Smoke River

by Krista Foss

An extraordinarily accomplished debut, Smoke River follows two families on different sides of a crisis with deep roots in history and territory through one fateful summer. For readers of Lori Lansens, Joseph Boyden, and John Bemrose's The Island Walkers.
    

After a proposed subdivision becomes the site of a Mohawk protest -- the land, which has long formed a kind of neutral border between a reserve and the neighbouring town, is contested -- tensions escalate through three sweltering summer months, exposing old wounds, as well as forging new and sometimes surprising connections.

This compelling contemporary story is told in the voices of several vivid, unforgettable characters, from the restless young Mohawk woman dreaming of adventure and fame in the wider world; to the successful businessman who has made good use of his position between two communities, and who harbours a surprisingly tender secret; to the high school hero whose inner life would shock his admirers, especially his ambitious mother; and to the unexpected lovers, who must weigh happiness against history and fierce pride.


Smoke River is wise and tender, fearless and often very funny. It heralds the arrival of a vibrant, original, and intrepid new voice in Canadian literature.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Indigenous, Contemporary

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 2014

About the author

“Krista Foss has written a morally complex, magnificently vivid novel full of characters who live and breathe. This is a dazzling debut.” –Lisa Moore, author of CAUGHT and FEBRUARY

Krista Foss has a combined BA in Economics and Political Science from McMaster University and a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. Her short fiction has twice been a finalist for the Journey Prize. SMOKE RIVER is her debut novel and was published by McClelland & Stewart in May 2014. She lives in Hamilton, Ontario.

Reviews

[J.H. Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is an exercise in empathy. Krista Foss has taken a prominent (and all too common) news headline and created a complex and deeply human story around it. The plot centres on a land dispute between a land developer and a First Nations community but Foss doesn't take a side. She writes a third person omniscient narrative that tells the story from multiple points-of-view including the developer, First Nations protestors, the town Mayor, a tobacco farmer, local teenagers, and others. With all these voices running through the text it is a credit to the writing that it never becomes overwhelming or confusing. Every character is well developed and feel entirely real, and the prose is gorgeous and incredibly sensual. The writing makes Smoke River a pleasure to read while the moral questions raised by the author will leave to you thinking about this timely issue long after you close the book.

[Selina Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book for all to read. The themes it addresses - racism, violence against Aboriginal women, rural issues and more - are important for all of us to talk about. This is a book that could break barriers.

[❀ Susan]

https://ayearofbooksblog.com/2016/09/...

After attending an inspiring workshop by Krista Foss, Writer in Residence at the County of Brant Library (Paris), I was interested to read her sentinel novel, Smoke River. Foss lives in Hamilton, Ontario and is a former journalist who has published multiple short stories and essays. She is an energizing presenter who is excited to share her craft and inspire others with their writing.

Smoke River begins when a blockade is built by indigenous protestors at the site of a proposed subdivision. The highway has been blocked and the development has been halted. A local family has a significant financial stake in the development and a Mohawk family is committed to protecting the land which is between the reserve and a neighbouring town. As tensions escalate, a violent crime occurs that impacts both groups as they fail to negotiate a solution.

The story touches on historical land claim issues and provides the reader with additional insight into the issues surrounding indigenous families such as the aftermath of residential schools. Growing up close to the Six Nations reserve, the descriptions of the treatment of indigenous students at school cause me to pause and think of situations that I had witnessed in high school. The story addresses a sensitive issue that continues to be in the news including land claims and violence to indigenous women.

Foss was the guest speaker at the Paris Lectures (by Jane and Jury) in August and spoke of creativity in relation to settings. Although this novel seems reminiscent of the Caledonia land dispute of 2009, Foss shared that “any place closely observed is every place” and that her novel is actually a compilation of issues that have taken place across Canada with the “same pattern and same template”. Reading the story with recognizable events and geography provides familiarity for the reader as they absorb the details of this narrative.

Smoke River had an interesting cast of well-developed characters who were dealing with their own internal and family struggles juxtaposed with the land claims issue. I enjoyed the tension but similar to the real land claims issues, missed a resolution. The novel helps readers to understand both sides of issues and I look forward to the next novel by Krista Foss as well as the next workshop in her writing series.

[Kai (CuriousCompass) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smoke River is genuinely one of the best books I've ever read. It's one of those books you really, really want to blow up and go viral and be seen everywhere because it has so much potential and it's also about such an important issue, both in Canada and much of rest the world; the abuse of Indigenous people and groups, many of whom are demonized for fighting for racial equality and for environmental protections and sovereignty rights and control over their own lands and sacred places.

The book also examines misogyny and rape culture to a large degree, as well as the dangers of obsession and/or perfectionism. It examines the hand of news media and corporations and developmental interests in slandering First Nations people and tribes and painting them as troublemakers even as they're having dogs set on them, being attacked and harassed, etc, all while practicing peaceful protest strategies.

I really desperately hope Krista Foss writes more fiction and more novels because she's got such a great handle on it. The characters are instantly relatable and recognizable as the types of people we all know and have all met before, the normal folks who reside in small towns, complete with all the secret pains and hidden vices and aspirations. The way the interact and converge and tie into each other's stories is great. These are people who genuinely have a history with each other and their town, and the third person narration allows us to follow and understand each of them and their perspectives, allowing us a peak at how people of different walks of life have different experiences in this town, whether it's due to their age, their race, the bonds they have with others, etc.

Just highly recommend. Krista Foss is kind of an auto-buy for me because of this.

[Andrew Baulcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smoke River is a smouldering debut from Hamilton-based author Krista Foss. A complex and riveting novel that explores the intersection between multiple characters, communities and histories, Foss has produced an instant classic in the gripping tradition of Southern Ontario Gothic literature.

A slow burn that never really dies down, Smoke River is a beautiful and, at times, sinister novel that offers equal amounts of passion and tension. Foss exposes us to the light and dark side of each character, and masterfully introduces a number of different voices while building a strong, coherent narrative. In terms of the book’s setting, the rural townships between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie have long been rife with cultural conflict. Foss manages to distill hundreds of years of local history without overwhelming the reader or losing sight of the main plot — a remarkable feat.

Expect to find this book on several best-of lists at the end of the year.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why in the world is this book not getting more press? I thought it was great. It's a novel that told the story of a small town. One portion of the town wants to put a development on native land, and the natives erect a blockade. Conflict ensues. The writing is really good and the characters are fully developed. The writer takes the reader into the heads of many characters, so we can see the situation from a variety of angles. I loved the exploration and interplay between the racial issues and the characters. I felt the Mohawk characters were solidly developed, and the tension in the book was deftly handled.

I really enjoyed this book and felt that it was a very strong debut. I wish it was getting more attention!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was beautiful. Foss is clearly a talented writer. This type of book hasn't been my style of late, so it was a nice peek into reality after several months of fantasy and autobiographies. Keep in mind there are several serious issues addressed, this is not a beach read, and you will feel depressed at most moments. There is also some sexual violence, just to warn those who have trouble reading those scenes. The visuals created are stunning, and for those of us who grew up in the country, it's somewhat nostalgic. Great debut novel.

[Sherry Monger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smoke River is the exploration of a tense Caledonia-style conflict in a small community. The barricades are up as the local Mohawk band protests the building of a subdivision on disputed land. The characters all have a vested interest in the outcome and Foss deftly inserts the reader into the tumultuous lives of all the protagonists. The many wounds and misunderstandings of their personal lives mirror the larger conflicts between neighbours and cultures at the barricades.

[Kat Drennan-Scace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting take on the Caledonia land dispute. Lots of characters (maybe a few too many?) but I loved the language and really found it to be a good read.

[Kireja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Krista Foss' multi-narrative, Smoke River, evokes memories of the 2006 Grand River land dispute in Caledonia, Oka and Kanehsatake, Ipperwash, Duffey Lake and other long-running land disputes. (A list of current land claims in Ontario can be found at https://www.ontario.ca/page/current-l...). This book is the perfect book to read in honour of Canada 150 so that we can understand and acknowledge the historical and ongoing abhorrent treatment of Canada's Indigenous Peoples. Foss' narrative highlights the trauma of residential schools, status and non-status designations (particularly in relation to women), land and treaty rights, violence against Indigenous women and the limits placed on Indigenous self-determination. Foss also addresses larger themes such as marginalization, isolation, and identity that both her Indigenous and non-Indigenous characters face. The only criticisms that I have is that at times it was difficult to keep track of all the characters since their stories are interspersed throughout the novel and some characters didn't get endings that resolved their story lines.

[John Corr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krista Foss was trained as a journalist as well as a creative writer and she combines those talents in this novel. Foss takes an incredibly volatile socio-political reality--lands claims tensions between First Nations people and a small-town, white, settler community--and represents it with nuance and grace. You do not come away from this thinking she has any agenda other than to help different kinds of people understand each other a little bit better. Smoke River delivers on this promise. Even if you're unfamiliar with lands claims conflicts, you'll come away understanding multiple perspectives and caring about those perspectives in new ways.

At the same time, if all of that sounds a "too political" for you, you can always just sit back and enjoy the love story, suspense, and the range of characters that animate this novel. At times sweet and at times painful, this story will stay with you.

[Cody Leet · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was absolutely terrible. There is no story line whatsoever, and it is so unimportant. This book constantly jumps characters, point of views, settings and information, and this doesn’t even happen between chapters, it happens during one chapter. Also, the chapters bleed into each other, while at the same time being contradictory towards the previous chapter. Keep in mind that this is my honest opinion, however this was extremely hard to follow. Upon trying to reflect on this book, I was unable to retain any information whatsoever. In addition to this, it’s clear that the author’s main focus were the sexual parts and the drug/tobacco related parts as she puts so much detail into said parts. While reading, I felt as if I was dyslexic. I don’t want to offend anyone, however this is how I felt.

[Clkay · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard to believe that is is a debut novel. The writing and imagery presented by Krista Foss is beautiful. The contemporary headline worthy story is more than a land dispute. Any one of the subplots could stand on its own as a independent novel. The legacy of residential schools, native/non-native relations, parental expectations, parent child relationships, developers greed, a young girls aspiration to escape ..... If anything I felt pulled in numerous directions and perhaps this was the author’s objective. The land dispute was the least important plot for me.

[Gayle Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Krista Foss's, a resident of Hamilton Ontario, debut novel. It is an important fictional account of a land claim protest which depicts the systemic and individual discrimination in our current age. It follows several individuals both native and non-native underscoring themes of ambition, love, regret, race, ancestry, economics and tobacco farming. The only criticism is that the ending felt forced.

[MLD · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ stars. It took me a good 100 pages to grasp the characters and storyline. Once there, I couldn’t put it down. 3/4 through I went back to the beginning and skim read parts to grasp somethings I didn’t quite get. It is a complex story beautifully written. I’m glad I read it after a friend highly recommended it. Parts of the storyline will stay with you. It will anger you, and also make you smile, and perhaps cry.

[Wendy Hearder-moan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After about 80 pages, I realized I was totally confused so I went back and re-read, making notes as to who the characters were and how they were inter-connected. After that, it went well and I enjoyed it, finding lots to think about. When I finished, I was inspired to take a look at Christie Blatchford’s book, “Helpless”. Talk about a lot of characters! The real life story of the Caledonia events is unbelievably complicated!

[Janet Barclay · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was easy to get into this story about a land dispute between a real estate developer and people from the adjacent reserve. Although I remember the local events that inspired it, I hadn't followed the news closely, and now I'm interested in learning more.

As is often the case in novels about communities, there is a large cast of characters, and I found it hard to remember who everyone was.

Foss does a great job of portraying both sides of the conflict with empathy.

[Daniela Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tough book to get through. I found it slow to start, picked up through the middle and the end wrapped up neatly in a bow. I did find Krista Foss’ character development well rounded and found myself wondering what would happen to Las and Gord. I wish Gord had received his at the end but I guess he was really just a secondary character.

[Bev Trojnar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful novel. A real page turner.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the fault of the book - was likely the wrong time of year/mindset for this book club selection.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. Lots of similarities to what has happened and what is happening.
Happy reading 📖

[Brian Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best novels I`ve read in quite some time.

The initial premise is clearly inspired by a highway blockade resulting from a dispute over a tract of land being developed outside of Caledonia, Ontario a few years ago. Emerging from this we see the politics and clash of values both between and within the indigenous and non-native communities, and how one hot summer this all blows up. But there is a second major plot point: a brutal crime that is not directly connected to the blockade, but reflects the same spirit.

These two events entwine the major native and non-native characters of the book, each with a rich backstory (often intersecting with that of other characters). The story is told from the perspective of several characters, switching as we go along. It is deeply personal - we come to understand how each character has been or is being shaped by their origins, love and loss and hope, and especially memory. Relationships are the core of the story - between lovers, family, neighbours - between what we want to believe and what really is - between our ideals and convictions and the consequences of acting upon them - between reason and passion - between ``loyalty`` and justice. While racism pervades the novel, the author avoids making cartoons of the characters (with one exception I think: Gordo); her telling is steeped in empathy.

I found this to be a suspenseful page-turner, even though it is more character than plot-driven. Foss writes lyrical descriptions, bang-on character sketches, and crisp plotting. You can feel the menace growing as you go. Best of all, I think, is that it explores complex and difficult human relations with respect and empathy, a wonderful tonic to the easy-out bumper-sticker beliefs and explanations and demands for action that bedevil our modern life.

Highly recommended.

[Patrick Nichol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating first novel by former reporter Krista Foss.
Set against a Native blockade of a development in an Ontario-area tobacco farming community, Smoke River mirrors events we remember from Oka and Ipperwash. In each of those cases, the Army and police authorities were called in to break up blockades set up by Natives fighting to reclaim traditional land.
Both cases produced violence, racism and even death as government and aboriginal leaders wrestled to negotiate settlements.
Foss uses this history to great effect in Smoke River when the local Mohawk people block a residential development in fictional Doreville. The natives say the development went ahead despite repeated claims the land belongs to them.
And although this is a political story, it's the characters that really stand out in this novel. People like the Bains, owners of the development, whose son Las is a spoiled star athlete. Their daughter, Stephanie is rebellious and takes up with a Native boy to spite her parents.
Las and his reptilian friend Gordo smoke dope, torch a police car while Las beats and rapes a young Mohawk girl.
I was also impressed with Foss' writing. She is clever, fresh and engaging.
Worth a serious read.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Racial tensions rise one hot summer over a native blockade, though the characters monopolized my thoughts much more than the temperature or the plot.

The most impressive aspect of Smoke River for me was the author’s ability to get inside the hearts and minds of such disparate characters, different ages, races, and classes, each came off as realistic, like they might actually be a person in the world.

If I went into detail on the large cast of characters this would grow into one of those mile long reviews that I rarely have the energy to read, so I’ll spare you that, and mention the two characters that interested me most - Cherisse, an aspiring singer, who yearns for bigger and better beyond the confines of the reserve and her father’s tobacco shack, and Stephanie, her mom’s greatest disappointment, who doesn’t measure up to her (not-so) golden boy brother, especially when she, a white teen, falls for a native guy.

While Smoke River never became quite as explosive as I thought it might, if you like your books intelligent and character driven, give this a try.


I received this through a Goodreads giveaway.

[Bigi Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always a bit leery of authors who attempt to write about a culture that is not their own unless that person has actually lived and learned from living in that culture. That said, Krista Foss does a pretty good job of depicting the inner lives of some First Nations women with the young Clarisse being a particularly well-drawn character who represents the desire and the difficulty of escaping the culture into which one is born. The book has many interesting character analyses - perhaps too many for one book. Often the backstories of specific characters are inserted much later than the characters themselves are introduced in the book at which point their reactions to situations became much more comprehensible. Land issues are a terribly complex issue in Canada and i was enlightening to see the different ways this issue can be perceived by some members of a First Nations imaginary community and the non-native townfolk. There was an underlying meanness in the book I found upsetting and unsettling as did the overwhelming resort to alcohol for a majority of the characters in the novel as the only way to deal with problems.

[Jo-anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a character-driven reader and Foss's book Smoke River delivers strong characters who demonstrate the disconnect between aboriginal and non-aboriginals in Canada. As "Two Solitudes" tells the story of the english/french issue, Smoke River continues the journey on the most divisive issue in Canadian history, the reconciliation with the First Nations peoples that needs to occur to create a strong Canada. Her characters are rich with their stories and her inclusion of strong Aboriginal women such as Shayna and Helen, honour them and demonstrate Foss's understanding of their culture and rich connection to the land. Their idea that no one can own land and that it is for all to enjoy is a thread that many of the fictional non-Aboriginals have difficulty connecting with. Perhaps this wonderful book can help bring understanding and compromise to avoid further conflicts such as Oka, Ipperwash and Caledonia.

[Trish Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read in a LONG time! I met the author in Nepal and she sent me a copy to see what I thought. It is powerful, complex, profound, beautifully written and provocative. The book tells the story of a small tobacco farming community in Ontario, Canada and a community of FirstNations people, Mohawk, and a piece of land. The story is told from multiple points of view, from all the tangled and deeply human perspectives. Character-driven, people you care about, lives you understand though you haven't been there or lived what they did, greed, passion, suffocating and liberating love, life in all its messy and poignant reality. And you can't guess what will happen at the end until you get there. I was stunned, mesmerized, transported somewhere else, inspired and slammed by this book.

[Danusia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The way each person was introduced and the way background information about their past was presented made me feel as if I met the people of Doreville and felt reluctant to leave them behind when the book ended. While the main/background story is the Native blockade, there are many interesting secondary stories about family life, friendship, neighbor/social relations and small town issues. An enchanting read, highly recommended. I received this book from a First Reads GoodReads giveaway.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong 3.5 or 3.75. It has a bit of a slow start, like coming into the middle of a conversation, but I liked this book a lot. It's a novel with 3-dimensional characters I really liked and I cared about and am still wondering what the future holds for them all. Like The Round House or The Orenda, this is a book where one learns a lot about First Nations people and has a chance to look beyond the stereotypes and see these civilizations, understand them better and properly appreciate them for who they are. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

[Lindasp · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous, heart-breaking story of a Southwestern Ontario Mohawk band setting up a barricade to deny development of land they consider belongs to them. The story is told from both sides of the barricade and describes the effects on both. Families are torn apart, lives are ruined, racism escalates, 'outsiders' come in to cause more problems and the (non)negotiations between the government and the band members falter. Very moving! This book gave me a better understanding of these situations going on presently in our country. Thanks, Krista Foss!