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suetrav 's review for:
Permanent Astonishment: A Memoir
by Tomson Highway
First off, you MUST listen to this rather than read it. The narrator is so good and speaks the languages in the book fluently. Parts of this were laugh out loud funny and other parts literally made me stop in my tracks (while walking) and REALLY listen.
This is a tale of their life from birth through the end of their time at Residential School. There is sexual abuse in detail but not too graphic. There is also mention of a beating by a homophobic staff member and some alluding to other beatings but these are not really spelled out.
This is more of a story about a nomadic, tight-knit and loving family that lives in the north. I enjoyed the story of Tomson's birth (as recalled by their sister). The funny names that never did quite translate from Cree that made me chuckle every time they were mentioned. The fishing stories, sled dog stories and other tales of childhood were all so interesting and descriptive. You could literally FEEL the love and respect for Tomson's parents and family while listening.
Definitely one of the "happiest" books I have read from a Residential School survivor. I have no idea how anyone could come out of that sort of institution without trauma but if the author still suffers from being at school it is not mentioned in this story.
This is a tale of their life from birth through the end of their time at Residential School. There is sexual abuse in detail but not too graphic. There is also mention of a beating by a homophobic staff member and some alluding to other beatings but these are not really spelled out.
This is more of a story about a nomadic, tight-knit and loving family that lives in the north. I enjoyed the story of Tomson's birth (as recalled by their sister). The funny names that never did quite translate from Cree that made me chuckle every time they were mentioned. The fishing stories, sled dog stories and other tales of childhood were all so interesting and descriptive. You could literally FEEL the love and respect for Tomson's parents and family while listening.
Definitely one of the "happiest" books I have read from a Residential School survivor. I have no idea how anyone could come out of that sort of institution without trauma but if the author still suffers from being at school it is not mentioned in this story.