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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
À la lecture du résumé de ce roman, celui-ci m’avait paru assez intéressant pour le considérer. J’en ai donc fait la lecture et, je dois dire que j’ai relativement apprécié.
Critique complète ici : https://lesmotsdezaza.wordpress.com/2023/02/05/critique-8-lhiver-de-la-corneille-2022-par-karen-mcbride/
Critique complète ici : https://lesmotsdezaza.wordpress.com/2023/02/05/critique-8-lhiver-de-la-corneille-2022-par-karen-mcbride/
**3.5 stars - this novel slowly built up but I felt like the ending was rushed.
Karen McBride’s Crow Winter did the impossible and managed to move me out of my headspace and deeply into this storyline. About a young anishinaabekwe returned home to her reserve following the death of her father who finds herself on intimate terms with a trickster to fight against a threat to the connection between this world and the next, this book was everything I needed. It was engaging, it was warm, it was welcoming, and it carried feelings of resilience and home in times of terrible hardship. Full of larger truths and also the small idiosyncrasies that make life so precious, I went everywhere this book took me, and could hardly put it down. A perfect read for any time, and in particular, a hopeful read for this time, the world felt so much more connected when looking up from these pages. A testament to what our responsibility is for living better and fighting for what matters, this book was healing for my heavy heart. Much appreciation to McBride for sharing so much of herself here, it truly connected me to the narrative while grounding the story so deeply in place and identity.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
A fine debut novel from another talented First Nations Indigenous writer. A young woman goes on a journey of healing for herself, her family and her People with the help of Nanabush, a traditional Anishinaabe trickster. Also a good introduction to Indigenous land rights and use issues for those who are not familiar with real Canadian history. A gentle slow burn with a lot of heart. I hope McBride has more titles coming soon.
I had been eyeing this one on my shelf ever since I bought it, and then I finally picked it up and it was like it was meant to be. Karen McBride's writing is amazing. Her descriptions are short but so effective that there were very few times that I wasn't completely immersed in the story; I would seriously forget that I was reading a book, and I think that that is a very rare and important skill for an author to have. Also, the whole time that I was reading this book I was just getting more and more excited for my second read of it so I could underline the shit out of it. Every single one of her sentences are so perfect that I have no doubt in my mind that she went over all of them about ten times before this book was complete.
A note if you haven't read this and are looking to: there is a bit of an index for the Algonquin words used in the story. I know it would have been helpful if I knew that before, although there were a few instances where I could kind of guess. But yeah, check the back!
My rating is more of a 4.5, the only reason it's not a 5 is because I feel like the climax of this book could have hit a bit harder.
Really beautiful book, can't wait to read it again and see if she comes out with anything else!
A note if you haven't read this and are looking to: there is a bit of an index for the Algonquin words used in the story. I know it would have been helpful if I knew that before, although there were a few instances where I could kind of guess. But yeah, check the back!
My rating is more of a 4.5, the only reason it's not a 5 is because I feel like the climax of this book could have hit a bit harder.
Really beautiful book, can't wait to read it again and see if she comes out with anything else!
Enjoyed this story and its characters very much. Don't let the slightly stilted beginning put you off, it really picks up. Learning some details about the culture was very satisfying for me. Their use of anishinaabemowin language was intriguing for a me as a person of uncertain settler heritage. Thanks to the author's notes, I have a lead on getting to know a bit of the language.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Crow Winter was a really comforting read. It showed a future in one small community where white settlers finally understood the damage that their ancestors have caused. After trial and error (and more meddling), the white settlers truly commit to allyship. But it was also so much more than about the Indigenous/white relationships.
This felt like such a positive book. There are beautiful descriptions and scenes with ceremony, medicine, food, ancestors, knowledge journeys. The characters are healing more than hurting. This would make a great palate cleanser in between darker content. Not that this book doesn't cover deep, complex issues like land stewardship, colonization, religious conversion, etc., just that it was done with a warm and safe feeling, it covered those topics gently.
Maybe it's just the talking trickster bird, but this reminded me a lot of Eden Robinson's Son of a Trickster series. This time it's Nanabush as a crow, not Wee'git as a raven. But they are both clever, invested in our protagonist's decisions and lives, and funny. And they both take place in a small community where our protagonists are struggling to regain their footing after trauma. So, if you're a fan of one, try the other. They're not similar in characters, culture, or plot otherwise, but I think they would appeal to common readers.
I'm thankful to Dani (@thunderbirdwomanreads on IG and GoodReads) for the great review of this book that pushed me to pick it up. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these characters and their home.
content warnings for: death of loved one, examination of grief, near death experience, religion, land disinheritance.
This felt like such a positive book. There are beautiful descriptions and scenes with ceremony, medicine, food, ancestors, knowledge journeys. The characters are healing more than hurting. This would make a great palate cleanser in between darker content. Not that this book doesn't cover deep, complex issues like land stewardship, colonization, religious conversion, etc., just that it was done with a warm and safe feeling, it covered those topics gently.
Maybe it's just the talking trickster bird, but this reminded me a lot of Eden Robinson's Son of a Trickster series. This time it's Nanabush as a crow, not Wee'git as a raven. But they are both clever, invested in our protagonist's decisions and lives, and funny. And they both take place in a small community where our protagonists are struggling to regain their footing after trauma. So, if you're a fan of one, try the other. They're not similar in characters, culture, or plot otherwise, but I think they would appeal to common readers.
I'm thankful to Dani (@thunderbirdwomanreads on IG and GoodReads) for the great review of this book that pushed me to pick it up. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these characters and their home.
content warnings for: death of loved one, examination of grief, near death experience, religion, land disinheritance.