Mi'kmaq Song

by Pat Cher

"Come follow me." Gheeju, her Mi’kmaq grandmother, urges.
Maggie doesn't realize that following will immerse her in a world of uncharted wilderness.
The sighting of a phantom ship catapults her into an adventure which becomes a voyage of daring and new experiences.
Captivity, courtship rituals, native spirituality root her in a culture, Gheeju had held dear, but it is more than Gheeju had taught, much more.
Maggie captured by Abtatuk , a Mi’kmaq, finds her world turned upside down as she experiences the way natives lived in the early 1600's.
Time and trial change her relationship with Abtatuk as she learns to appreciate his people and the way they live.
Will Maggie find her way back home and if she does, will she want to return?

Genres: Historical Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published November 6, 2011

About the author

Pat Cher holds a Master’s Degree of Education with a concentration in Curriculum Development from McGill University. A native of Bathurst, New Brunswick, she now lives in Ottawa. She has also lived in Montreal and in Whitby Ontario. Pat is a retired teacher interested in writing, her heritage, books, cookbooks and in stories for children. She also has a keen interest in web design. Pat also paints, watercolour and sometimes in acrylics when she can find the time.

Reviews

[Tamera Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newly divorced, Maggie lives a pretty mundane life. Taught by her grandmother the old customs and language of her ancestors, the Mi’kmag people, Maggie lingers in her memories. After her grandmother’s death, Maggie finds solace in her dreams where her grandmother still regularly visits and guides her. Maggie depends heavily on her own special song – something her ancestors relished. But Maggie’s life takes an unexpected turn when she takes a canoe ride and finds herself face to face with a ghostly ship from the past. Escaping from the pirates, she finds herself back on the coast only to discover things are no longer the same. Stuck in a time warp, Maggie comes face to face with a new terrifying reality as she struggles to escape the bounds of slavery. But all is not lost. For Maggie meets Abtatuk, a special warrior who aids her through her perilous battle for survival and fills the empty void of her heart.
MI’KMAG SONG by Pat Cher is a spectacular book filled with historical prowess and a breathtaking view of the Mi’Kmag people. Maggie’s adventures weave magically throughout each page as she battles for existence using her wits, courage, a few modern gadgets and of course her special song. I enjoyed taking this wild roller coaster ride with Maggie and Abtatuk. The writer did a great job of creating this distinctive world, which I felt firmly a part of. I look forward to reading more books from this talented writer. This is one of the best books I have read in a while. Great job!

[Rick Dearman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a story of a woman named Maggie, part native American, who has left her abusive partner and returned to the home of her grandmother for a period of meditation and reflection. She is transported back in time to the 1600's and is forced to cope with the harsh environment, the influx of strangers into the land, as well as inter-tribal warfare.

I read the story with great interest, the author has obviously done her research because the descriptions of the people, the time and the customs were very detailed. The story moves swiftly and I quickly found myself rooting for Maggie, who transforms from a confused and somewhat weak person into a strong powerful woman. This story has 24 short pithy chapters, which I personally prefer since I often read "on the go". The formatting of the Kindle version is very good and seemed to have been well thought out.

This book has something for everyone, adventure, romance, and a great pace. I highly recommend it, and I look forward to more work from this author.

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overall enjoyable read that Pat Cher has put an awful lot of research into. I found it to be more of a YA read but that takes nothing away from the history lesson bestowed on the reader.

The Mi'kmaq and Penobcot tribes of early New England are not a common study. Thus, everything that Ms. Cher imparts to us is fairly new information about a way of life that had customs and legends that were fun to learn.

Maggie is a busy, continuously escaping heroine that was fairly fun to follow but the real stars are the natives Abtatuk, Mara, Membertouchi and Memteck.

How Maggie tranports back and forth in time is a bit confusing but don't get bogged down by it. Think Bermuda Triangle and move on.

Its obvious Ms. Cher did her homework and I appreciated effort that went into the telling of this saga.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi'kmaq song was a facinating read. Not only did I learn the ways of the Mi'kmaq, the story, characters and suspence brought me right into their lives as if I were right there with them.
Major bonus for me was....time travel!!!

[Anne Pyles · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting, but very choppy and poorly edited

[Jean Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I found the background of the Mi'kmaq culture fascinating; it was well told and immersive but at some points I had the feeling that it was about to break into a Harlequin romance and I found that a little off-putting. The narrative style was clear but quite simplistic and I felt as if this was a book more for a school-age/youth audience. That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the book. On the contrary, I found it an entertaining read but it also suffered from something of an identity crisis, not quite fitting comfortably into any single genre. I also found the ending somewhat trite and abrupt for my liking after such a well-developed introduction. Still, as a vehicle to show the rich cultural heritage of the Mi'kmaq it works well.

My only real issue is when anachronistic dialogue creeps in such as "Okay" and "Yeah" from 17th century French and Mi'qmac characters. It steals away some of the atmosphere and for me comes as a jarring note in an otherwise pleasant "song."

On a technical note, I did find a number of spelling/typographical errors in the e-book but I'm not sure if these were a result of the transfer to electronic format, which I know can be an issue especially with random letters being dropped, but a thorough edit would quickly remedy this.

Overall I think this would appeal to a young audience and if this is the target audience then I think this is a highly satisfactory read. Adults, on the other hand, depending on their reading preference may find it lacking in complexity and sophistication.

[Pat Cher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some reviews before publication date:
... I can see much research and ideas, time, and thought went in to this book. I can see it made in to a movie to be shown on APTN .
I wish you much success. I can see it of interest especially to the three aboriginal groups as well as mainstream.
- R Gordon, Senator, Metis Nation of Ontario


       Very much like Pat Cher, my ancestors were in Port Royale in Acadia in the 1600's and intermarried all the way up to perhaps one hundred years ago.
I read  "Mi'kmaq Summer" and found it full of surprises, and well researched. I couldn't put the book down, I loved Maggie, and being Metis, I felt akin to the story and would have loved to have lived at that time. Pat's book, gave me a chance to open my mind to dreams of the past. I know Pat, and I am waiting to read another one of her books, or see more paintings   
- G Dore


Pat Cher masterfully uses elements of Mi'kmaq history to create this enchanting piece of fiction.  Mi’kmaq Song is an enjoyable means of uncovering the customs of people who represent a significant element of Canadian history.  
-          D Walmsley

[Dave Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite pleasant reading and well written. The "time travel" element does not really feature too heavily, it is simply a plot device to get the main character in to the story.

Spoiler alert (sort of!) My one real criticism is that the story seems to be rattling along at a fair old pace and is getting really interesting (approaching the main element of real historical significance) when it suddenly stops!!

Having said that, it is worth a read just because it is well written and has some really interesting cultural lessons.

[Murielle Cyr · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is with great expertise that Pat Cher steers us back to the great Mi'Kmaw nation of the 16th century.The setting is pristine and the characters well-rounded. Through Pat Cher's intensive research we learn about the Mi'Kmaq language and their way of life. The flashbacks in form of stories come a little too often but overall good story-telling. Maggie's voyage to an ancient world is well done, but her return seemed somehow abrupt.I was left feeling sorry for the vibrant and brave Abatuk who ends up being vaguely transported to her modern material world. Perhaps that was the real message.

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story it was full of great information and written with intensity, where it fell down for me was the editing. The story jumped quite often as if the writer had so many ideas and couldn’t wait to get them all down on paper before she forgot, which led to the story being a little bit erratic in parts. Don’t get me wrong it was a good story but I think a decent publisher would have made it better.

[Maysam · Rating 3 out of 5]

can't wait to read it!!!!

[Alison]

kindle 382

[Michelle Kaeding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

This book was relaxing and adventure filled all at the same time. I hope there is a sequel so I can read more.