a bit of a tempest in a teapot. Boyden is a gifted writer, and a big-hearted man. I am very uncomfortable with most of the twitterverse attacks on him, while trying of course to respect that some of these issues might mean more to others than, so far, they do to me. 8y
KVanRead @shawnmooney Yah, the commentary from many on all sides seems extreme. Not being in Canada I've been getting bits and pieces of the story out of order and just learned of the Steven Galloway business which seems to have been at the start of this. A big deal in Can Lit/Academia I guess. Whatever the outcomes the work does stand on it's own and is excellent. 8y
27 likes2 comments
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My_novel_obsession
Three Day Road (Revised) | Joseph Boyden
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I'm traveling for work this week and today I went exploring in Colorado Springs. I just happened to find a bookstore 😜. It was a cute place that had some new books and a substantial used book section. I was just browsing and found this one - after reading Wenjack earlier this year I want to get my hands on all his books. 🤗😍

Joybishoptx I love Colorado Springs. Spent many good vacations there. 8y
My_novel_obsession @Joybishoptx I really like it here too...it's a little colder here than Houston though 😬 8y
Joybishoptx @Anovelobsession yes it is! I took my kids for the first time a few summers ago. I warned them that when we got to the top of Pike's Peak it would be really REALLY cold. They scoffed. Then they were shocked to see it was covered in snow. In June! Ha! We still laugh that my son insisted on wearing shorts. 8y
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ValerieAndBooks Was this Hooked on Books? Or Poor Richards? I lived just north of CS for quite a few years! 8y
My_novel_obsession @ValerieAndBooks It was Poor Richards - very cool assortment of just about everything there! 8y
Hooked_on_books I grew up (mostly) in CS! My Litsy name is inspired by my favorite bookstore there. Say hi to Pikes Peak for me! 8y
My_novel_obsession @Hooked_on_books If I get out of this conference early tomorrow I'm going to try to find Hooked on Books. It actually feels like there are more bookstores here than there are in the huge city of Houston! 8y
49 likes7 comments
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Lindy
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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I've been unsettled by the controversy surrounding one of Canada's literary stars because his Indigenous identity is closely associated with his work. Anyone else have thoughts on this?
http://aptn.ca/news/2016/12/23/author-joseph-boydens-shape-shifting-indigenous-i...

8little_paws Well this is interesting. Generally I take issue with attempts to "out" someone who claims to have Native background, as here in the US at least the were so many policies over the decades that fractured Native families and made it hard to prove direct lineage. But apparently this author keeps changing his story regularly? 8y
Penny_LiteraryHoarders Author Peggy Blair wrote a very interesting post about this on her blog. She has also been on Boyden before with another highly interesting review of The Orenda. If you Google Peggy Blair The Orenda you'll find it. The comments following are also quite interesting. Canlit is its own garbage fire this year! 8y
Lindy @8little_paws Russ Diabo (Mohawk) joins others in asking Boyden only for transparency: “If it‘s a tenuous connection going back many years he should state that. He is being considered an Aboriginal writer and being asked questions about contemporary Indigenous issues and he is commenting on them in the media as an Indigenous individual.” 8y
Lindy @Penny_LiteraryHoarders I read Peggy Blair's post yesterday, and followed her link to comments by Daniel Heath Justice. Well-considered, both pieces. https://www.google.ca/amp/s/peggyblair.wordpress.com/2016/12/26/joseph-boydens-d... 8y
8little_paws @lindy that's a great statement by Diabo. 8y
34 likes5 comments
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rabbitprincess
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Today's #booktober prompt of "diverse reads" reminded me that I should reread Three Day Road sometime. I love Joseph Boyden's books for telling First Nations stories, which need to be told more often in Canada.

SharonGoforth Three Day Road is such a good book! 8y
JazzFeathers Three Day Road has been on my TBR list for a while. I hate long TBR lists, so why do l always have one waiting for me? 8y
rabbitprincess @JazzFeathers I sympathize! My to-read-own list is at a couple of hundred titles, and my to-read list is at seven hundred or so! 8y
JazzFeathers @rabbitprincess l've stepped counting a long time ago ;) 8y
21 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Booksbooksbooks
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
Panpan

Had to read this for English class and it was terrible. A slow read full of scalping and strange sex scenes. Do not recommend

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Gleefulreader
Three Day Road (Revised) | Joseph Boyden
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I'm a few days behind on the #septphotochallenge, so I'm going to try to catch up. I realized I don't have a lot of books with numbers in the title, but I do have this - and it's a favourite book no less. The story of two Native Canadian boys who leave the north to go and fight in World War I. It is beautiful and heartbreaking.

KVanRead I love this book! 8y
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Jolynne
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Pickpick

Refreshing to read a book with Native people as the main characters. No stereotypes, no European mentality, no white dude to the rescue. A story from the heart. #alltimefave

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Lindy
Three Day Road (Revised) | Joseph Boyden
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Pickpick

WWI vet returns to remote Canadian home. Audiobook is great. Told in two alternating voices; Robert Ramirez for Xavier Bird and Ruth Ann Phimister for Xavier's aunt Niska. Both readers are clear, calm and steady. Well suited to oral storytelling. Also a pleasure to hear occasional Cree words spoken.

marita I feel like my citizenship should be revoked. I think I'm the only person who doesn't love this book. 8y
shawnmooney Oh I didn't know it was available on audio! I totally need to track that down for a re-read/listen! 8y
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Ange44
Three Day Road (Revised) | Joseph Boyden
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Fun Friday. I'm out of town so I can't take any pictures of my books, but here's a shout out to one of my favourite Canadian books, Three Day Road.
Other fave Canadians: Douglas Coupland, Miriam Toews, Alice Munro.
Also, some amazing newer voices: Iain Reid, Sylvain Neuvel, Craig Davidson.

shawnmooney Yes! Yes! Yes! 8y
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shawnmooney
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Pickpick

Two Cree men, friends raised by a medicine woman in the Northern Ontario bush, go off to World War I. A few years later, only one returns, broken in body & spirit. The medicine woman's healing is shamanic narrativity. Boyden spins a sweat lodge of stories. I went inside. I came out changed.

JazzFeathers This has been sitting on my shelf for a while. Now you've sold me ;) 8y
shawnmooney @JazzFeathers Great! I am reading the next one in the trilogy right now, 8y
25 likes3 comments
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shawnmooney
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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BestOfFates Wow. 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Great quote! 8y
ramyasbookshelf That's such a deep quote! 8y
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shawnmooney
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Xavier's aunt, an aboriginal shaman, teaches him how to divine:

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shawnmooney
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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eclecticreading
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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Pickpick

An informative, atmospheric, and heartbreaking read about the Aboriginal experience in early 20c Canada, their role and experience during WW1 in the Canadian army, the Canadian contribution to WW1, and so forth. It's also beautifully written, can't wait to read more of his works!

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shawnmooney
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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shawnmooney
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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"wemistikoshiw" is Cree for "white people"

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shawnmooney
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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shawnmooney
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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shawnmooney
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
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The Read Harder challenge #16 ("Read the first book in a series by a person of color") has brought me at long last to Canadian lit wonder boy, Joseph Boyden. Just getting started on it but can already see what all the fuss is about!

Angelala007 I met him! He signed my copy of The Orenda. He's brilliant. He certainly opened my eyes wider. 9y
Ange44 I love, love, love this book! I really need to read his others soon. 9y
6 likes2 comments
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SeeJaneRead
Three Day Road | Joseph Boyden
Pickpick

Can't leave Canada without reviewing some can-lit! Boyden is a star. Inspired in part by the story of a native sniper in the First World War, this first novel (⁉️) follows two Cree men who head to the front. Only one comes back, to tell his story. 🅾🇨🇦! The sequel is also 👌🏼.