A Season in Chezgh’un: A Novel

by Darrel J. McLeod

A subversive novel by acclaimed Cree author Darrel J. McLeod, infused with the contradictory triumph and pain of finding conventional success in a world that feels alien. James, a talented and conflicted Cree man from a tiny settlement in Northern Alberta, has settled into a comfortable middle-class life in Kitsilano, a trendy neighbourhood of Vancouver. He is living the life he had once dreamed of--travel, a charming circle of sophisticated friends, a promising career and a loving relationship with a caring man--but he chafes at being assimilated into mainstream society, removed from his people and culture. The untimely death of James's mother, his only link to his extended family and community, propels him into a quest to reconnect with his roots. He secures a job as a principal in a remote northern Dakelh community but quickly learns that life there isn't the fix he'd hoped it would His encounters with poverty, cultural disruption and abuse conjure ghosts from his past that drive him toward self-destruction. During the single year he spends in northern BC, James takes solace in the richness of the Dakelh culture--the indomitable spirit of the people, and the splendour of nature--all the while fighting to keep his dark side from destroying his life.

Genres: Indigenous, LGBT, Queer, Fiction, Canada, Contemporary

320 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2023

About the author

Darrel J. McLeod (1956/1957 – August 2024) was a Cree writer from Canada. His memoir Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age, an account of his childhood experience of physical and sexual abuse, won the Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction at the 2018 Governor General's Awards and was a shortlisted finalist for the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize.

Reviews

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading A SEASON IN CHEZGH’UN by Darrel J. McLeod! I was so excited to read this debut novel since I loved his memoir. I absolutely loved the setting in this novel! It’s set in a remote northern Dekelh community and Vancouver. The main character, James, goes to Granville Island so I took this book on my walk to Granville Island one day. I read this novel earlier this year and I loved how the seasons changed as I was reading. I really enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the strength and tenderness of the writing. I can’t wait to read more of McLeod’s fiction!

Thank you to Douglas & McIntyre for my gifted review copy!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots to think about it in this one.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried very hard to like this book. As a Cree person living far from my traditional territory, I thought this would be relatable and make me feel at home like Bad Cree did. And it might have, if it weren't written in such a horrendously dull way. It feels like a non fiction book. The dialogue is painful. The characters say each other's names every other sentence ("You're right, Catherine." "Thank you, James.") and laughter is way too often written out as "hah hah hah." The emotions are so matter of fact and removed that it's impossible to feel anything while reading. I mean, seriously. "He felt disappointed." How moving.
I couldn't get more than a quarter of the way through it before I had to bring it back to the library. This is one of the many books that makes me question the standards of some publishing houses.

[Jon Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The subject matter was interesting, and it covers a lot of good ground. But the writing style was so not for me. Just kind of flat and factual. And after spending a lot of time on various things earlier, it felt like a million different things were just jam packed into the last 50 pages. The author clearly had a lot of good ideas, but I don't think they worked through them well.

[Kevin Kindred · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book, which read more like a memoir than a novel. It just shifted from anecdote to anecdote, with very little plot or character development.

[Anne Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was by luck alone that I found myself reading the debut novel by Indigenous Canadian author Darrel J.McLeod, in the same small town his bio claimed he lived. * The picture above is taken in Sooke British Columbia, where I was vacationing with my family in August, which also happens to be the place McLeod called home. He was an award-winning writer, having won the Governor General’s award for non-fiction a few years ago for his memoir, but A Season in Chezgh’un was his first foray into fiction. It’s a compelling story that illuminates a part of the world we don’t hear much about, but for those who follow this blog closely, it has a similar premise to that of another book I read earlier this year, The Morning Bell Brings the Broken Hearted. Both detail outsiders coming into a remote northern community to teach, learning more about themselves than the community they are assigned to.

Plot Summary

It is the late 1980s, and protagonist James is living an exciting life in Vancouver with his long-term partner Franyo. They have a close group of friends and fulfilling careers, but James has always felt disconnected from his family where he was born, in Northern Alberta. The sadness from the death of his mother and his sister’s suicide have lingered, so when a job opportunity to become a principal in a Northern Indigenous community becomes available, James takes it in hopes he will be able to better connect with his own Indigenous Cree culture. Leaving behind a comfortable life and a dismayed lover, James is optimistic he can bring his specialized educational knowledge and intent to focus on cultural education to better the impoverished and addictions-stricken community of Chezgh’un. He quickly realizes that gossip, in-fighting, and politics are just as big of a challenge as systemic underfunding, so over the course of a year, James learns to navigate the complicated relationships with those invested in the community, plus those competing for the limited government funding that is afforded these remote places. His own trauma occasionally rises to the surface, making things even more difficult as he tries to enable the healing of the generational trauma that is running rampant in Chezgh’un, but the improvements he is able to make are a motivating factor for both him and the other teachers he leads.

My Thoughts

The book I read and referred to earlier was different in that it depicted a white woman coming to an Indigenous community to teach, whereas James’s situation is made simpler in the fact that he too is Indigenous, so he is accepted by the people of Chezgh’un much quicker. However, being a queer male, (especially in this time period, during the AIDS crisis) further complicates his placement in the community, and the scenes in which he is trying to act a certain way, or read the men’s mannerisms in an all-male group was very eye-opening for me as a woman. James’s attraction to both men, women, complete strangers and old friends seemed to be a running theme in the book, at one point pondering if it is a sex addiction he really struggles with. This thread is never fully developed but always in the background, fleshing out James’s character more fully as he adjust to his new life up north.

In many ways, James’s success in the community is almost unbelievable at times – he manages to jumpstart a few different programs, including educational routes for teens and adults, as well as a new focus on outdoor exercise that benefits everyone. But he is frequently met with resistance, even after securing these wins, and he continues to struggle right up until the last page of the book. He is never painted as a saviour, even as other characters remind him he’s not placed there to ‘save’ anyone. Instead, he is a portrayed as a complicated and thoughtful individual, ever attuned to how he may appear to others:

“He glimpsed the gold watch on his wrist that Franyo had given him. Suddenly, he felt conspicuous wearing it-him, a poor boy from the bush desperately seeking acceptance here, among these people who lived such a rich life, but were considered poor by Western standards. He took the watch off, placed it carefully in his jeans pocket. He’d put it back on when he returned to Vancouver”.

-p.99 of A Season in Chezghu’un by Darrel J. McLeod

Agency is another major theme in this book. James instinctively knows that the community will succeed if the folks within it are able to life themselves up, he is just there to help give them the tools to do so. In a surprising act of agency at the end of the story, James chooses a path that will come as a shock to some readers, but McLeod makes it clear that his story isn’t meant to reinforce, or even break through stereotypes; it’s about a singular man and his own journey, and not meant to be interpreted as a message or lesson about Indigenous culture or people in general.

*In the month between my reading / reviewing this book, and posting this review, McLeod very sadly passed away at the age of 67.


To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vastly underrated gem. Possibly because it is hard to categorize, it is Canadian, and it dares to be unflattering to some difficult topics in fiction.
I read it all in one day and enjoyed it thoroughly.
I found it to be sensitive and enlightening and I really wanted the main character of James to find his way. Drifting between his life with loyal Franyo and his private school teaching position, towards the uncertainty of a neglected and 'not Cree' aboriginal school system and undefined principal position seems unrealistic and a big leap of logic. Yet the character plunges in and forward and from then onward the will to succeed is unmistakable and admirable. Could it happen? Maybe not that smoothly, if ever. Are obstacles being viewed through rose coloured glasses, probably. But where else except in fiction, could you do an impromptu fish camp and get the support of both the elders and the teachers?... could you get the jaded drop outs to return enthusiastically? ...could you get the adults to embrace, and have functioning an adult education class in the broken school. In fiction all things are possible. Is it so unlikely that one person could bypass the red tape and have a few things go his way?
A fantasy, Sure. But isn't that what fiction is all about - exploring the what if and the maybe when...

[Enid Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel.

What really sold this for me were the characters - and the relationships between the characters. They jumped off the page and really came alive for me. I truly felt like I knew them, like they were real people

There were a few things that bothered me though…

A tendency to telling… There were many times when I felt like I was being preached at - lectured at about whatever point it was he was trying to drive home (be it about stereotypes, racism, MMIWG, residential schools, white privilege, land theft, etc.) I give credit though that this was more of an issue in the first half of the book… he did a better job of ‘showing not telling’ as the novel progressed

I also felt like there’s a little too much of it’s “too good to be true”... It’s hard to believe the amount that was accomplished in just one year, particularly given the deficit they started with and the lack of resources they were dealing with. But I am willing to allow for some magical thinking and make allowance for laying out what could be possible given the right vision, underpinned by the necessary resources and support.

All in all, for debut fiction - granted very much autobiographical - this is definitely a recommended read.

I look forward to seeing what comes next.

[Barbara Leimsner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having previously enjoyed his raw memoir Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age, Darrel McLeod has made the transition from memoir to fiction beautifully with this first novel, and I highly recommend it. His queer Indigenous main character James is well drawn, exploring his inner conflicts at having one foot in mainstream Canadian society and also a burning desire to reconnect with his roots and make a difference. As principal in the small Dakelh Northern B.C. community, he finds the brutal legacy of colonialism and the residential school system designed to destroy Indigenous culture and language--including the desperately underfunded school he sets out to reform. James has also been deeply marked by inter-generational trauma, and the pressures he experiences because he must hide his gayness in the small town add a vital, deeper dimension to the story. The descriptions of racism encountered by the white community, and the scars and contradictions of the various characters in the Indigenous communities are thought-provoking. Amidst the poverty and oppression, the author also portrays hope and resilience as residents try to survive and thrive. Two thumbs up!

[Elinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first novel from the winner of the Governor-General's medal for his memoir Mamaskatch is a rich and meaty one with plenty of food for thought.
A young indigenous gay man who has "made it" as a teacher in the white world of Vancouver decides to reconnect with his roots by accepting the position of principal at a northern reserve. He lasts one year, during which time the reader gets an eye-opening look at the people's deplorable living conditions plus a depressing glimpse at the troubled souls and fractured relationships resulting from years of trauma. But there is plenty of love and humor among the residents, too, and the protagonist makes some lifelong connections.
There is an autobiographical component (McLeod did teach at a northern reserve) but this work of fiction should not be read as memoir. Ultimately it is valuable for bringing awareness, from both the white and indigenous perspective, of a situation that has existed far too long among our own Canadian citizens in our own northern communities.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A challenging novel with many rewards. There are some structural issues, but those are quickly dismissed because of the beautifully rendered inside look at the world view of the central character and the characters he encounters.

Several times I was taken aback by what was happening or how people responded to situations, but this novel, without explicitly saying so, requires the reader to shed their filters and preconceptions and just listen, quietly. The main character James, and his responses or lack of response, might seem unusual, but that is exactly where the reader will find the entry point into a different way of seeing the world and responding to it.

Is the novel sugar-coated? I don't know. It is hopeful, but at the same time never ignores the treachery and pitfalls around every corner.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel depicts a year in the life of James, a Cree man who becomes principal of a school in a remote Indigenous community. I enjoyed the premise, the themes throughout and what challenges the protagonist faces within this community and with his new role after living in Vancouver and teaching at a private school. Somehow though, as the novel went on, there were incidents and characters that proved to be a disconnect from the central story. There was also a rape scene of a young girl that was disturbingly downplayed. I agree with other comments about this novel that said perhaps this would have been more powerful and connected written as a journal. The descriptions of life in this Northern community are powerful, and we can learn more about the inequities of life for Indigenous people in our country.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am trying to read more Indigenous books and this one taught me a lot. I felt like I was IN a native community, watching and becoming engrossed in their lives, rather than merely reading about them from outside.

I admire the character of James. Flawed like us all, he still focused his energies and intelligence to help a community he didn't know. His Indigeneity helped, both from a perspective of knowledge and from credibility. He listened a lot. He didn't always agree but sometimes he completely changed course. He built bridges and carefully chose when to risk bending or even breaking them.

A definite reread.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was saddened to hear of the passing of this author. After a troubled childhood in a northern Cree community, McLeod became a French Immersion teacher and principal. He was involved in First Assembly, the U.N. and land negotiations. His novel tells the story of an unsettled James who lives a comfortable life in Vancouver. He spends a year as a principal in a remote, school in a northern Dakelh community. There, he is confronted with inner and external challenges. I look forward to reading his 2 memoirs. Such a loss.

[Hella Comat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing from personal experience, the author tells the story of a young principal placed in a remote Indigenous community in BC. He faces the expected problems with uninterested youth, drugs, elders who went through the awful residential schools experience, land issues, and more. I only wished that McLeod had ‘finished’ some of the chapters/stories he started, but he tended to leave them for the reader to guess what had happened afterwards, while he moved on to the next part.

Thanks for the recommendation, Dianne!

[Cam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but I could not get past the writing style. It needs lot of workshopping.

[Amanda Labossière-Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It wasn’t just the land they’d lost; it was their entire way of life and family dynamics. In truth, that was the ache he felt in his chest: a palpable yearning to visit unspoiled homeland…” page 9

[Brooke Supernault · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I loved that that the author had a pull between being urban and rural Indigenous until choosing for himself. Relatable even if we chose different paths. The time skips were interesting but it might be part of the storytelling. I'm Cree and this type of storytelling doesn't bother me but it was different.