Litsy

Rainbow Valley | L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

Repost for @BarbaraJean
Next up in the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead our #LMMReread of Rainbow Valley & our #LMMAdjacent read of The Last of the Mohicans. @BarbaraJean will post check ins on Saturdays; full discussion of Rainbow Valley will be March 15 & for Last of the Mohicans it will be on April 12.
All are welcome to join in! Please let @BarbaraJean know if you want to be added to or removed from the tag
list.

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CarolynM

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

#BookReport for February

My favourite this month was Indian Horse.

8 likes

merelybookish

Late Nights on Air | Elizabeth Hay

I'm at odds about this book. On one hand it is gently interweaving multiple story threads with patience and care.
On the other hand it includes lines like this:
"His penis was more narrow than wide, more O Henry bar than chocolate slab, more spring rhubarb than autumn gourd, more canoe than motorboat." ?????
Which might be one of THE worst sentences I've ever read in a novel.
So...a real toss-up right now. ?

Aims42 😳😖😳😖😳😖 8h

Soubhiville Well that‘s bizarre. 8h

kspenmoll What?!😳 8h

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Leftcoastzen 😵 7h

willaful *boggle* 7h

Ruthiella 🤮🙄😳 7h

Hooked_on_books 😂 6h

BarbaraBB 🤣🤣 love the accompanying photo 🤣🤣 5h

Cathythoughts Yuck 🤮 I‘m staying away from this one. 3h

CSeydel Whoa, that‘s a sentence I can‘t unread 3h

Susanita That‘s pretty bad 🤣🤣 3h

36 likes11 comments

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage

Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood

My BN trip‘s theme today was banned books.

My sister recommended The Assistant to the Villain series so I picked those up too and my new hot beverage reading buddy was $5 at the checkout.

#withthebanned #letsdothis

TEArificbooks My teenager is reading 1984 for school right now. 1d

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage @TEArificbooks I read that one in HS too along with Brave New World 1d

41 likes2 comments

TreenaReads

The Very Marrow of Our Bones: A Novel | Christine Higdon

pick

This one deserves all of your love, especially if you‘re into awesome Canadian literature. This gorgeously written, compulsively readable family saga, focussing around the disappearance of two women from a working class town, is layered with secrets, masterfully revealed.

#ohcanada #canlit #fiction

TheKidUpstairs Oooh, I've got to read this one. I read one from Higdon last year and LOVED it:

Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue: A Novel

TreenaReads @TheKidUpstairs 🙌🏽Yes! I loved it too! 1d

9 likes2 comments

BarbaraJean

Rainbow Valley | L. M. Montgomery

Next up in the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead: our #LMMReread of Rainbow Valley, and our #LMMAdjacent read of The Last of the Mohicans.

I‘ll post check-ins on Saturdays; the full discussion of Rainbow Valley will be March 15, and for Last of the Mohicans it will be on April 12.

All are welcome to join in! I‘ll post my tag lists for each book in the comments. Please let me know if you‘re not tagged and you‘d like to be (or vice versa!)

LitsyEvents

BarbaraJean Rainbow Valley:
@julieclair, @TheAromaofBooks, @lauraisntwilder, @CogsOfEncouragement, @rubyslippersreads, @kwmg40, @JenLovesJT47

Rainbow Valley

BarbaraJean Last of the Mohicans:
@Daisey, @TheAromaofBooks, @julieclair, @lauraisntwilder, @rubyslippersreads, @JenLovesJT47

The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757

Daisey Looking forward to Last of the Mohicans! 2d

julieclair Looking forward to both of these! 1d

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I'm in for both of these - or at least I've kept them from getting packed 😂 21h

33 likes5 comments

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

This post contains spoilers

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Saul is such a strong character. I don't think many would make it through what he goes through at such a young age and then all through childhood. To have such focus on a sport while he is being abused and his culture and way of life have been completely ripped away from him shows a strong will to survive.

Thoughts on Saul?

Pictured is a Birch Bark Canoe - one of the main forms of transportation for the Ojibwe.

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten #OhCanada 2d

Ruthiella My heart broke for him. I did like, however how the book opens with him already on a healing journey because reading the rest and not knowing if he‘d make it through would have been tough. 2d

Jess861 @Ruthiella I agree. I also like how Wagamese subtly hinted at the abuse but didn't confirm it until closer to the end. It really made you think again at the end of the book about everything he'd been through. 2d

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Jess861 Birch was critical to the Ojibwe lifestyle. It is interesting to read about if you are interested. Another interesting fact is that Birch Bark Canoes were a great transportation form for the inland waterways. It is thought that the Europeans would not have been able to discover and explore much of the land without this type of transportation. The boats they had weren't made for inland waterways. 2d

Tamra The revelation was startling, even though there were hints, but they were easily dismissed. 😔 Speaks to the survival strategy of victims and craft of Wagamese‘ writing! (edited) 2d

Kitta @Ruthiella agreed, I liked having the certainty that he would pull through. I missed or dismissed quite of few of the hints that abuse was occurring tbh. I even thought partway through the novel that it was strange other kids were being abused but not Saul 😆 23h

8 likes6 comments

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

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Another major part of the book is hockey. Saul manages to find an escape through hockey although it only masks the suffering he is going through. It isn't until much later in life that he digs deep into that past so that he can truly heal.

Thoughts on the hockey portion of the book? Did you know this book was originally only supposed to be about hockey?

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten #OhCanada 2d

Ruthiella I have to say, as beautiful as the writing was, it lost me with hockey ! 😂 I‘m not a sports person at all. 2d

Jess861 I enjoyed the hockey portion of the book as I find Wagamese can write about anything and it's still magical. I think a bit less hockey would have been ok with me though.

The fact that Saul finds an escape through hockey and then manages to bottle away his abuses for years is quite something. Sad that he didn't realize he was using hockey for something else as he did seem to love the sport. 2d

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Jess861 @Ruthiella I agree, a bit less hockey would have been ok with me! 2d

Tamra I was surprised at the hockey middle section. I‘d didn‘t mind too much because it was well written and personable. Had it not moved on to post hockey life, I would have been disappointed. 2d

Jess861 @Tamra I agree, the book wouldn't have been as complete if it had ended with hockey. I really felt like we went on the journey of Saul's life in this book. 2d

CarolynM I loved the hockey part of the book, but I wondered how much it would alienate people who weren‘t familiar with the sport. I can imagine some readers outside Canada just switching off from it, which would be a shame as I think the way it makes Saul feel, in both positive and negative ways, is really important to his journey. It‘s a reminder that, although similar in some ways, our countries each have cultures of their own. 1d

Kitta I am not a sports person except for gymnastics and I actually loved the hockey part of this, I am Canadian though and familiar with the rules and gameplay which must have helped. I think the intricate detail spent on discussing the hockey was a way for Saul‘s mind to switch off from the abuse and purposely forget about it or ignore it as much as possible. He had to dive into a passion to distract himself. 23h

lauraisntwilder I loved the hockey parts. My son played hockey for years. We're originally from TN and follow the Nashville Predators. This book made me think about former-Pred Jordin Tootoo, the first Inuk player in the NHL, and how he also played for the Blackhawks. (Imagine wearing that jersey.) I also remember watching a game on TV where Boston fans were yelling the n-word at PK Subban. There are still people who think of it as a white man's game. 21h

Jess861 @CarolynM Agree - I can see how the hockey portion could turn off a reader who isn't into hockey or sports because there are so many chapters that are just hockey. But it was critical to the book so hopefully most aren't turned off by it. 20h

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder I remember Jordin Tootoo as well and got to see him play a time or two in Canada. Even though he was a 'fighter' he was quite skilled at the game. 20h

lauraisntwilder @Jess861 In Nashville, fans loved Tootoo. They would bring train whistles to the games, a play on Tootoo rhyming with "choo choo" that I sincerely hope didn't bug him, and they'd blow them whenever he was on the ice. It was a special cheer, just for him. And they continued to do it after he was traded, but came back to play on opposing teams. 19h

9 likes12 comments

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

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A Residential School is a big part of this book. Saul is sent to one after losing both his siblings to them, his parents to grief and his grandmother to the cold. Due to his hard work and skills in hockey he manages to find a way out but not until he has suffered from many abuses. This will require him to take his own healing journey.

Thoughts on Residential Schools and/or that aspect of the book? Crazy that 1996 was when the last one was closed!

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten #OhCanada 2d

Ruthiella Crazy that they closed so late and yet, not. They still exist in the US though attendance is not compulsory as far as I know. 2d

Jess861 I can't even begin to imagine having my kids ripped away from me and never seeing them again. These were babies! I also feel that this portion of the book shows exactly what happens when the Church is put in charge of schools. Absolutely disgusting! 2d

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Jess861 @Ruthiella Really? I'm surprised they still exist at all. That is sad. 2d

Ruthiella @Jess861 I think it‘s now more a case that reservations don‘t have local schools so children go to boarding schools run by the BIA more than forced assimilation but I don‘t really know. 2d

Tamra Isn‘t Canada still struggling with how to deliver education to rural First Nations people? 2d

Jess861 @Tamra Yes, it is a huge struggle. While the Residential Schools are gone the government still lacks in understanding that the First Nations deserve a curriculum more in line with their culture and identity (just my opinion). In general, I also don't think kids education should just be about sitting at a desk all day and there should be more hands on learning. 2d

CarolynM It is horrifying to me that both Canada and Australia engaged in the shameful practice of taking indigenous children from their families until so very recently. In Australia we call them the “stolen generations” and some (inadequate) effort has been in the last decade or so to redress the harm done. The callousness of the system is heartbreaking and so well illustrated in this book. 1d

Kitta @Ruthiella wow they still exist in the US? I don‘t know what the answer is in terms of education for First Nations children, but the system we have currently isn‘t working. 23h

lauraisntwilder What I find especially sad is how few non-Indigenous people seem to know about residential schools. As a Caucasian of mostly European descent, living in the US, I only know about them because of specifically seeking out diverse books, movies, and TV shows. I was never formally educated that they exist -- and they did (and still do??) while I still in public school. 21h

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder I could be wrong but I think now most Canadians understand these existed. That is only because of a recent movement which brought the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I was not taught anything about them in school but they do talk about it in schools now days. Our son is in grade 3 and has learned about the Residential Schools the last few years. Last year was the year he really understood. 20h

lauraisntwilder @Jess861 Yeah, definitely a different situation in Canada! I don't think the US has ever been good at owning up to its mistakes. 20h

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder I wouldn't say Canada has been good at owning up to their mistakes but it is progress. Many issues still exist today. But the fact that it is being taught in schools brings me hope that the younger generation will know and understand the history and hopefully learn from it. 19h

lauraisntwilder @Jess861 I hope that's the case, too! 17h

DogMomIrene The National Day for Truth & Reconciliation brought awareness to me as a PR. I looked up the Truth & Reconciliation Commission to see what data they had. There‘s several reports. I read the summaries and they‘re horrific. Not sure I could make it through the reports. Saul escaping the school through hockey is a great plot device, but I‘d guess most kids didn‘t have a way out until they aged out. now

8 likes15 comments

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

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Constantly moving to try and keep your kids from being kidnapped - all while trying to preserve your culture, faith and beliefs. Multiple generations damaged by stealing and abusing kids, trying to destroy an entire peoples and pushing them to live on a Reserve. Many battling addictions due to their suffering.

These are all topics throughout the book - general thoughts on the book?

Ruthiella Books like this are important because they show that genocide is not only extermination camps but also an accretion of unfair policies and actions taken by those in power. 2d

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten #OhCanada 2d

Jess861 This books is such an important book for Canadian history. What happened and in my opinion continues to happen is absolutely disgusting. I can't even begin to imagine as to what it feels like to have entire generations destroyed by such horrendous actions. Every country seems to have a story like this - just enacted in different ways. May we learn to be better people from this book! 2d

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Jess861 @Ruthiella - That is such a great way to put it. This comment is so accurate. Canada has a dark history that is hidden behind policies and red tape. Sadly, it still goes on today and I can only see it getting worse with the current political climate. 2d

Jess861 Pictured is an Ojibwe Spirit Horse - they are endangered and Canada's only Indigenous horse breed. 2d

CarolynM @Ruthiella Hear, Hear! 1d

Kitta @Ruthiella absolutely!!! @Jess861 Agreed this type of novel should be required reading in school (books selected age appropriate of course) in my opinion 23h

lauraisntwilder @Ruthiella That is it exactly. 22h

Jess861 @Kitta When reading books in English in middle school and high school - I wish it was more about reading books that teach us histories or lessons and less about what does the colour yellow symbolize in a particular book. Not every book because I feel it's important to read a variety of texts but there wasn't enough of it. That was my experience in English class anyways. It may have changed though, that was a long time ago! 20h

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