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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
Another great book by Boyden. The voice was similar to 3 Day Road, and some of the themes overlapped, but there was a lot of new stuff as well. It all worked, it was a very good read.
What an incredible and beautiful journey into the lives and culture of the Mushkegowuk (Cree) People of Ontario. Perfectly written in every way. I shall now plan my trip to James Bay.
3 1/2 stars
I think that the author did a fabulous job of telling two stories in one by connecting the story lines through retelling. It was interesting to see how each character wanted to share their stories despite how difficult some things were to admit to. Both Annie and Will were very strong, yet felt that their strength came from the other person. I liked how they developed and grew as the story progressed - well done.
I am curious to know more about Suzanne though. Where was she all this time?
I think that the author did a fabulous job of telling two stories in one by connecting the story lines through retelling. It was interesting to see how each character wanted to share their stories despite how difficult some things were to admit to. Both Annie and Will were very strong, yet felt that their strength came from the other person. I liked how they developed and grew as the story progressed - well done.
I am curious to know more about Suzanne though. Where was she all this time?
Joseph Boyden is brilliant in bringing his characters to life that it feels like your reading about a true story.
I felt so I tuned to this story right from the beginning and I felt like I was inside this story with them. I also loved reading thoughtful and interesting descriptions of northern Canada.
Every Canadian should read this book. Particularly ones like me who have little or no context of daily lives of our First Nations brothers and sisters. There are references which shed light into past tragic histories, while the modern setting tells us their story as it happens today.
I felt so I tuned to this story right from the beginning and I felt like I was inside this story with them. I also loved reading thoughtful and interesting descriptions of northern Canada.
Every Canadian should read this book. Particularly ones like me who have little or no context of daily lives of our First Nations brothers and sisters. There are references which shed light into past tragic histories, while the modern setting tells us their story as it happens today.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
I didn't love this one as much as Three Day Road. Can't exactly put my finger on it. An enlightening look at the aboriginal experience in urban centres and on the reserve.
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
This is a wonderful yarn which I totally loved while reading and not quite as well afterward. Some books (and films) stay with me afterward, and as scenes linger in my mind, I come to greater appreciation. In this case the excitement of the story and setting made me gloss over the flaws until I reached the end. Honestly, it is a page turner and I couldn’t put it down until I finished.
The story is told from two points of view in alternating chapters: Will Bird, a middle-aged Oji-Cree bush pilot living in Northern Ontario and his niece Annie in her early 20’s. Will is in a coma, recalling the events that led up to this crisis point. In the hope of reaching through to him, Annie visits him daily in the hospital, telling him about her dangerous search for her sister who, after achieving brief glory as a model in the big apple, has disappeared.
Boyden skillfully and with affection and respect portrays Native life in the bush and in urban settings. He successfully tells not one, but two love stories, which, as I’ve said in other reviews, is challenging. And he does it convincingly, with a pair of would-be lovers in midlife and another in their early 20’s. All of this while spinning a gripping tale of drugs, sex, life at the heights of fashionable New York and in the remote northern bush. It is literary fiction and the attention to detail, dialect, and the inner life is captivating.
It was only after I finished that I realized that the tale was pretty tall, and there were a couple too many scenes of partying with ecstacy (the drug, not the feeling) among the rich and beautiful.
Boyden is a terrific writer and he taught college to Cree kids in Northern Ontario, but he isn’t Native himself. As he says, somewhere in his ancestry there is a thin thread of Mik’maq and Metis—anyone, including my husband, who has ancestry in Canada that goes back a way, can make the same claim. But he comes from a middle-class, suburban family. I would be really interested in how this novel is viewed by First Nations communities.
The story is told from two points of view in alternating chapters: Will Bird, a middle-aged Oji-Cree bush pilot living in Northern Ontario and his niece Annie in her early 20’s. Will is in a coma, recalling the events that led up to this crisis point. In the hope of reaching through to him, Annie visits him daily in the hospital, telling him about her dangerous search for her sister who, after achieving brief glory as a model in the big apple, has disappeared.
Boyden skillfully and with affection and respect portrays Native life in the bush and in urban settings. He successfully tells not one, but two love stories, which, as I’ve said in other reviews, is challenging. And he does it convincingly, with a pair of would-be lovers in midlife and another in their early 20’s. All of this while spinning a gripping tale of drugs, sex, life at the heights of fashionable New York and in the remote northern bush. It is literary fiction and the attention to detail, dialect, and the inner life is captivating.
It was only after I finished that I realized that the tale was pretty tall, and there were a couple too many scenes of partying with ecstacy (the drug, not the feeling) among the rich and beautiful.
Boyden is a terrific writer and he taught college to Cree kids in Northern Ontario, but he isn’t Native himself. As he says, somewhere in his ancestry there is a thin thread of Mik’maq and Metis—anyone, including my husband, who has ancestry in Canada that goes back a way, can make the same claim. But he comes from a middle-class, suburban family. I would be really interested in how this novel is viewed by First Nations communities.
Interesting not-quite-mystery, not-quite-thriller featuring Canadian First Nations characters. Structurally, the way the plot moves backwards and forwards through time through the eyes of two different characters was effective in making me want to read more. In the end, I struggled to connect strongly with either of the protagonists.
A very interesting conversation about representation is certainly worth having around this and other books by Boyden, who claims native Canadian ancestry (but which is disputed by Indigenous groups). Is it better that stories like this, featuring almost 100% Indigenous cast of characters, exist regardless of authorship? Can't wait to discuss at this week's book club meeting.
A very interesting conversation about representation is certainly worth having around this and other books by Boyden, who claims native Canadian ancestry (but which is disputed by Indigenous groups). Is it better that stories like this, featuring almost 100% Indigenous cast of characters, exist regardless of authorship? Can't wait to discuss at this week's book club meeting.