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A review by leahsbooks
Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
5.0
CONTENT WARNING: child abuse (physical, emotional, and allusion to sexual), attempted rape, self-harm, addiction, violence, trauma, death of a child, trauma, mention of suicide, prejudice
This is an incredibly powerful book, and it provides some insight into not just the massive harm that residential schools have had on the indigenous population, but more importantly, the lasting effects that it had on the generations that were forced to attend these schools.
The story centers around 5 characters who were forcibly dragged from their homes and made to attend residential school, where they experienced endless torments in efforts to "integrate" them into mainstream society. They were separated from their families, their cultures, and all their supports, which were replaced with cruelty and torture, for years.
But even after they aged out of this system, the scars continued to affect them for their entire lives. They were sent away from the "school" with no marketable skills, no money, and absolutely no preparation to function in society. They also had no ability to cope with the massive trauma that was inflicted upon them. Instead, they were forced to cope in the best ways they were able to - for some, this was turning to risky behaviors or substance use, for others it was continuing to fall back into the same patterns that had sustained them, while for another it was a compulsive behavior that was comforting.
Reading this was absolutely heartbreaking, not just because I was so invested in the characters and the story, but because this isn't something that was pulled out of thin air. This was the fate of so many innocent children who were dragged into the system simply because they were born into indigenous families, and automatically viewed as "lesser" or "savage."
While it deals with unimaginably difficult themes, I felt like it was dealt with in such a sensitive way. It was focused more on the long-term toll of the survivors, rather than the events that caused the trauma itself, and it was so impactful. The story is at turns heartbreaking, hopeful, painful, and inspiring. This is the kind of story that needs to be read, by everyone, whether you've been directly affected by these events or not. Because history needs to be shared, even the painful and ugly parts - and while this is an extraordinarily painful and ugly part of history, it also speaks of the resilience and amazing strength of the indigenous people who managed to find ways to fight against centuries of oppression, ultimately managing to reclaim their heritage.
This is an incredibly powerful book, and it provides some insight into not just the massive harm that residential schools have had on the indigenous population, but more importantly, the lasting effects that it had on the generations that were forced to attend these schools.
The story centers around 5 characters who were forcibly dragged from their homes and made to attend residential school, where they experienced endless torments in efforts to "integrate" them into mainstream society. They were separated from their families, their cultures, and all their supports, which were replaced with cruelty and torture, for years.
But even after they aged out of this system, the scars continued to affect them for their entire lives. They were sent away from the "school" with no marketable skills, no money, and absolutely no preparation to function in society. They also had no ability to cope with the massive trauma that was inflicted upon them. Instead, they were forced to cope in the best ways they were able to - for some, this was turning to risky behaviors or substance use, for others it was continuing to fall back into the same patterns that had sustained them, while for another it was a compulsive behavior that was comforting.
Reading this was absolutely heartbreaking, not just because I was so invested in the characters and the story, but because this isn't something that was pulled out of thin air. This was the fate of so many innocent children who were dragged into the system simply because they were born into indigenous families, and automatically viewed as "lesser" or "savage."
While it deals with unimaginably difficult themes, I felt like it was dealt with in such a sensitive way. It was focused more on the long-term toll of the survivors, rather than the events that caused the trauma itself, and it was so impactful. The story is at turns heartbreaking, hopeful, painful, and inspiring. This is the kind of story that needs to be read, by everyone, whether you've been directly affected by these events or not. Because history needs to be shared, even the painful and ugly parts - and while this is an extraordinarily painful and ugly part of history, it also speaks of the resilience and amazing strength of the indigenous people who managed to find ways to fight against centuries of oppression, ultimately managing to reclaim their heritage.