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real ones
From the author of the nationally bestselling Strangers saga comes a heartrending story of two Michif sisters who must face their past trauma when their mother is called out for false claims to Indigenous identity.
June and her sister, lyn, are NDNs—real ones.
Lyn has her pottery artwork, her precocious kid, Willow, and the uncertain terrain of her midlife to keep her mind, heart and hands busy. June, a Métis Studies professor, yearns to uproot from Vancouver and move. With her loving partner, Sigh, and their faithful pup, June decides to buy a house in the last place on earth she imagined she’d end back home in Winnipeg with her family.
But then into lyn and June’s busy lives a bomb their estranged and very white mother, Renee, is called out as a “pretendian.” Under the name (get this) Raven Bearclaw, Renee had topped the charts in the Canadian art world for winning awards and recognition for her Indigenous-style work.
The news is quickly picked up by the media and sparks an enraged online backlash. As the sisters are pulled into the painful tangle of lies their mother has told and the hurt she has caused, searing memories from their unresolved childhood trauma, which still manages to spill into their well curated adult worlds, come rippling to the surface.
In prose so powerful it could strike a match, real ones is written with the same signature wit and heart on display in The Break, The Strangers and The Circle. An energetic, probing and ultimately hopeful story, real ones pays homage to the long-fought, hard-won battles of Michif (Métis) people to regain ownership of their identity and the right to say who is and isn’t Métis.
June and her sister, lyn, are NDNs—real ones.
Lyn has her pottery artwork, her precocious kid, Willow, and the uncertain terrain of her midlife to keep her mind, heart and hands busy. June, a Métis Studies professor, yearns to uproot from Vancouver and move. With her loving partner, Sigh, and their faithful pup, June decides to buy a house in the last place on earth she imagined she’d end back home in Winnipeg with her family.
But then into lyn and June’s busy lives a bomb their estranged and very white mother, Renee, is called out as a “pretendian.” Under the name (get this) Raven Bearclaw, Renee had topped the charts in the Canadian art world for winning awards and recognition for her Indigenous-style work.
The news is quickly picked up by the media and sparks an enraged online backlash. As the sisters are pulled into the painful tangle of lies their mother has told and the hurt she has caused, searing memories from their unresolved childhood trauma, which still manages to spill into their well curated adult worlds, come rippling to the surface.
In prose so powerful it could strike a match, real ones is written with the same signature wit and heart on display in The Break, The Strangers and The Circle. An energetic, probing and ultimately hopeful story, real ones pays homage to the long-fought, hard-won battles of Michif (Métis) people to regain ownership of their identity and the right to say who is and isn’t Métis.
7 pages, Audiobook
Published September 3, 2024
130 people are currently reading
4506 people want to read
About the author
Katherena Vermette
35 books1,308 followersKatherena Vermette is a Canadian writer, who won the Governor General's Award for English-language poetry in 2013 for her collection North End Love Songs. Vermette is of Metis descent and from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was a MFA student in creative writing at the University of British Columbia.
Her children's picture book series The Seven Teachings Stories was published by Portage and Main Press in 2015. In addition to her own publications, her work has also been published in the literary anthology Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water. She is a member of the Aboriginal Writers Collective of Manitoba, and edited the anthology xxx ndn: love and lust in ndn country in 2011.
Vermette has described her writing as motivated by an activist spirit, particularly on First Nations issues. The title of her book refers to Winnipeg's North End.
Her children's picture book series The Seven Teachings Stories was published by Portage and Main Press in 2015. In addition to her own publications, her work has also been published in the literary anthology Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water. She is a member of the Aboriginal Writers Collective of Manitoba, and edited the anthology xxx ndn: love and lust in ndn country in 2011.
Vermette has described her writing as motivated by an activist spirit, particularly on First Nations issues. The title of her book refers to Winnipeg's North End.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 352 reviews
December 28, 2024
It was bound to happen eventually. June and lyn’s mother has been cancelled. The press has caught wind of the fact that renowned Indigenous artist “Raven Bearclaw” is in fact just a white woman named Renee, and now they’re hounding her daughters. Unlike their estranged mother, the sisters are, in fact, Métis on their father’s side. As Renee’s career as a “pretendian” goes viral, they’re forced to reckon with their pasts and their complicated relationship with her.
This book was fantastic. It felt like a unique take on a topic that’s frequently in the news here in Canada. I felt like I really got to know this fictional family and their relationships with one another. This is definitely a slower, character-driven book, so don’t expect a fast pace or crazy plot twists. But if you’re a lit fic fan, you will enjoy this one.
This book was fantastic. It felt like a unique take on a topic that’s frequently in the news here in Canada. I felt like I really got to know this fictional family and their relationships with one another. This is definitely a slower, character-driven book, so don’t expect a fast pace or crazy plot twists. But if you’re a lit fic fan, you will enjoy this one.
September 9, 2024
Pretendians are a huge Canadian contemporary issue, there have been prominent positions claimed with fraudulent Indigenous identities in the literary world, the film industry, the judiciary, university academia, Canadian parliament, the arts. Dark predictions abound that there are tens of thousands of pretendians taking grants, scholarships, academic chairs, fellowships, residencies, employment opportunities, government jobs etc earmarked for First Nations people. This issue has been deeply devisive, scandalous and caused great distress within the First Nations communities.
Vermette has taken this hot potato topic and crafted a fictional story around two Métis sisters discovering their mother has been masquerading as an Indigenous artist. When I first read the blurb, my mind drifted to the real life case of the Gill sisters https://torontolife.com/deep-dives/gi... The big difference here being the daughters in this novel are Métis by lineage of their father.
Illuminating to read an interview with the author where she feels that the pretendian in question is doing it from a sense of non-belonging and neediness https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/... The novel largely concentrates on the two daughters, the consequences of this revelation and past history in this family.
Vermette has obviously given this issue a lot of consideration and as she divulged in her interview, she has experience with this too. I had some difficulty distinguishing between the two sisters' voices, eventually depending on externals like 'this one has a daughter' and 'this one has the lackadaisical husband.' The alternating POV chapters were written in a casual writing style I wasn't fond of and the sisters seemed more immature than their supposed ages.
Moments like when one of the sisters kept repeating to the mother 'but that doesn't make you Indigenous' as the mother trotted out excuse after excuse for her deception were very powerful. Where the novel emphasizes strength through First Nations community, heritage and resilience is where it shines.
The explosive issue of pretendians isn't going to go away. More will be exposed and the community in question has to deal with the aftermath. All we can do is approach it with sensitivity and consideration, minimizing the resultant upheaval in the community.
https://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/the-...
Vermette has taken this hot potato topic and crafted a fictional story around two Métis sisters discovering their mother has been masquerading as an Indigenous artist. When I first read the blurb, my mind drifted to the real life case of the Gill sisters https://torontolife.com/deep-dives/gi... The big difference here being the daughters in this novel are Métis by lineage of their father.
Illuminating to read an interview with the author where she feels that the pretendian in question is doing it from a sense of non-belonging and neediness https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/... The novel largely concentrates on the two daughters, the consequences of this revelation and past history in this family.
Vermette has obviously given this issue a lot of consideration and as she divulged in her interview, she has experience with this too. I had some difficulty distinguishing between the two sisters' voices, eventually depending on externals like 'this one has a daughter' and 'this one has the lackadaisical husband.' The alternating POV chapters were written in a casual writing style I wasn't fond of and the sisters seemed more immature than their supposed ages.
Moments like when one of the sisters kept repeating to the mother 'but that doesn't make you Indigenous' as the mother trotted out excuse after excuse for her deception were very powerful. Where the novel emphasizes strength through First Nations community, heritage and resilience is where it shines.
The explosive issue of pretendians isn't going to go away. More will be exposed and the community in question has to deal with the aftermath. All we can do is approach it with sensitivity and consideration, minimizing the resultant upheaval in the community.
https://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/the-...
November 4, 2024
“Well, we’re messy. But we’re also real!”
I love to read about other cultures that I’m not a part of and I want to be sure that what I’m reading is true. When I think back to my school days and reading Little House on the Prairie and The Indian in the Cupboard, it never occurred to me that what I was reading wasn’t accurately represented. I’d never heard of cultural appropriation or cultural misrepresentation. Katherena Vermette has given me an opportunity to place more importance on creating space for Indigenous people to share and support their efforts to educate.
Katherena Vermette’s novel ‘real ones’, unmasks identity and unabashedly reveals messy authenticity. It’s the story of two Michif (Red River Metis) sisters who must face their past trauma when their mother is called out for false claims of Indigenous identity. Despite being a recognized and award-winning indigenous-style artist, their mom, Renee, is called out as a ‘pretendian’. The sisters, June and Lyn, deal with the emotional and intellectual unpacking, aftershocks and flashbacks of their mom’s selfish embedding within the community.
I learned about the dangers of pan-indigeneity and was prompted to Google the Indigenous groups in my country. Did you know that there are more than 60 distinct First Nations in Canada?! Each has their own unique language and culture. How can we possibly lump them all into one group and assume they are ‘one’?
I also learned about ‘pretendians’ and how their claims impact the Indigenous communities they claim to represent. Vermette’s story shows how the ‘small’ affects the whole and explores the cost of selfishness on others. I’d never considered the possibility of this occurring and appreciated the spotlight on the dangers of taking up space from legitimate people.
I was surprised by almost 90% of what the author shared about pretendism. I feel like I’ve had my head in the sand. The thing that stood out to me the most was how inadequate people of the Metis culture have been made to feel and the long road they’ve journeyed to feed back their identity.
This journey of identity and gaining ownership of it was enhanced by Katherena Vermette ‘zooming’ into our book club. I want to continue to be a reader who gives rise and amplifies Native writers so that I can understand more.
I love to read about other cultures that I’m not a part of and I want to be sure that what I’m reading is true. When I think back to my school days and reading Little House on the Prairie and The Indian in the Cupboard, it never occurred to me that what I was reading wasn’t accurately represented. I’d never heard of cultural appropriation or cultural misrepresentation. Katherena Vermette has given me an opportunity to place more importance on creating space for Indigenous people to share and support their efforts to educate.
Katherena Vermette’s novel ‘real ones’, unmasks identity and unabashedly reveals messy authenticity. It’s the story of two Michif (Red River Metis) sisters who must face their past trauma when their mother is called out for false claims of Indigenous identity. Despite being a recognized and award-winning indigenous-style artist, their mom, Renee, is called out as a ‘pretendian’. The sisters, June and Lyn, deal with the emotional and intellectual unpacking, aftershocks and flashbacks of their mom’s selfish embedding within the community.
I learned about the dangers of pan-indigeneity and was prompted to Google the Indigenous groups in my country. Did you know that there are more than 60 distinct First Nations in Canada?! Each has their own unique language and culture. How can we possibly lump them all into one group and assume they are ‘one’?
I also learned about ‘pretendians’ and how their claims impact the Indigenous communities they claim to represent. Vermette’s story shows how the ‘small’ affects the whole and explores the cost of selfishness on others. I’d never considered the possibility of this occurring and appreciated the spotlight on the dangers of taking up space from legitimate people.
I was surprised by almost 90% of what the author shared about pretendism. I feel like I’ve had my head in the sand. The thing that stood out to me the most was how inadequate people of the Metis culture have been made to feel and the long road they’ve journeyed to feed back their identity.
This journey of identity and gaining ownership of it was enhanced by Katherena Vermette ‘zooming’ into our book club. I want to continue to be a reader who gives rise and amplifies Native writers so that I can understand more.
September 4, 2024
Another powerful story by one of my fav writers about family, sisterhood, identity, cultural appropriation, intergenerational trauma and so much more.
Told from the alternating perspectives of two half Metis sisters, this book follows their different reactions when their white French Canadian artist mother's claims to Indigenous heritage is revealed to be false.
Timely, heartbreaking, and extremely moving, this book also touches on neglect, mental health (depression and anxiety), art, ambition, motherhood and what it means to belong to a community.
Great on audio and highly recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!
CW: parental drug use, neglect, racism and childhood trauma
Told from the alternating perspectives of two half Metis sisters, this book follows their different reactions when their white French Canadian artist mother's claims to Indigenous heritage is revealed to be false.
Timely, heartbreaking, and extremely moving, this book also touches on neglect, mental health (depression and anxiety), art, ambition, motherhood and what it means to belong to a community.
Great on audio and highly recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!
CW: parental drug use, neglect, racism and childhood trauma
September 16, 2024
Buffy Sainte Marie. Joseph Boyden. Michelle Latimer. These are just a few people who have worn the identity of Indigenous persons like a costume to gain monetary benefit and national, if not global fame.
The Pretendian Problem is real. It is ongoing. It needs calling out.
Vermette does just that. "Real Ones" is a conversation that all of Canada should be having about Pretendians and the damage they do to Indigenous persons and entire communities.
I have had to listen to Pretendians repeatedly tell their lies and take up space for years.
I and many others are sick of this entitled exploitative racism by non-Native people who want to feel more special. By Settler Canadians who want a more "exotic" identity. By Pretendians who continue to colonize this land by stealing the very identities and cultures of the First Peoples who continue to live here.
Enough is enough.
Vermette's book is incredibly brave, healing, and, in the age of the rising Eastern Metis (and other Pretendians across Turtle Island) incredibly, and unfortunately, *essential.* Recommend to all people who live in so-called Canada.
The Pretendian Problem is real. It is ongoing. It needs calling out.
Vermette does just that. "Real Ones" is a conversation that all of Canada should be having about Pretendians and the damage they do to Indigenous persons and entire communities.
I have had to listen to Pretendians repeatedly tell their lies and take up space for years.
I and many others are sick of this entitled exploitative racism by non-Native people who want to feel more special. By Settler Canadians who want a more "exotic" identity. By Pretendians who continue to colonize this land by stealing the very identities and cultures of the First Peoples who continue to live here.
Enough is enough.
Vermette's book is incredibly brave, healing, and, in the age of the rising Eastern Metis (and other Pretendians across Turtle Island) incredibly, and unfortunately, *essential.* Recommend to all people who live in so-called Canada.
October 14, 2024
I struggled with this one for a couple of reasons. Ultimately, I decided on a 3.5 rounded up to four.
The first struggle was, despite the triggering incident for the book being the mother's claim of being Indigenous being found to be false, that storyline actually takes up very little of this short novel. There's times when Renee seems all but forgotten from the plot.
Which leads to the second struggle. I understand that the trigger was for the two sisters to examine their lives, their pasts and where they're headed. So, that was the focus of the novel, which is fine. However, there was a largely unresolved plot point between June, Sigh, and the Other Guy, and there was a bit too much information on pottery in lyn's storyline for my taste.
This felt like it was more of a very long short story that got padded out a bit. I did appreciate the payoff with June and Renee toward the end, but overall, it seemed to take a long time to get there.
And, with this book, I officially complete my 2024 reading challenge of 208 books...four books per week...with roughly ten more weeks to go.
The first struggle was, despite the triggering incident for the book being the mother's claim of being Indigenous being found to be false, that storyline actually takes up very little of this short novel. There's times when Renee seems all but forgotten from the plot.
Which leads to the second struggle. I understand that the trigger was for the two sisters to examine their lives, their pasts and where they're headed. So, that was the focus of the novel, which is fine. However, there was a largely unresolved plot point between June, Sigh, and the Other Guy, and there was a bit too much information on pottery in lyn's storyline for my taste.
This felt like it was more of a very long short story that got padded out a bit. I did appreciate the payoff with June and Renee toward the end, but overall, it seemed to take a long time to get there.
And, with this book, I officially complete my 2024 reading challenge of 208 books...four books per week...with roughly ten more weeks to go.
November 19, 2024
The topic of this one is truly fascinating. I feel like most of us now know of someone who is using a non-existent or very weak Indigenous link in order to further their career. So yeah, very relatable that way. I found this hard to read with the constant, short alternating POVs. I found the voices of the sisters were not that different, so had trouble orienting myself at times. Also, like one other reviewer found, I sometimes thought the June sections felt a little preachy to the reader. It felt weird. Overall, I liked the book, but it just fell a little short for me.
September 7, 2024
4.5 - 5 Stars
katherena vermette’s Real Ones is an excellent story about family, identity, cultural appropriation, and much more. Told from the alternating perspectives of two half Métis sisters, as they discover that their white French-Canadian artist mother has been falsely claiming to be Indigenous, and the truth has come out. This book was timely, fast-paced, and moving, following the sisters as they are pulled into the tangle of their mother’s lies, which brings forwards memories of the pain and hurt and childhood trauma they’ve lived with. Packed with stunning prose, this is an ultimately hopeful story about identity and ownership.
I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher, in exchange for my honest feedback.
katherena vermette’s Real Ones is an excellent story about family, identity, cultural appropriation, and much more. Told from the alternating perspectives of two half Métis sisters, as they discover that their white French-Canadian artist mother has been falsely claiming to be Indigenous, and the truth has come out. This book was timely, fast-paced, and moving, following the sisters as they are pulled into the tangle of their mother’s lies, which brings forwards memories of the pain and hurt and childhood trauma they’ve lived with. Packed with stunning prose, this is an ultimately hopeful story about identity and ownership.
I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher, in exchange for my honest feedback.
September 7, 2024
I picked this up at a bookstore in Perth and devoured it, unable to stop reading on a travel day. It was so well written but also quite original to me in the style, including some stream of consciousness and poetry. I’ve definitely followed several “Pretendian” news cycles, and while this book of course dissects this issue it’s so much more. An excellent portrait of sisters, guilt, identity and home.
June 21, 2025
This was less about pretendians and more about healing. It was beautifully written, artistic and moving. 4.5 ⭐️
October 6, 2024
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did.
Katherena Vermette is a renowned author and well-known in Canada. She's also a fellow Metis. This was the first book of hers I read, and I found it lacking.
The story follows two young women, June and Lyn, who are Metis via their father's side. They are estranged from their French/Mennonite mother, Renee, who has decided to pretend she is Indigenous and to capitalize on this as an artist and re invent herself as "Raven Bearclaw". Renee has had a pattern of reinventing herself throughout her life, and is flighty and self centred. The girls are closer with their father (whose name escapes me at the moment) and his family.
The character development of the women was flimsy and weak. June is a Metis studies professor, Lyn an artist. June has a partner named Sigh and Lyn is recently divorced from her partner, Shannon, and has a teenaged daughter named Willow. The plot centers around the controversy about their mother being "outed" as a pretendian,their feelings about their mother and complicated childhood, and touches somewhat on their romantic relationships. A major part of the plot is June and Sigh moving to Winnipeg (where June and Lyn are from) from BC.
That's about all I know about these women. We don't know their physical description, ages, personalities, or deep details about them. The dialogue in the book seemed stilted and didn't run true.For all the rich themes surrounding the "pretendian" phenomena, this could have been an amazing book exploring the deeper themes of identity and Metis heritage. While this is touched upon, it never really gets off the ground.
When I first heard the title, I thought it was about sisters who thought they were Metis, and turned out that they had Pretendian parents. Or that they thought their mother was Metis and she was "outed" to them as white. The fact that they knew she was white, they could prove their own Metis lineage against critics, and that their father really was Metis made the story fall flat for me. It didn't really address the pretendian phenomena, as both sisters were secure in who they were as Metis via their father, and could prove that to the people that were skeptical of them. It was more of a book about dealing with childhood trauma , relationships, and dealing with estrangement of a parent and learning how to relate to them as an adult, and not just their mother.
The supporting characters in the book, their Metis grandmother, mother's sister, and their younger half-sister were barely fleshed out at all.
I kept thinking I must be missing something, as the book has been listed for a prestigious prize and people raved about it. I just don't see it. I think this had the chance to be a brilliant novelization like "April Raintree" or a groundbreaking book about Metis life ike "Half Breed" by Maria Campbell (although fictionalized, unlike Campbell's , which was an autobiography), and it just totally missed the mark. The writing seemed sloppy, the overshadowing/symbolism amateur and obvious, and the characterization and dialogue quite poor. It read , to be honest, like an amateur first novel. I hate to sound so scathing, but that's my honest review. I have the utmost respect for Vermette's work in the community, but this is by far not a good example of what she as a writer is capable of.
Katherena Vermette is a renowned author and well-known in Canada. She's also a fellow Metis. This was the first book of hers I read, and I found it lacking.
The story follows two young women, June and Lyn, who are Metis via their father's side. They are estranged from their French/Mennonite mother, Renee, who has decided to pretend she is Indigenous and to capitalize on this as an artist and re invent herself as "Raven Bearclaw". Renee has had a pattern of reinventing herself throughout her life, and is flighty and self centred. The girls are closer with their father (whose name escapes me at the moment) and his family.
The character development of the women was flimsy and weak. June is a Metis studies professor, Lyn an artist. June has a partner named Sigh and Lyn is recently divorced from her partner, Shannon, and has a teenaged daughter named Willow. The plot centers around the controversy about their mother being "outed" as a pretendian,their feelings about their mother and complicated childhood, and touches somewhat on their romantic relationships. A major part of the plot is June and Sigh moving to Winnipeg (where June and Lyn are from) from BC.
That's about all I know about these women. We don't know their physical description, ages, personalities, or deep details about them. The dialogue in the book seemed stilted and didn't run true.For all the rich themes surrounding the "pretendian" phenomena, this could have been an amazing book exploring the deeper themes of identity and Metis heritage. While this is touched upon, it never really gets off the ground.
When I first heard the title, I thought it was about sisters who thought they were Metis, and turned out that they had Pretendian parents. Or that they thought their mother was Metis and she was "outed" to them as white. The fact that they knew she was white, they could prove their own Metis lineage against critics, and that their father really was Metis made the story fall flat for me. It didn't really address the pretendian phenomena, as both sisters were secure in who they were as Metis via their father, and could prove that to the people that were skeptical of them. It was more of a book about dealing with childhood trauma , relationships, and dealing with estrangement of a parent and learning how to relate to them as an adult, and not just their mother.
The supporting characters in the book, their Metis grandmother, mother's sister, and their younger half-sister were barely fleshed out at all.
I kept thinking I must be missing something, as the book has been listed for a prestigious prize and people raved about it. I just don't see it. I think this had the chance to be a brilliant novelization like "April Raintree" or a groundbreaking book about Metis life ike "Half Breed" by Maria Campbell (although fictionalized, unlike Campbell's , which was an autobiography), and it just totally missed the mark. The writing seemed sloppy, the overshadowing/symbolism amateur and obvious, and the characterization and dialogue quite poor. It read , to be honest, like an amateur first novel. I hate to sound so scathing, but that's my honest review. I have the utmost respect for Vermette's work in the community, but this is by far not a good example of what she as a writer is capable of.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2025
I love katherena vermette -- she writes about important things in engaging ways and weaves them into great, moving stories. The Break, The Circle, The Strangers are all wonderful, and have established a constellation of characters and a narrative universe (although they can be read independently from one another) that feels cohesive and, for me at least, keep me coming back for more.
There are, of course, political undercurrents in all of them and sometimes these come to the fore in dialogue or other exposition. I do not feel, in any of her previous three novels, that this was any kind of impediment to the reading experience. Here, though, the story didn't feel big enough to counterbalance what I felt was overly didactic dialogue and plotting.
Lots of intriguing grains of story but also a lot of loose ends and underdeveloped plot points, and ultimately the large themes -- Indigenous art and culture providing continuity and healing, and, related, the massive problem of cultural appropriation and "pretendianism" -- overshadowed the narrative.
There are, of course, political undercurrents in all of them and sometimes these come to the fore in dialogue or other exposition. I do not feel, in any of her previous three novels, that this was any kind of impediment to the reading experience. Here, though, the story didn't feel big enough to counterbalance what I felt was overly didactic dialogue and plotting.
Lots of intriguing grains of story but also a lot of loose ends and underdeveloped plot points, and ultimately the large themes -- Indigenous art and culture providing continuity and healing, and, related, the massive problem of cultural appropriation and "pretendianism" -- overshadowed the narrative.
August 18, 2025
Beautiful story. I’ll read anything she publishes
December 7, 2025
3.5 🌟 Dang...I was so hoping this was going to be like The Strangers or The Break, two of my favorites by this Author. This definitely had some really great moments but I feel like this book and The Circle are trying too hard to be relevant to certain things in today's society, politics, they/them...etc. I wish she would stick to the relationship parts of her stories that she has mastered. I also felt the ending was severely lacking. Here's hoping her next is what she is best at!
September 6, 2024
A beautiful and eloquent novel that is as heartfelt as it is relevant by Métis author Katherena Vermette. It is a profound reflection on cultural identity, community and art. In the light of recent events and current artistic climates, I highly recommend this important work of fiction. Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC!
November 12, 2024
“Real One’s” is another excellent example of everything that is wrong with contemporary Canadian fiction. This story that attempts to relate the generational trauma caused by settler colonization and cultural appropriation is really a menagerie of cliches, and popular cultural mannerisms, assembled haphazardly to appeal to a politically activist woman reader. The characters interact through email, and Facebook. The dialogue is poorly constructed and awkwardly tries to use NDN slang. The male characters are all depicted as weak. There is no use of proper paragraphing. The author is unable to sustain a chronology of events using a beginning, middle, and an end. I often felt I was being lectured and beaten repeatedly with the authors personal agenda. I understand she has a “beef” with the unfairness that her people have suffered throughout history and which still continues, but in truth there are writers better trained to get across their point. I continue to be disillusioned with award committees like the Giller who are unable to promote novels which embody the art of telling a story using well formulated literary devices and which the general reader can appreciate.
September 18, 2024
A topical must read rumination on Pretendians (particularly in Canada). Vermette once again delivered a novel with a thousand tiny, cutting truths and heart squeezes - I laughed but also wanted to cry.
January 23, 2025
Reading this felt like sipping a warm cup of tea in your therapist’s office 😌
A lot of great nuggets of wisdom to ponder, especially for artists (like myself—musician). One of my favourites:
“I think the whole point of art is to see. Maybe you see what the artist wants you to see, maybe you see something else. Doesn’t matter. We really only ever see ourselves anyway. Anything we read or hear—books sculpture painting music—is only what we are, us reflected back to us. Who cares what the artist intended as long as you got something out of it.”
While I can definitely appreciate all sorts of art (any kind of medium) and am interested in hearing the intentions and backstories that artists give, the ones that have the deepest impact for me are usually things where I can see me reflected back to me (not LITERALLY me, like a painting or something, but similar experiences emotions relationships).
A lot of great nuggets of wisdom to ponder, especially for artists (like myself—musician). One of my favourites:
“I think the whole point of art is to see. Maybe you see what the artist wants you to see, maybe you see something else. Doesn’t matter. We really only ever see ourselves anyway. Anything we read or hear—books sculpture painting music—is only what we are, us reflected back to us. Who cares what the artist intended as long as you got something out of it.”
While I can definitely appreciate all sorts of art (any kind of medium) and am interested in hearing the intentions and backstories that artists give, the ones that have the deepest impact for me are usually things where I can see me reflected back to me (not LITERALLY me, like a painting or something, but similar experiences emotions relationships).
July 11, 2025
'I probably should have done more but I was removed, or felt removed. I lived so far away. I stayed silent. I told myself if anyone asked, I would tell the truth. But no one asked so I didn't say anything.'
January 6, 2025
can’t believe I read this in one day
March 28, 2025
3.75 Stars
This book was heavy but it had to be… it dives deep into identity, family, and the impact of being caught between two worlds. The way it unpacks the pain and betrayal of a “pretendian” scandal was super compelling, and the writing had a lot of heart:)
This book was heavy but it had to be… it dives deep into identity, family, and the impact of being caught between two worlds. The way it unpacks the pain and betrayal of a “pretendian” scandal was super compelling, and the writing had a lot of heart:)
September 25, 2024
“I am not who I am because I feel it, I am who I am because I know it.”
I really appreciated the messaging about this book. There were two parts that I took from it. First, was the continued harm done towards Indigenous People in Canadian society. The story revolves around the main characters’ mother being a pretendian, stealing Indigenous identities and stories, profiting off of cultural appropriation and fake Indigenous connections.
“Racial identity isn’t only about you, it’s about community,” she says. “Who you claim but also who claims you, right.”
“By taking our stories she is effectively discrediting her own, and those of her actual ancestors. That’s sad to me. That’s a missed opportunity.”
As a white woman, I will never understand the trauma Indigenous People suffer and the struggles they encounter day in and day out. I appreciated so much what this book is about, as I don’t know a lot about the issues of people taking on untruthful Indigenous identities and the further harm it causes in Indigenous communities. I also loved the lesson in the book that reminds the readers that Métis does not mean a mix of Indigenous and white, but that this is an actual community of people with history, trauma, joy and culture.
“How many times do we have to say it? That Métis actually means a whole people with a history, language, culture and years and years of struggle.”
It also is a book about how Indigenous People are still having to fight for their place in society. About being authentically themselves without the limitations and struggles society still puts on them. How cultural appropriation is just another act of aggression Indigenous communities have to struggle against.
“There’s so much to get over. So many ways we’ve been cheated out of being ourselves.”
The other part of the book was about healing and coming to terms with understanding that there is nothing you can do about someone else’s actions. That they can only change themselves if they choose to and all you can do is set relationship boundaries for yourself. You can forgive but still have limitations with the way the relationship continues. Forgiveness is for you; to let go of the burden of the hurt and trauma. It doesn’t mean you invite this person back into your space. Sometimes, it’s simply understanding a loved one’s limitations and how their actions may be the best they can offer.
“Having empathy doesn’t mean not having accountability. I do think it’s good to consider people’s motivations and try and understand. That’s how we stop things, fix things, make them better.”
This book reminds us that with trauma comes the decision to either let it rule our lives and be an excuse for bad behaviour; or to own it, grow and heal. That to identify the pain and its effect on us isn’t enough; we have to actively choose healing and put the work in.
“Never occurred to me I could befriend them
those things that list my stuff
never even thought I could help them
heal
only knew of
them
believed that
was enough”
The writing is at times chaotic…I can see why people won’t like it. But for me, the lack of grammar in some spots, the run on sentences, the randomness of thoughts really felt like we were in these characters’ minds. It made me feel the messiness of relationships, the thought process of working through your feelings and the dynamics between family members.
“Well, we’re messy. But we’re also real!”
All in all, another solid read from this author for me. I will continue to look forward to her work.
I really appreciated the messaging about this book. There were two parts that I took from it. First, was the continued harm done towards Indigenous People in Canadian society. The story revolves around the main characters’ mother being a pretendian, stealing Indigenous identities and stories, profiting off of cultural appropriation and fake Indigenous connections.
“Racial identity isn’t only about you, it’s about community,” she says. “Who you claim but also who claims you, right.”
“By taking our stories she is effectively discrediting her own, and those of her actual ancestors. That’s sad to me. That’s a missed opportunity.”
As a white woman, I will never understand the trauma Indigenous People suffer and the struggles they encounter day in and day out. I appreciated so much what this book is about, as I don’t know a lot about the issues of people taking on untruthful Indigenous identities and the further harm it causes in Indigenous communities. I also loved the lesson in the book that reminds the readers that Métis does not mean a mix of Indigenous and white, but that this is an actual community of people with history, trauma, joy and culture.
“How many times do we have to say it? That Métis actually means a whole people with a history, language, culture and years and years of struggle.”
It also is a book about how Indigenous People are still having to fight for their place in society. About being authentically themselves without the limitations and struggles society still puts on them. How cultural appropriation is just another act of aggression Indigenous communities have to struggle against.
“There’s so much to get over. So many ways we’ve been cheated out of being ourselves.”
The other part of the book was about healing and coming to terms with understanding that there is nothing you can do about someone else’s actions. That they can only change themselves if they choose to and all you can do is set relationship boundaries for yourself. You can forgive but still have limitations with the way the relationship continues. Forgiveness is for you; to let go of the burden of the hurt and trauma. It doesn’t mean you invite this person back into your space. Sometimes, it’s simply understanding a loved one’s limitations and how their actions may be the best they can offer.
“Having empathy doesn’t mean not having accountability. I do think it’s good to consider people’s motivations and try and understand. That’s how we stop things, fix things, make them better.”
This book reminds us that with trauma comes the decision to either let it rule our lives and be an excuse for bad behaviour; or to own it, grow and heal. That to identify the pain and its effect on us isn’t enough; we have to actively choose healing and put the work in.
“Never occurred to me I could befriend them
those things that list my stuff
never even thought I could help them
heal
only knew of
them
believed that
was enough”
The writing is at times chaotic…I can see why people won’t like it. But for me, the lack of grammar in some spots, the run on sentences, the randomness of thoughts really felt like we were in these characters’ minds. It made me feel the messiness of relationships, the thought process of working through your feelings and the dynamics between family members.
“Well, we’re messy. But we’re also real!”
All in all, another solid read from this author for me. I will continue to look forward to her work.
Want to read
October 13, 2024Longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize
December 10, 2024
Having adored Vermette’s previous novels The Break, The Strangers, and The Circle, I was disappointed with this one. In her other novels, the characters are so vivid and real, I came to really care about them and got invested in their stories. The sisters in this novel, Lynn and June, were not characterized well. Their voices are too similar. They are both quite vague characters and I was not invested in their issues, especially the plot line with June and the romance with the mysterious scholar. There was not enough information given to care about this subplot. I felt frustrated by Lynn’s self-pitying complaining about her ex. Both characters irritated me at moments with how they did not deal with their issues and lacked initiative. The plot felt nonexistent, and mostly unrelated to Renee and her claims of Indigenous descent. The plot was too slow and I struggled to finish this book even though it was short. I feel that this could have been a strong short story but as a novel, it lacked action, compelling characters, and the emotional depth that her other books are full of. I definitely don’t understand how this was nominated for an award, but the Gillers don’t really mean much anymore.
May 22, 2025
3.5* Don’t get me wrong this was good but just wasn’t my favourite Katherena Vermette book. While still reading about the Stranger family we have come to know, we focus this time on Lyn and June’s perspectives of their mother’s fake Indigenous scandal. The pace was just too slow for me - we were stuck too long in the repetitive “checking social media but not wanting to check social media; not confronting Renee but afraid to make statements” phase of the scandal. I loved when the sisters were together, and wish the book moved faster towards their reunion and spent more time there. The best part of the book was June’s confrontation with her mother and everything she finally said to her about what it is to truly be Indigenous. I also liked the chapter at June’s university where she reflects on how when these “pretendian” stories are exposed, the burden doesn’t fall on the White people pretending, it falls again on Indegenous individuals to now prove their identity. Overall I liked the concept of the book, just think it could have been fleshed out more.
October 20, 2024
I was originally interested in this book because of the way it confronts the timely and problematic issue of pretendians - white people pretending to be Indigenous, and stealing everything from opportunities to potential fame and fortune because of it. real ones definitely tackles this subject matter head on, but it's more than that. It's also a beautifully told story of sisterhood, family, and the complexities of life.
June and lynn are two adult sisters who share a Metis father and a white mother. Their mother, from whom June and lynn are both estranged, resurfaces years later as "Raven Bearclaw," an artist who has been making waves and gaining all kinds of attention because of her identity. The sisters are contacted by a reporter from a national newspaper, who warns them that he's found out their mother's true identity, and the story will break.
As "Raven Bearclaw's" false life is blown open, the sisters grapple with the fallout in different ways, as well as how it affects their own families and lives.
katherena vermette balances the fallout with everyday, relatable issues of marriage, siblinghood, growing up and old, and what home really means. The characters in real ones are some of the most beautiful, real, complex humans I've ever come across.
Come for the important and topical subject matter, learn lessons as a white person, but stay for the beautifully realized observations about love and all the ways we can experience and show it. This book opened my heart in a lot of ways.
June and lynn are two adult sisters who share a Metis father and a white mother. Their mother, from whom June and lynn are both estranged, resurfaces years later as "Raven Bearclaw," an artist who has been making waves and gaining all kinds of attention because of her identity. The sisters are contacted by a reporter from a national newspaper, who warns them that he's found out their mother's true identity, and the story will break.
As "Raven Bearclaw's" false life is blown open, the sisters grapple with the fallout in different ways, as well as how it affects their own families and lives.
katherena vermette balances the fallout with everyday, relatable issues of marriage, siblinghood, growing up and old, and what home really means. The characters in real ones are some of the most beautiful, real, complex humans I've ever come across.
Come for the important and topical subject matter, learn lessons as a white person, but stay for the beautifully realized observations about love and all the ways we can experience and show it. This book opened my heart in a lot of ways.
November 23, 2024
Real Ones is the story of two Michif or Métis (on their father's side) sisters - lyn who is an artist who makes pottery in Winnipeg, Manitoba where they grew up and June who is a professor of Indigenous Studies. June has just purchased a house in their old Winnipeg neighbourhood and is in the process of moving back from Vancouver with her husband when a news story breaks about their estranged and very white mother, Renée, who has been passing herself off as an Indigenous artist named Raven Bearclaw winning awards and accolades for her work.
The news sparks an enraged online backlash which pulls June and lyn into the tangle of lies their mother has told and resurfaces painful memories from their traumatic childhood. POV alternates between the two sisters as they work through past trauma and what their mother's actions mean for them.
Real Ones tackles the issue of "pretendians" who falsely claim Indigenous status for themselves and appropriate Indigenous culture for some benefit - financial or otherwise. The mother's actions and the public aftermath is always there in the background but the story is more about the relationship between the two sisters, how they process their own feelings about their mother and their past and how her actions impacted and continue to impact their lives. Memorable characters and a thought-provoking look at identity and the violence of taking an identity from those who are entitled to it - an excellent and timely read.
The news sparks an enraged online backlash which pulls June and lyn into the tangle of lies their mother has told and resurfaces painful memories from their traumatic childhood. POV alternates between the two sisters as they work through past trauma and what their mother's actions mean for them.
Real Ones tackles the issue of "pretendians" who falsely claim Indigenous status for themselves and appropriate Indigenous culture for some benefit - financial or otherwise. The mother's actions and the public aftermath is always there in the background but the story is more about the relationship between the two sisters, how they process their own feelings about their mother and their past and how her actions impacted and continue to impact their lives. Memorable characters and a thought-provoking look at identity and the violence of taking an identity from those who are entitled to it - an excellent and timely read.
November 16, 2024
"I am Michif because I am. You are not Michif or Metis, you just wish you were.......Approproating art that didn't belong to you. Wearing my costume because you thought it would give you something."
katerina vermette takes on cultural appropriation... or Pretendians... as it applies to a family, espcially two Michif sisters and their Pretendian white mother.
This story is told by Lyn and June, the two sisters who's father, (and his father, and his father, etc.) are Red River Metis. Both sisters are accomplished in their fields; one is an artist, and the other a doctorate of Indigenous studies. After their Mother takes on an Indiginous persona, becomes a very successful Canadian artist, accepts grants and other accolades, and then gets called out, the sisters have to deal with the fall-out while their mother denies that she has done anything wrong.
Cultural appropriation ihas become a problem here in Canada, but isn't just a Canadian problem. We only have to look at Buffy St. Marie, Josepj Boyden, Michelle Latimer, Amanda PL, and others to see it first hand.
vermette brings to light the damage that the appropriation does as she also delves into historical cultural damage, colonization and oppression, and how it sits in the psyche of the present.
I love vermette's writing. This book was lovely to read, sad and very funny too in parts. Lots of Winnipeg references make this very real for me.
katerina vermette takes on cultural appropriation... or Pretendians... as it applies to a family, espcially two Michif sisters and their Pretendian white mother.
This story is told by Lyn and June, the two sisters who's father, (and his father, and his father, etc.) are Red River Metis. Both sisters are accomplished in their fields; one is an artist, and the other a doctorate of Indigenous studies. After their Mother takes on an Indiginous persona, becomes a very successful Canadian artist, accepts grants and other accolades, and then gets called out, the sisters have to deal with the fall-out while their mother denies that she has done anything wrong.
Cultural appropriation ihas become a problem here in Canada, but isn't just a Canadian problem. We only have to look at Buffy St. Marie, Josepj Boyden, Michelle Latimer, Amanda PL, and others to see it first hand.
vermette brings to light the damage that the appropriation does as she also delves into historical cultural damage, colonization and oppression, and how it sits in the psyche of the present.
I love vermette's writing. This book was lovely to read, sad and very funny too in parts. Lots of Winnipeg references make this very real for me.
October 2, 2024
Katherena Vermette tells her story through the perspectives of two half-Métis sisters: June and Lyn. Lyn is a potter with has a bright daughter Willow, . June is a Métis Studies professor, and makes the unusual decision to uproot her family from Vancouver and move back to Winnipeg.
Then their frequently absent, self-centred and very white mother Renee is outed as a "pretendian". Renee is a longtime, successful artist, who has come and out of the girls' lives and only won awards for her work when she assumed the name Raven Bearclaw (really?!?)
June and Lyn feel the backlash against their mother as they're dragged into taking stands, and this only brings up the pain of their mother's neglect and lack of true concern about their wellbeing. Renee, meanwhile, feels no guilt and can't understand how falsely claiming to be indigenous could ever be a problem.
This is a powerful book about families and identity. More specifically, it's about motherhood, sisterhood, guilt, mental health, neglect, cultural appropriation, and the legacy of trauma.
The prose is simple in style, but packs a punch, as Vermette incisively skewers the settler commodification and exploitation of indigenous identity.
Then their frequently absent, self-centred and very white mother Renee is outed as a "pretendian". Renee is a longtime, successful artist, who has come and out of the girls' lives and only won awards for her work when she assumed the name Raven Bearclaw (really?!?)
June and Lyn feel the backlash against their mother as they're dragged into taking stands, and this only brings up the pain of their mother's neglect and lack of true concern about their wellbeing. Renee, meanwhile, feels no guilt and can't understand how falsely claiming to be indigenous could ever be a problem.
This is a powerful book about families and identity. More specifically, it's about motherhood, sisterhood, guilt, mental health, neglect, cultural appropriation, and the legacy of trauma.
The prose is simple in style, but packs a punch, as Vermette incisively skewers the settler commodification and exploitation of indigenous identity.
March 30, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Great depiction of contemporary issues facing Indigenous peoples in Canada (Kanata). The book follows Indigenous storytelling through its entirety, and explores thematic patterns of exploitation/fetishization and Indigenous truth.
On one hand, I was waiting for the “shoe to drop” - to see real ramifications toward justice. Then I realized the book was exploring narratives. I finished the book with questions unanswered, so this kept me from a 4 star rating.
Great depiction of contemporary issues facing Indigenous peoples in Canada (Kanata). The book follows Indigenous storytelling through its entirety, and explores thematic patterns of exploitation/fetishization and Indigenous truth.
On one hand, I was waiting for the “shoe to drop” - to see real ramifications toward justice. Then I realized the book was exploring narratives. I finished the book with questions unanswered, so this kept me from a 4 star rating.
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