Legacy

by Waubgeshig Rice

Legacy is the first novel by Waubgeshig Rice, whose collection of stories;Midnight Sweatlodge was the Gold Medal Winner of the Independent Publisher Book Awards, 2012 for Adult Multicultural Fiction. Set in the 1990s, Legacy deals with violence against a young Indigenous woman and its lingering after-shocks on an Anishinaabe family in Ontario. Its themes of injustice, privilege and those denied it, reconciliation and revenge, are as timely as today’s headlines.

‘With Legacy, Waubgeshig Rice places himself squarely at the forefront of the next wave of Native authors. Bold, envisioned storytelling. A hands down pleasure to read.’ – Richard Wagamese

Genres: Fiction, Indigenous, Canada, Native American, Contemporary, Novels

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2014

About the author

Waubgeshig Rice grew up in Wasauksing First Nation on the shores of Georgian Bay, in the southeast of Robinson-Huron Treaty territory. He’s a writer, listener, speaker, language learner, and a martial artist, holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is the author of the short story collection Midnight Sweatlodge and the novels Legacy, Moon of the Crusted Snow, and Moon of the Turning Leaves. He appreciates loud music and the four seasons. He lives in N’Swakamok - also known as Sudbury, Ontario - with his wife and three sons.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought a lump to my throat a few times. It follows the lives of 5 siblings after a tragedy hit their family. It was raw and sad and hopeful. The story is broken into 6 sections and two of them caught me quite off guard.
I thoroughly enjoy Waubgeshig Rice's writing and I look forward to reading more of his work.

[Adri Lera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up late last night to finish the last two chapters of this book. It was spectacular and I have been left dreaming about it and thinking about it all day. Waub has mastered story telling and I have read every one of his books. Cannot recommend enough.

[Jane Mulkewich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having already read Waubgeshig Rice's more recent book The Moon of the Crusted Snow, published last year, I was eager to go back and read Legacy, published in 2014. Heart-warming to see the note on the dust jacket from Richard Wagamese, who was still alive then!

The chapters are structured so that you hear from each of the five siblings in a book about a family defined by tragic loss, and how each of them are taking steps towards recovery and healing. Lots of great detail about life on a rez in Ontario, north of Lake Huron.

The real oomph of the book comes in the final few pages, in the final chapter, and I won't give a spoiler here. Suffice to say that this is a book about the legacy of trauma, loss, violence, in a modern indigenous family.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rice illustrates what injustice feels like for the people in his novel. This is a sad tale of the intertwining paths of an Anishinaabe family. I loved the local feeling the writing gave off. This story takes place mainly on a First Nation on the north shore of Lake Huron. You can feel the author's love of the area. This book will fill you with hope and it will fill you with despair. As the title implies, it will ask you what legacy do you want to leave.

[Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to all; especially to those of us who have ever wondered about Aboriginal Canadians' present and history. Very powerful book.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Legacy was a strong first novel by Waub Rice. I have been looking forward to reading this book for awhile, since Waub grew up in the same area where I now live. I found his depiction of Rez life, racism, and the legacy of residential schools to be powerful. I also thought the exploration of the varied ways families and individuals deal with sudden tragedy offered insights for all readers. Any criticisms of the book I might offer would really just be quibbling, considering the overall strength of the characterization and themes in the book. The central theme of the legacy each of us leaves behind was thought-provoking and intelligently explored. Overall, Legacy is well-worth reading.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very powerful, moving story. I have wanted to read this book since reading about it's impending publication a few years ago. I finally bought a copy from Goodminds.
This heart wrenching novel is told from various family member's point of view about their struggles. An Anishinaabe family can’t seem to escape their legacy. It is one of violence, injustice and prejudice. This family can not seem to break free from the horrors of their life. The results of losing their family members are crippling. When it seems that everything is going to be alright, something else happens to ruin their chances. This is what life looks like when trauma occurs.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why I read it:
Because it's Waub's book! This is now in our local library system if you want to check it out.

What I thought:
The ending of the first chapter was devastating and I took some time after that chapter to calm my heart before finishing the rest of the book. There were moments during reading that I was in awe that a real life person I know had imagined/researched/written/published this thoughtful, detailed and powerfully honest novel but otherwise it was really easy to be totally immersed in the story, and care for the characters. I really appreciated the care Waub takes in getting it right so that readers can both celebrate resilience while understanding the longstanding impact of trauma.

[Bett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waubgeshig Rice is one of my favorite young writers, and this is an earlier book than the 2018 novel Moon of the Crusted Snow, which I read previously. I can see the maturity of the later book that was not as evident in this one, but I loved the structure of this story and the sentiments of family and tradition saving people when hard times hit.

[Tina Siegel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m an enormous fan of Waubgeshig Rice but I found this one hard to get into. He does a great job at evoking complicated family relationship, and generational trauma and resilience, but I think you can tell this is one of his earlier books - the writing isn’t quite as tight as it is in his later work. Still, we’ll worth reading and you can see the raw talent.

[Francis P · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Legacy" by Waubgeshig Rice was a bleak read. The novel contains a terrific demonstration of intergenerational trauma and how it rewires oneself's identity. Rice certainly has a way with words—the book was nauseating to read at times and focused on the psychological impacts of grief.

The ending was unexpected.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book wasted no time in getting real. exploring a family of siblings and their ways that they individually and together approached family tragedy. an important read in light of the many missing and murdered indigenous women.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story about a family of First Nations people that are still coping after the loss of their parents from a drunk driving accident. Each chapter is one of the 5 kids, each at different points in their lives and how they will determine the legacy they want to leave.

[Debbie Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love that the book was set in Ontario. Couldn't put it down after the first chapter - it's better not to know what it's about so that you are surprised. Loved the character descriptions - would make a good movie.

[Nour Kanaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the first book that I read about aboriginal people, but it is absolutely the most brilliant one. The way the story was told is just amazing, and I liked how the author divided the book. I didn't expect nor liked the ending, but I understand it.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sad, sad story, from beginning to end.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gather, from the Richard Wagamese, review, this is Waubgeshig Rice first novel. He is definitely a contender for good, solid writing. Looking forward to reading more

[Connie Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Rice book I’ve read. It’s a short read. I enjoyed it although it was just sad.

[tinaathena]

Surprising ending. Can feel the seeds of Moon of the Crusted Snow here.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book. Masterful story teller.

[Brittany T · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, that first chapter ended completely unexpectedly! Bam! I totally didn’t see that coming!

The struggles of Native people in Canadian society. So much ignorance surrounding them!

Each chapter is told through a story about one of the Gibson family members. First Eva, then Stanley, Maria, Norman, and Edgar.

And then, the final chapter. Not about a family member. But about Mark. And that ends with a Bam! also!

A really good book, really well written and engrossing! This is the third book I've read by this author, and I am very impressed!

[Rebecca Kroppmanns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my 3rd book of Waubgeshig's that I have read and it did not disappoint me. This could be any families story of tragedy.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waubgeshig Rice's Legacy is a powerful debut novel, a most worthy follow up to his first book, the four story collection Midnight Sweatlodge, which I've previously discussed. Legacy, although showing a few first novel weaknesses, cements Waubgeshig Rice's position as a Canadian author to watch, and, more importantly, as a storyteller to be paid attention.

As I mentioned, Legacy has a few first novel problems -- perhaps a few every novel problems. The vocabulary a few times feels like Rice is straining for a 25 cent word, for example. But the problems are few and forgivable. Rice has mad a fine start on transitioning from the short story to the novel. That having been said, Legacy has much in common with Midnight Sweatlodge beyond the obvious Anishinaabe setting.

The story of the Gibson family in Legacy is in many ways a series of separate but deeply interlaced and interdependent short stories. Where Midnight Sweatlodge is a set of thematically linked short stories, Legacy is the interlaced story of a single Anishinaabe family dealing with the implications of Legacy, all the legacies of human existence, from the legacies our younger selves leave our future selves, to the sins and violations of the father and the mother visited upon the sons and daughters to the seventh generation. While Legacy is specifically about Anishinaabe life and death in the modern world, in the City and on the Reserve, Rice isn't swinging a clumsy ethnic sledgehammer.

Legacy is a story obviously close to Rice, a young, social media savvy writer/journalist who has succeeded in Ottawa, apparently without compromise, while keeping at least one foot firmly back home on the shore of Georgian Bay. But Legacy is not a novel "for" Anishinaabe or Indigenous People any more than Gordon Pinsent's classic "The Rowdyman" is a film for Newfoundlanders or H. G. Wells' Ann Veronica is a novel "for" Edwardian British shop girls. That I feel the need to point it out perhaps says something unfortunate about lingering "mainstream" Canadian views of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit art and literature.

I see no point in summarizing Rice's story. The best summary is always to say "Read it!" Instead, a metaphor. Legacy is, to put it simply, an illustration of how five siblings play the hands they've been dealt in life, and the hands they themselves deal by living. Truly, the hands they begin with are all very similar, but the game of life always has a multitude of hidden players, and outcomes are always unpredictable. Near the end, on page 189, someone says to someone (no spoilers here):

You had a chance to redefine that legacy.

That sentence is, I think, key to understanding Rice's novel. We are rarely given the chance in life to redefine a legacy. If the chance comes, we must seize it. Maybe I have included a spoiler.
-- Read the rest of my review of "Legacy" at: http://behindthehedge.wordpress.com/2...

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the middle of it. It is stunning. I've made such a personal connection to it in my own life, my own childhood that was marked by profound loss and that I've been trying to come to terms with ever since. The following quote is resonating in my head and heart as I write this. A quote from Maria, reflecting on the death of her parents and murder of her sister. Maria is 20 and in the midst of a healing ritual in the woods with her Aunt....."I don't know if I ever really been happy since I was a kid. I feel like the lost important people in my life were taken from me, and the rest just abandoned me. And then I feel like I'm just feeling sorry for myself, and I get angry again. At myself." Prior to this her Aunt made this profound observation....."......that's how we Healed. We shared our struggles in sacred places like the sweat lodge. But all those traditions were taken away from us. What were we supposed to do? Drink the pain away? It's a quick fix but it works only temporarily..............I want you to remember you didn't cause these problems. You just need to know that you control how you handle them.....but before you do this you have to talk......." I'm only on page 95 but already I can tell this one is going to stay with me forever........

This when I had finished it:

Really good books tell stories that can't be neatly wrapped up in a bow - much like life. This is about loss and grief, despair, restitution, and, ultimately, the legacy that you create. I couldn't put it down.....and feel the need to read again moments after I have turned the last page and read the last word....

[Greg Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to read. In some ways it reminded me of Dana Lone Hill's equally powerful Pointing With Lips. Both books take an unflinching look at contemporary Native families navigating life on and off their home reserves. Like Lone Hill, Rice makes no apologies for his characters, the choices they make and the lives they lead, nor does he portray them as hapless, even when they are victims. Rice has pointed out on social media that, while Legacy is bleak, it carries a sense of optimism and hope. I agree. Waubgeshig Rice has a ways to go as a writer, but he is still young and the stories he has to tell are important ones that need to be written and read. I look forward to reading his future books and watching him grow as a writer and story teller.

[Claire Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting seeing the different trajectories of of siblings from one family. Thought provoking. The ending surprised me.

[Harold · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad but powerful look at an Indigenous family marked by tragedy and how each of the siblings deal with the loss and trauma. Well written and very moving.