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A review by wordsofclover
The Break by Katherena Vermette
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
When Stella wakes up in the middle of the night to care for her crying child, she doesn't expect to witness a crime in the empty field across from her house. Shaken at the unspeakable violence she has witnessed, Stella tries to deal with the guilt she feels for not doing more. On the other side of town, another family of Métis women, come together when one of their own - the most precious and innocent - is injured.
This book is phenomenal for a debut novel - the combination of pain, violence and neglect as well as the love, kindness and care between all the characters is amazing. I was really hooked into this story and all the women we are following as they try and piece their lives together after a terrible violent act.
This book focuses on the lives of Métis women living in Winnipeg in Canada, and looks at the danger and intergenerational trauma lived by so many young girls and women in such societies where they are looked down upon, are abused and assaulted on regular basis and let down by any type of government authority that should be caring for them. I feel like Phoenix's story reflects this the most - the anger, and confusion she feels throughout the novel, despite at times presenting as a young, scared child who just wants to be cared for. And in parts we learn what her mother Elsie went through as a teenager and piece together what Phoenix's life must have been like because of this.
And Cheryl, Lou, Emily and Paul - along with Rita and Ziggy - are in such a community of love and kindness with one another, it feels like another world but that doesn't mean these women weren't hurt from abusive husbands to heartbreak, to witnessing terrible things and knowing at all times the danger they are in as women in their world.
But while this book is centered around a horrible act of sexual violence, the deeper story in it is about the love and hope between all these women, and how they hold on to each other throughout it all and never let anyone fade away.
This book is phenomenal for a debut novel - the combination of pain, violence and neglect as well as the love, kindness and care between all the characters is amazing. I was really hooked into this story and all the women we are following as they try and piece their lives together after a terrible violent act.
This book focuses on the lives of Métis women living in Winnipeg in Canada, and looks at the danger and intergenerational trauma lived by so many young girls and women in such societies where they are looked down upon, are abused and assaulted on regular basis and let down by any type of government authority that should be caring for them. I feel like Phoenix's story reflects this the most - the anger, and confusion she feels throughout the novel, despite at times presenting as a young, scared child who just wants to be cared for. And in parts we learn what her mother Elsie went through as a teenager and piece together what Phoenix's life must have been like because of this.
And Cheryl, Lou, Emily and Paul - along with Rita and Ziggy - are in such a community of love and kindness with one another, it feels like another world but that doesn't mean these women weren't hurt from abusive husbands to heartbreak, to witnessing terrible things and knowing at all times the danger they are in as women in their world.
But while this book is centered around a horrible act of sexual violence, the deeper story in it is about the love and hope between all these women, and how they hold on to each other throughout it all and never let anyone fade away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Child abuse
Minor: Child death