Litsy

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

pick

This reread of Indian Horse was, for me, just as poignant and powerful as the first time around. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the history of residential schools in Canada and why hockey is so well-loved in this country.

#OhCanada @Jess861
#gottacatchemall (Rattata: survivor character) @PuddleJumper

53 likes

Nebklvr

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder | Ma-Nee Chacaby

pick

This is not an easy read but it is an inspiring one. Ma-Nee experienced multiple episodes of violence and abuse, racism, homophobia, and homelessness. Her ability to forgive and to release the bitterness and anger towards those who caused her harm is beautiful and hard won. This may not be the best written narrative but it is an amazing one. #CanadaReads

48 likes

TheKidUpstairs

Dandelion | Jamie Chai Yun Liew

pick

#CanadaReads - four down, one to go, and this was by far my favourite of a decidedly underwhelming selection this year.

As a preteen, Lily's mother walked out on her family and was never seen again. Later, following the birth of her own daughter, Lily once again embarks on a search for answers. The first half, Lily's childhood in a mining town in BC, was good but a bit uneven. Cont'd in comments...

TheKidUpstairs Loved the 80s references (I❤Pogo Balls!), and it was well written but didn't fully grab me until the 2nd part. Lily's struggles with early motherhood, and her search for closure on her past were the more engaging story, for me. The heartfelt examination of what it means to be a mother, and all the various ways a person can be stateless (and what that can do to a sense of self) were emotional and beautiful, and at that point I couldn't put it down. 2w

70 likes1 comment

lauraisntwilder

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

pick

Wow. The first pick for the #OhCanada #BuddyRead was intense. I loved this story of an Ojibway boy falling in love with hockey, but that's only part of the book. Saul's story is heartbreaking and moving. I can only imagine the continued lasting effects of the so-called "residential schools."

DogMomIrene The writing was so beautiful! I cried at the end. What a freaking journey to even get to the tip of healing. 2w

lauraisntwilder @DogMomIrene I cried, too! It was such a good book. 2w

26 likes2 comments

DogMomIrene

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

pick

Powerful novel. Feels like a memoir. Saul was ripped from his Ojibway family & forced into a Residential School, where he tried to escape trauma by playing hockey. His external & internal journey highlight his rage against racism & prejudice, his fight w/ alcoholism, & his healing. I despise sports, but even the hockey sections were so beautifully written, I was eagerly reading. And the conclusion brought me to tears. #OhCanada

@Jess861

Jess861 Both of his parents are Residential School survivors. Not a memoir but I believe he had a very close attachment to all the points in the book. 2w

Tamra Agreed, such lyrical prose! 2w

LiseWorks This was a very good book 2w

See All 6 Comments

DogMomIrene @Jess861 Not surprised about his parents😢. I knew it wasn‘t a memoir, but you can definitely feel how closely tied he is to his characters. And his acknowledgements mention a lot of people,not all of whom work at his publisher. 2w

DogMomIrene @Tamra Especially the opening chapters focused on nature and Ojibway culture. I kept pausing as I read there. 2w

DogMomIrene @LiseWorks I even liked the hockey section! I was rooting for the Moose and Saul so many times. And I thought that aspect of the story might be difficult for me. Flew through the games. 2w

61 likes6 comments

Moss_Croft

The Orenda: A novel | Joseph Boyden

1 like

TheKidUpstairs

Watch Out for Her | Samantha M. Bailey

pan

Third book for #CanadaReads and so far I'm not overly impressed with this year's contenders. I'm all for genre fiction in the Canada Reads list, and I know that there are domestic thrillers that can contribute and propel discussion forward with regards to nationally important topics, but this certainly ain't it.

Taken alone, this still didn't work for me. I actively disliked characters that I'm pretty sure I was supposed to feel for. Cont'd

TheKidUpstairs I really didn't care at all about the resolution, didn't even really get what we were waiting for. And there was far too many "if I had known what would happen" "they can never know what I did" type hooks that took way too long to pay off and felt really anticlimactic. 3w

TheKidUpstairs As a Canada Reads selection, I have no idea what is here to champion as a book to "change how we see, share, and experience the world around us". I'm interested to see how Maggie MacNeill defends this one, but I predict it'll be first out. 3w

squirrelbrain Even the cover looks ‘generic‘! 3w

See All 8 Comments

LeahBergen The inclusion of this surprised me (for all the reasons you say)! 3w

JacqMac This one is up next on my TBR. I think they made some puzzling choices this year. The long list was more promising. 3w

xicanti This is actually my favourite of the four I‘ve read so far, in large part because I read it as a thriller about the ways women are socialized to view each other and the distrust this breeds. (I also found it nice and creepy.) It‘ll be interesting to see what approach its defender takes, but I‘m pretty sure it‘s going out in the first round due to the competition‘s usual anti-popular-literature stance. 3w

TheKidUpstairs @xicanti I'm glad it worked better for you! And I can definitely see your take on the socialization of distrust among women, it'll be interesting to see how it is defended. It is unfortunate that popular and genre fiction tends to be voted out in the first round, simply because of what it is. Last year especially, I thought Mirian Njoh did a really good job of defending her choice, and it was not the first one I would have sent home. 3w

TheKidUpstairs @JacqMac I'll be interested to see your thoughts! It has good reviews here on Litsy, so it very well might just be me. I totally agree with you about the long list, there were definitely some better titles that weren't chosen. 3w

63 likes8 comments

DogMomIrene

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

The observations about nature within the first chapters of Indian Horse are beautifully expressed. Enough so, that trying to decide what to share was going to be tough, but then Saul‘s grandmother made this statement. Timely words I‘ll be keeping in the back of my mind. #OhCanada

Jess861 ❤ 3w

54 likes1 stack add1 comment

TheKidUpstairs

Etta and Otto and Russell and James | Emma Hooper

so-so

My second book read for #CanadaReads, and I wanted to love this one so much more than I did. The narrative that fractured into an almost dream-like state SHOULD have been totally my jam, but I just felt disconnected and confused. I think there are about five different books here, and they don't quite come together in any cohesive way. I'm left wondering why? Why tell this story in this way? Why leave certain alleys unexplored?

58 likes

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