Litsy

The Girls | Lori Lansens

Spending the evening re-reading The Girls by Lori Lansens for #OhCanada . Going to snack on some pita and hummus as well. Such a great way to spend a Friday evening!

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Jess861

The Girls | Lori Lansens

Just over a week left and I'm excited to discuss with those who are interested. I'll post a few discussion points in the afternoon of Saturday, May 3rd - which gives everyone a few extra days. Weekdays are too busy with the kiddos - so going forward I'll post discussion points on the Saturday after month end if that works for everyone. If there is anything specific you are interested in discussing please feel free to comment here. #OhCanada

Jess861 #BookClub #BuddyRead #Canada

@lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten @JuniperWilde @Teresereading 5d

Blueberry Oops, I've been reading one of the May/June books. But it's good. 😀 5d

Jess861 @Blueberry 😆- at least you know you'll finish it for June, lol 5d

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Blueberry Yup, 😆 5d

CarolynM I‘ll try to read this in the coming week🙂 4d

Jess861 @CarolynM I'll be re-reading it this weekend - it's probably been about 15 years since I read it and I can't even remember yesterday 😆 3d

35 likes6 comments

PurpleyPumpkin

March's End | Daniel Polansky

Here‘s my March roundup. Indian Horse was a clear favourite, read with the #OhCanada Book Club.
(April 3, 2025)

Jess861

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LitsyEvents

Oh, Canada! | Per-Henrik G�rth

Repost for @Jess861

I thought we could explore Genevieve Graham as an author for the next #OhCanada read. She has written a number of books with many of them being Canadian historical fiction set around war times. She also has a new book coming out in April 2025. Please vote if you'd like. All are welcome to join this low key read.

See original post at https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2852876

Jess861 Thank you, as always, for the tag 🙂! Much appreciated! 3w

37 likes1 comment

Jess861

Oh, Canada! | Per-Henrik G�rth

I thought we could explore Genevieve Graham as an author for the next #OhCanada read. She has written a number of books with many of them being Canadian historical fiction set around war times. She went to school to be a musician and only started writing books at the age of 40! She also has a new book coming out in April 2025. Please vote if you'd like to and if it is a tie I will flip a coin. All are welcome to join this low key read.

Jess861 @litsyevents #BookClub #BuddyRead #Canada

@lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten @JuniperWilde @Teresereading 3w

Kitta Voting for

The Forgotten Home Child

Ruthiella Like Mary Lawson, another Canadian writer who started publishing in middle age. I‘m fine with either title! 3w

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kwmg40 Both titles look good to me, so I‘ll leave the decision to the rest of you. 3w

bookaholic1 Read both and both are very good 3w

CarolynM Either title fine with me too🙂 3w

Jess861 @Kitta Thanks! Noted. 3w

Jess861 @Ruthiella @kwmg40 @bookaholic1 @CarolynM Thanks for the feedback 😁 3w

Blueberry The Forgotten Home Child is my first choice but Bluebird also looks good. 3w

PurpleyPumpkin I‘m happy to read either title. They both sound good! 3w

lauraisntwilder I think they both look good, but I'm leaning towards Bluebird. 3w

Jess861 @Blueberry @lauraisntwilder Noted both picks! 3w

Jess861 @PurpleyPumpkin Thanks for your jnput 🙂 3w

39 likes13 comments

LitsyEvents

The Girls | Lori Lansens

Repost for @Jess861

The second pick of the #OhCanada Book Club is underway and it is The Girls by Lori Lansens. This is a bi-monthly read so feel free to read at your leisure over the months of March and April. Will post some discussion points at the end of April for those that wish to participate. All are welcome to join this very relaxed book club. Enjoy everyone!
#BuddyRead

37 likes

Jess861

The Girls | Lori Lansens

The second pick of the #OhCanada Book Club is underway and it is The Girls by Lori Lansens. This is a bi-monthly read so feel free to read at your leisure over the months of March and April. Will post some discussion points at the end of April for those that wish to participate. All are welcome to join this very relaxed book club! Enjoy everyone!!

#BuddyRead @LitsyEvents

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten @JuniperWilde 2mo

Ruthiella Looking forward to it! 😊 2mo

CarolynM I‘m looking forward to it too🙂 2mo

DogMomIrene Looking forward to this one! 1mo

43 likes4 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 2mo

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. 2mo

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. 2mo

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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. 2mo

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) 2mo

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 😆 2mo

DogMomIrene Saul was so real. Agree that the opening pages help me cope with the set up that this character will survive. I had the same thought “strange he‘s not abused” and dismissed it. Makes me think that may be Wagamese‘s point in hinting at abuse. I think people, me included, tend to not see abuse and dismiss the hints, even when we shouldn‘t. I want a sequel, even just a short story, to know that Saul‘s okay. 2mo

Jess861 @DogMomIrene Sadly, Wagamese passed away in 2017 so we will never get a sequel. 2mo

kwmg40 Saul was a great character. I love how Wagamese makes us care so much about characters who are usually marginalized or disdained by society. I loved his novel Ragged Company about four homeless people. 2mo

12 likes9 comments

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

This post contains spoilers

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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 2mo

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

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. 2mo

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

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. 2mo

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. 2mo

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. 2mo

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. 2mo

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. 2mo

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. 2mo

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. 2mo

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. 2mo

DogMomIrene I‘m not a sports person, but I loved the hockey section because it was serving as his escape. I wondered if Fr. Hockey Coach had been abusing him, but thought “why would he let him go?” But when Saul refused to fight, then blew his chance at a pro-career, I knew. That was the most heart-breaking part for me. This beautiful skater who played the game with skill & grace who should have had every hockey success had that ripped from him bc of abuse. 2mo

kwmg40 I loved the hockey part. I grew up in Montreal, and my father, a Chinese immigrant, completely embraced the hockey culture (as a spectator if not a player). I grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada every week. In Quebec, it was really a sport for everybody, rich or poor. 2mo

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