Reviews

Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway

alemmora's review against another edition

4.0

Gorgeous and heartfelt novel. Enchanting language that sweeps you away to the novel’s setting. Didn’t give it 5 stars because sometimes the prose is a bit too all over the place and I ended up missing crucial or important scenes and having to reread. Then again, that aspect mirrors the memories that the boys share.

Stories of brotherhood and siblings always get me, I loved it.

kate_cunningham's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

maddiepalmer443's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lsparrow's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed this story of Cree brothers finding their way. There was something of the way the story unfolded that felt like a play - I could see the actors on stage playing out the parts. This story touches on so many themes, colonization, residential school, childhood sexual abuse, MMIW, cultural identity, and so much more.

mewpre's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

theesotericcamel's review against another edition

5.0

Perhaps I'm biased by the fact that the author was a professor of mine back in university. He was a very interesting guy who lived (and still lives) a singular life. And this literary shows in this book, which is actually a thinly disguised autobiography of sorts. He's a concert pianist, as well as a playwright and entertainer. Mr. Highway lived through a very tumultuous time in regards to living conditions of the First Nations people. When a child, he and his brother were sent to a residential school where indigenous children were taught to be "civilized"... just as the character in his book was. He also lived through the AIDS epidemic of the 80's... Which is also treated in the book. And through the book we are able to catch a glimpse of what it is like to get evicted from the very land of your ancestors. The book is not all doom and gloom however, it is suffused with a genuine zest for life as well as a liberal dab of magic realism. Thomson Highway's version of reality is very much infused with the old gods and spirits of his ancestries. And just because some of their homes have been paved over does not mean that they have left. A book that made me laugh and cry. But overall, revealed that magic is still around us if we have the eyes to look for it.

nicola323's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

matteasexton's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.25

eskimonika's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

hedread's review against another edition

4.0

Heartbreaking story of two Cree brothers. The author tells the story with heart, a little magic, humor, and the realities of residential schools and life in the mid to late 20th century.