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Wild People Quiet
A taut, exquisitely rendered story exploring the repercussions of a woman’s decision to hide her Métis identity while living in a small, predominantly white prairie town in the 1940s, for readers of The Berry Pickers, Tommy Orange, and The Vanishing Half.
Torduvalle, Saskatchewan, 1946.
Florence has created a beautiful life for herself. Her home is immaculate; she is a model employee at Pratt’s Insurance, where she works as a secretary. Her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde—never once does she allow her brown roots to show. She dyes them every other Saturday night, without fail.
But one morning, everything changes.
Florence notices a new group of men at the local diner, Métis workers from out of town, hired on for the season at a nearby farm. And one of them has a connection to the past that Florence has spent her entire life outrunning. He has one simple request for her.
Suddenly, Florence is thrown back into memories of her life before. Suddenly, the line between who she once was and who she has chosen to be feels very thin.
And when Florence learns of the government’s plans for the Métis community on the fringes of town, she will be faced with a choice—one that will shatter her carefully constructed life forever.
This extraordinary novel asks us what we will do for our community, for our families, for our friends, even at our own expense. It examines the harrowing effects of choosing to live as someone else—and the radiant peace that comes from finally living one’s truth. Gripping, wrenching, and utterly immersive, Wild People Quiet is a stunning achievement by a remarkable literary talent.
Torduvalle, Saskatchewan, 1946.
Florence has created a beautiful life for herself. Her home is immaculate; she is a model employee at Pratt’s Insurance, where she works as a secretary. Her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde—never once does she allow her brown roots to show. She dyes them every other Saturday night, without fail.
But one morning, everything changes.
Florence notices a new group of men at the local diner, Métis workers from out of town, hired on for the season at a nearby farm. And one of them has a connection to the past that Florence has spent her entire life outrunning. He has one simple request for her.
Suddenly, Florence is thrown back into memories of her life before. Suddenly, the line between who she once was and who she has chosen to be feels very thin.
And when Florence learns of the government’s plans for the Métis community on the fringes of town, she will be faced with a choice—one that will shatter her carefully constructed life forever.
This extraordinary novel asks us what we will do for our community, for our families, for our friends, even at our own expense. It examines the harrowing effects of choosing to live as someone else—and the radiant peace that comes from finally living one’s truth. Gripping, wrenching, and utterly immersive, Wild People Quiet is a stunning achievement by a remarkable literary talent.
Audible Audio
First published March 3, 2026
About the author
Tara Gereaux
4 books26 followersTara Gereaux’s debut novel, Saltus, was released in 2021. Her first book, a teen novella called Size of a Fist (Thistledown Press, 2015), was nominated for two 2016 Saskatchewan Book Awards. Her writing has been published in several literary magazines and has won awards, including the City of Regina Writing Award in 2016 and 2019.
After graduating with an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, Tara worked as a story editor and writer in film and television for ten years.
From the Qu’Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan and of Métis and European heritage, Tara lived in Vancouver for nearly two decades before returning to her home on the prairie. She lives in Regina, SK.
After graduating with an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, Tara worked as a story editor and writer in film and television for ten years.
From the Qu’Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan and of Métis and European heritage, Tara lived in Vancouver for nearly two decades before returning to her home on the prairie. She lives in Regina, SK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
December 9, 2025
[Will post quote about Michif lives post publication]
A choice she makes in desperation to be free, Florence Campeau decides to become Florence Banks and slip out of her old life to become someone else.
For the past 11 years, Florence has been a secretary at Pratt’s Insurance and Real Estate in Torduvalle, Saskatchewan. She “blends in with everyone else”; nobody would know she’s one of ‘them’. Them, or half-breeds as the predominantly while Prairie community of 1940s Saskatchewan calls the Métis, are a mixed-race Indigenous people. They were not afforded the same respect or opportunities as European settlers.
Tara Gereaux, a Métis person and extremely talented author, has written this five-star story exploring the repercussions of one woman’s decision to hide her Métis identity. Gereaux’s narrative is focused, gentle, vivid, and methodical; the same approach you’d expect from someone skilled enough to be doing beadwork. Like Indigenous beadwork, the quiet narrative produces a noteworthy result. Will we Canadians sit up and pay attention?
I have taught Canadian history and understand the 1885 Northwest Resistance and the script system, but I had never heard of ‘Road Allowance People’, the NRTA of 1930, or ‘Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act of 1935’. Gereaux educated me. I read in horror at the heartbreaking suffering experienced due to poverty and racism. As a country, we have certainly failed in our responsibility to protect the Metis. Their history is full of dispossession and extinction. It didn’t need to be that way.
Things that gave me pause:
💔the author’s exploration of whether we can be two people at the same time or if we need to split, keeping two separate parts of ourselves
💔the realization that, in keeping something from someone, we actually are keeping something very important and valuable from ourselves.
💔despite the appalling situations forced upon these people, this Road Allowance community is rich in so many ways. I was in awe of the tight community that supported each other as they continued to struggle to keep their culture and way of life intact.
Gereaux brings to life the burden of living as someone else as she shares a little-known element of Metis history, culture and identity. The author’s focus is on resilience and resistance and the book packs a punch despite its soft delivery. It’s one historical fiction lovers and Canadians need on our reading lists ASAP.
I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and was under no obligation to provide a review.
A choice she makes in desperation to be free, Florence Campeau decides to become Florence Banks and slip out of her old life to become someone else.
For the past 11 years, Florence has been a secretary at Pratt’s Insurance and Real Estate in Torduvalle, Saskatchewan. She “blends in with everyone else”; nobody would know she’s one of ‘them’. Them, or half-breeds as the predominantly while Prairie community of 1940s Saskatchewan calls the Métis, are a mixed-race Indigenous people. They were not afforded the same respect or opportunities as European settlers.
Tara Gereaux, a Métis person and extremely talented author, has written this five-star story exploring the repercussions of one woman’s decision to hide her Métis identity. Gereaux’s narrative is focused, gentle, vivid, and methodical; the same approach you’d expect from someone skilled enough to be doing beadwork. Like Indigenous beadwork, the quiet narrative produces a noteworthy result. Will we Canadians sit up and pay attention?
I have taught Canadian history and understand the 1885 Northwest Resistance and the script system, but I had never heard of ‘Road Allowance People’, the NRTA of 1930, or ‘Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act of 1935’. Gereaux educated me. I read in horror at the heartbreaking suffering experienced due to poverty and racism. As a country, we have certainly failed in our responsibility to protect the Metis. Their history is full of dispossession and extinction. It didn’t need to be that way.
Things that gave me pause:
💔the author’s exploration of whether we can be two people at the same time or if we need to split, keeping two separate parts of ourselves
💔the realization that, in keeping something from someone, we actually are keeping something very important and valuable from ourselves.
💔despite the appalling situations forced upon these people, this Road Allowance community is rich in so many ways. I was in awe of the tight community that supported each other as they continued to struggle to keep their culture and way of life intact.
Gereaux brings to life the burden of living as someone else as she shares a little-known element of Metis history, culture and identity. The author’s focus is on resilience and resistance and the book packs a punch despite its soft delivery. It’s one historical fiction lovers and Canadians need on our reading lists ASAP.
I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and was under no obligation to provide a review.
March 3, 2026
This story centres around Florence, a Métis woman, who is masking as a white woman in Saskatchewan in the 1940s. When a group of Métis men arrive as hired help, a past connection threatens to topple her carefully crafted life.
This novel was beautiful, exploring identity, community, and belonging. I loved how the writer linked in bead working, giving a glimpse into Canadian history we should all be more aware of.
4.5⭐️
This novel was beautiful, exploring identity, community, and belonging. I loved how the writer linked in bead working, giving a glimpse into Canadian history we should all be more aware of.
4.5⭐️
March 3, 2026
4.5 stars
Torduvalle, Saskatchwan, 1946 - Florence Banks has created a beautiful life for herself in this small prairie town where she has been working as a secretary in an insurance office for the past 11 years. She's a model employee and resident of the town, keeps an immaculate home filled with beautiful objects and her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde because she's meticulous about never letting her brown roots show. But one morning at the end of summer, Florence sees a group of Métis men hired for seasonal farm work and recognizes one who has a connection to her past that threatens to shatter her carefully-constructed life.
This dual timeline historical fiction novel set in a fictional small town in Saskatchewan (with flashbacks to the main character's childhood and early adulthood) is a deeply personal novel. The author's grandfather was Métis but when she was growing up her family told people they were French. As an adult, she sought to explore Métis history to better understand the decision her grandfather and others made to hide their heritage and also to reconnect to the Métis culture herself.
This is a gentle yet thought-provoking exploration of identity and the repercussions of one young woman's decision to live her life as someone else. I also appreciated the history lesson woven into this novel as I didn't know about much of what the Métis people endured during this shameful chapter of Canadian history. Tara Gereaux puts a very human face on the history by introducing us to characters living with the discrimination, mistreatment and pressure to assimilate and by showing the impact that government policy had on them.
Wild People Quiet is a beautifully-written, extraordinary story of one unforgettable woman finding her way back to her family and reclaiming her culture but also a story of the history, culture and resilience of the Métis people.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Torduvalle, Saskatchwan, 1946 - Florence Banks has created a beautiful life for herself in this small prairie town where she has been working as a secretary in an insurance office for the past 11 years. She's a model employee and resident of the town, keeps an immaculate home filled with beautiful objects and her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde because she's meticulous about never letting her brown roots show. But one morning at the end of summer, Florence sees a group of Métis men hired for seasonal farm work and recognizes one who has a connection to her past that threatens to shatter her carefully-constructed life.
This dual timeline historical fiction novel set in a fictional small town in Saskatchewan (with flashbacks to the main character's childhood and early adulthood) is a deeply personal novel. The author's grandfather was Métis but when she was growing up her family told people they were French. As an adult, she sought to explore Métis history to better understand the decision her grandfather and others made to hide their heritage and also to reconnect to the Métis culture herself.
This is a gentle yet thought-provoking exploration of identity and the repercussions of one young woman's decision to live her life as someone else. I also appreciated the history lesson woven into this novel as I didn't know about much of what the Métis people endured during this shameful chapter of Canadian history. Tara Gereaux puts a very human face on the history by introducing us to characters living with the discrimination, mistreatment and pressure to assimilate and by showing the impact that government policy had on them.
Wild People Quiet is a beautifully-written, extraordinary story of one unforgettable woman finding her way back to her family and reclaiming her culture but also a story of the history, culture and resilience of the Métis people.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
April 12, 2026
4.25🌟 This was really well done! This book had already been on my radar and and then I saw the author on a Canadian morning talk show and it interested me even more. I really enjoyed the beadwork part of the story and found myself looking things up while reading. I have another book by this author and will read that soon🇨🇦
April 7, 2026
Between a 3.5-4 ⭐️. I really enjoyed this dual timeline historical fiction novel which highlighted the history, culture and resilience of the Métis. It sheds light on Canada’s dark history. Once finished, I found myself searching for more information on the history of the Métis and their beautiful beadwork.
March 8, 2026
This story is going to sit with me indefinitely. Wow. Beautifully written. Can you imagine now, in 2026, living under an alias just so you can have a job, own a home, and not be looked down upon by everyone in your city? The lengths you have to go to hide and distance yourself from you family and heritage. Heartbreaking but raw and real.
February 24, 2026
This is the kind of book that I know will be a 2026 bestseller. Gereaux's voice is incredibly beautiful, the techniques throughout are absorbing, and I could not put this book down.
Beyond addressing some serious Canadian systemic issues, this book made me think about family, loyalty, the choices we make and how they influence our life. The way Gereaux addresses the Métis in the book is well done and I hope that it can resonate with people that have a smaller understanding of this Canadian history. Everything is beautifully melded together and I cannot wait for this book to get on the shelves. I will certainly be recommending it to many people!!!
Beyond addressing some serious Canadian systemic issues, this book made me think about family, loyalty, the choices we make and how they influence our life. The way Gereaux addresses the Métis in the book is well done and I hope that it can resonate with people that have a smaller understanding of this Canadian history. Everything is beautifully melded together and I cannot wait for this book to get on the shelves. I will certainly be recommending it to many people!!!
April 11, 2026
Important story. Another lesson in the damage of other’ing people, the impacts of shame, and the harms Indigenous people experience(d).
January 26, 2026
This was a really compelling, well-written novel. It’s about a Métis woman in Saskatchewan in alternating timelines of 1946 and 1906-1913. The narrator, Florence, grows up in a Métis community as a kid but as an adult she passes as white and hides her heritage. I found the characters and relationships interesting and they will stay with me. I learned some history I didn’t know and want to continue that learning. I also really enjoyed the role that beadwork played in the story. This comes out in March and is well worth checking out!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An exceptionally gorgeous historical novel of Metis culture in Saskatchewan in the early to mid 1900s – this is the story of Florence, a Metis woman who shuns her heritage and tight-knit community when she realizes she can pass and gain all the white privilege that accompanies it, is heartbreakingly beautiful and historical fiction at its finest. It is an outstanding example of small, rural (white) town living and its prejudices juxtaposed with the small, but emotionally and culturally rich, supportive communities of Metis.
Florence’s decision to hide her past in exchange for a ‘better’ life begins to unravel after decades of living a secret life and denying not just her ancestry, but her entire family. Florence’s gradual and quiet realization of what she has sacrificed and lost slowly emerges as she begins to rediscover her true self. This was beautifully illustrated in the gentle, subtle (and rocky) reconnection with her family as the crumbling of Florence’s carefully constructed and comfortable life begins.
I found myself so emotionally invested in this story… I was tense, outraged… furious as a town that once accepted her as ‘one of their own’ immediately begins to disenfranchise and callously shun her. Florence, despite her earlier choices, demonstrates a singularly graceful resilience.
Gereaux’s prose is gorgeously visual and heartbreaking. Her quietly soulful descriptions of Florence’s rediscovery of her culture and identity through her gradual reintroduction to her childhood past of beading was some of the most beautiful and emotionally descriptive of loss and rediscovery – a perfect metaphor for Florence’s life.
I think I’ve read my favourite book of the year already. I can’t express how much I loved this novel – I haven’t been so emotionally invested in a story and its characters like this in quite some time. An immediate classic of literature!
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.
Florence’s decision to hide her past in exchange for a ‘better’ life begins to unravel after decades of living a secret life and denying not just her ancestry, but her entire family. Florence’s gradual and quiet realization of what she has sacrificed and lost slowly emerges as she begins to rediscover her true self. This was beautifully illustrated in the gentle, subtle (and rocky) reconnection with her family as the crumbling of Florence’s carefully constructed and comfortable life begins.
I found myself so emotionally invested in this story… I was tense, outraged… furious as a town that once accepted her as ‘one of their own’ immediately begins to disenfranchise and callously shun her. Florence, despite her earlier choices, demonstrates a singularly graceful resilience.
Gereaux’s prose is gorgeously visual and heartbreaking. Her quietly soulful descriptions of Florence’s rediscovery of her culture and identity through her gradual reintroduction to her childhood past of beading was some of the most beautiful and emotionally descriptive of loss and rediscovery – a perfect metaphor for Florence’s life.
I think I’ve read my favourite book of the year already. I can’t express how much I loved this novel – I haven’t been so emotionally invested in a story and its characters like this in quite some time. An immediate classic of literature!
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.
March 29, 2026
It's 1946 in Torduvalle, Saskatchewan. Florence lives a carefully curated and controlled life. Her home is filled with beautiful things, she wears beautiful clothes, her hair is a beautiful shade of blonde, and she's a secretary who's respected for her professionalism and skill.
One day she sees a few Métis workers from out of town, and one of them recognizes her. She pretends not to know the man, but she does. It's her younger brother Clancy. Florence has done her best to distance herself from her former life, and Clancy's presence threatens everything.
She's subsequently overwhelmed by memories of their childhood, while wanting no one to know that she's associated with "those people", the half-indigenous, half-white Métis, who are treated with derision and hatred.
When Florence learns what the government has in store for a nearby Métis community, she's faced with a decision; does she let her brother know?
I had not known of the specific Acts and regulations mentioned in this book that the government dreamed up to disenfranchise the Métis, but it does not surprise me at all. It's all of a piece of the horrible things the Canadian and provincial governments have done for centuries to dispossess and kill non-whites.
The story is told with great sensitivity and compassion; we understand Florence, even while she's doing her best to outrun her past and pretend to be someone she is not. We also enjoy the friendship she's begun to build with her neighbour Jennie, whose life is coming apart because she wants to work outside of the home, a decision her husband is deeply frightened by.
Florence's beadwork is a wonderful way to connect her to her past, and it is also much more than skilful in its execution. Florence is a gifted beadworker, and it calms her, but also is a source of hope and possibility for her. The lovely cover is no doubt a reference to this important side of Florence.
Of course, things don't work out in a way that allows Florence to maintain her deceptions, but they do allow her to reconnect with her family, and to begin to find out who she really is.
Tara Gereaux has created a deeply emotional, and informative, story about a woman whose must find her true identity and reclaim her culture. It's beautifully written, and wonderful.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.
One day she sees a few Métis workers from out of town, and one of them recognizes her. She pretends not to know the man, but she does. It's her younger brother Clancy. Florence has done her best to distance herself from her former life, and Clancy's presence threatens everything.
She's subsequently overwhelmed by memories of their childhood, while wanting no one to know that she's associated with "those people", the half-indigenous, half-white Métis, who are treated with derision and hatred.
When Florence learns what the government has in store for a nearby Métis community, she's faced with a decision; does she let her brother know?
I had not known of the specific Acts and regulations mentioned in this book that the government dreamed up to disenfranchise the Métis, but it does not surprise me at all. It's all of a piece of the horrible things the Canadian and provincial governments have done for centuries to dispossess and kill non-whites.
The story is told with great sensitivity and compassion; we understand Florence, even while she's doing her best to outrun her past and pretend to be someone she is not. We also enjoy the friendship she's begun to build with her neighbour Jennie, whose life is coming apart because she wants to work outside of the home, a decision her husband is deeply frightened by.
Florence's beadwork is a wonderful way to connect her to her past, and it is also much more than skilful in its execution. Florence is a gifted beadworker, and it calms her, but also is a source of hope and possibility for her. The lovely cover is no doubt a reference to this important side of Florence.
Of course, things don't work out in a way that allows Florence to maintain her deceptions, but they do allow her to reconnect with her family, and to begin to find out who she really is.
Tara Gereaux has created a deeply emotional, and informative, story about a woman whose must find her true identity and reclaim her culture. It's beautifully written, and wonderful.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.
March 19, 2026
This story moves between early–mid 1900s Saskatoon and follows Florence, a woman who left her Métis community when she was young to build an entirely new life — new town, new look, new education, new identity. When someone from her past unexpectedly returns, it forces her to confront choices she made long ago, just as her community begins making decisions that will deeply affect a nearby Métis community. Though it’s fiction, it felt incredibly educational, heart-warming, and devastating all at once. Florence is a quiet but proud main character who carries a lot with grace — even when life pushes her into decisions that aren’t fully her own.
April 6, 2026
An important story in Saskatchewan history, and a good story in general. Something about it bothered me that
I’m not sure I can articulate well. I found Florence really relatable and admired her. I know it is a story meant to be from a Métis perspective about being true to yourself. From a feminist perspective, it bugged me that Florence’s choices were all taken away by men, and that includes her own brother. I didn’t see him as awakening her desire to connect with her heritage, he forced it, then blamed her near the end of the book for all that happened. Just no. Takes place in 1946, men ruled all of course, but I wish the author had given Florence the agency to make the choice herself from an inner desire, not because her life lay in ashes around her.
I’m not sure I can articulate well. I found Florence really relatable and admired her. I know it is a story meant to be from a Métis perspective about being true to yourself. From a feminist perspective, it bugged me that Florence’s choices were all taken away by men, and that includes her own brother. I didn’t see him as awakening her desire to connect with her heritage, he forced it, then blamed her near the end of the book for all that happened. Just no. Takes place in 1946, men ruled all of course, but I wish the author had given Florence the agency to make the choice herself from an inner desire, not because her life lay in ashes around her.
April 6, 2026
✨Book Review✨
Wild People Quiet - Tara Gereaux
Thank you to @simonschusterca for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! This book is out now!
This is a historical fiction novel set in the Canadian Prairies. It follows a woman named Florence who is Métis but white passing. She hides her heritage and identity to be welcomed in her small town and work as a secretary. But when someone from her past arrives life as she knows it is threatened.
I thought this was a very straightforward historical fiction that still really packed a punch. I loved the characters and I truly felt for Florence the whole way through this book.
This book will also make you angry, heartbroken, and anxious as you follow the life of a woman and a people who just want to be seen as human but whose opportunities for success are taken from them at every turn.
I also think this book would be appropriate for younger readers and readers who are just getting into historical fiction. It was well done and educational while having a lot of heart.
4/5⭐️ I recommend for anyone but especially Canadian readers!
Wild People Quiet - Tara Gereaux
Thank you to @simonschusterca for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! This book is out now!
This is a historical fiction novel set in the Canadian Prairies. It follows a woman named Florence who is Métis but white passing. She hides her heritage and identity to be welcomed in her small town and work as a secretary. But when someone from her past arrives life as she knows it is threatened.
I thought this was a very straightforward historical fiction that still really packed a punch. I loved the characters and I truly felt for Florence the whole way through this book.
This book will also make you angry, heartbroken, and anxious as you follow the life of a woman and a people who just want to be seen as human but whose opportunities for success are taken from them at every turn.
I also think this book would be appropriate for younger readers and readers who are just getting into historical fiction. It was well done and educational while having a lot of heart.
4/5⭐️ I recommend for anyone but especially Canadian readers!
April 12, 2026
The author creates a wonderful protagonist in Florence , taking the reader back and forth between her earlier days and her present in small-town Saskatchewan. I enjoyed the Métis language segments spoken by Aunt Lillian and the descriptions of the art of beading. The historical elements are interesting and important for Canadians to learn.
March 26, 2026
This would be a great book for 2027 Canada Reads! Must find out how to suggest it. I was pretty much sucked in right away by the preface and quote from J0hn A. Macdonald. Or maybe lured in by the beautiful beading on the cover. Anyway, a terrific Canadian historical fiction read. Can't wait to see what the next book is about, hope you're busy writing Tara!
January 29, 2026
A beautiful and necessary novel about a shameful period in Canada’s history that is too often forgotten. I loved learning more about Métis history and was heartbroken by the rejection and oppression Métis people endured at the hands of white settlers. Sadly, much of this mistreatment still exists today.
Gereaux does an incredible job of revealing the collective memory of the Métis people through the unraveling of Florence’s carefully constructed life. Florence is hiding in plain sight, and her fear of being discovered as Indigenous is palpable. Acknowledging her heritage would mean giving up her career, her material comforts, and the relationships she had built over a lifetime. Reading this was enraging.
I especially loved how Gereaux uses beadwork as a metaphor for Florence’s life, with each stitch representing both beauty and pain. Now more than ever, we need books like these. Overall, this was a beautifully written and deeply evocative read.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced reader’s copy.
March 19, 2026
A straight-forward story of the struggles of the native Métis people of Canada, told from the perspective of a woman who disguised herself to integrate into society. When she is discovered, the repercussions are severe and heartbreaking. I enjoyed learning about this history, but overall the novel was otherwise flat.
March 29, 2026
Very believable and interesting novel about what it might have been like to be Metis / Michif 1900-1950. I appreciate that it examined racism, road allowances, beading and family relationships. Would recommend for lit circles.
March 27, 2026
Thank you SO MUCH to Simon & Schuster Canada for the physical ARC of this novel.
As a Saskatchewan-born-and-raised gal, it was sad but unsurprising reading Florence's story. Yes, reading about my city or towns i'd actually been to was neat, because we never get mentioned, but it was also incredibly frustrating and emotional.
I kept hoping that things would work out for Florence and her family the way I wanted to, but this book wasn't written only to have a HEA, it was written to show the pain, the grit, and the tireless effort of people deemed different based on looks and culture. It was written to expose situations that may-well-have happened in our past, and it hits home.
Gereaux's writing is concise and poetic in its own way; with dashes of colour and harmonies echoing, just like the beadwork in this book and the beautiful cover.
This novel touches on identity, difficult decisions, and accountability; all-in-which are hard for us as humans to navigate and accept, but are important pillars for growth.
Florence grows throughout this entire novel, and it maybe wasn't the way I thought it would, or in a way that's palatable to all, but it's growth nonetheless and IMPORTANT growth.
I encourage all who pick this book up to read the quotes at the beginning of the book. I was initially confused about the title of this novel, but the quote at the start sets up the whole novel and I personally couldn't stop thinking about it.
As a Saskatchewan-born-and-raised gal, it was sad but unsurprising reading Florence's story. Yes, reading about my city or towns i'd actually been to was neat, because we never get mentioned, but it was also incredibly frustrating and emotional.
I kept hoping that things would work out for Florence and her family the way I wanted to, but this book wasn't written only to have a HEA, it was written to show the pain, the grit, and the tireless effort of people deemed different based on looks and culture. It was written to expose situations that may-well-have happened in our past, and it hits home.
Gereaux's writing is concise and poetic in its own way; with dashes of colour and harmonies echoing, just like the beadwork in this book and the beautiful cover.
This novel touches on identity, difficult decisions, and accountability; all-in-which are hard for us as humans to navigate and accept, but are important pillars for growth.
Florence grows throughout this entire novel, and it maybe wasn't the way I thought it would, or in a way that's palatable to all, but it's growth nonetheless and IMPORTANT growth.
I encourage all who pick this book up to read the quotes at the beginning of the book. I was initially confused about the title of this novel, but the quote at the start sets up the whole novel and I personally couldn't stop thinking about it.
November 24, 2025
*3.5 stars*
A needed window into not-too-distant Métis history, told through story, and all the more urgent for its recent setting.
A needed window into not-too-distant Métis history, told through story, and all the more urgent for its recent setting.
March 30, 2026
The author was recently in Winnipeg to launch this book but as I was out of town I didn’t get to attend. However, I put a hold on the book and, to my delight, it was waiting for me when I returned home. It’s set in Saskatchewan in the twentieth century and the protagonist is a Metis woman who decides to pass as white. It’s a great story as historical fiction but, more than that, it is an important reminder of the discrimination that people faced based on the colour of their skin.
In 1946, Florence Banks is a key employee of Pratt’s Insurance and Real Estate in the fictional town of Torduvalle (perhaps a stand-in for Fort Qu’Appelle). No one in town has any idea that she is Metis and grew up in a shantytown positioned on a road allowance in northern Saskatchewan. Florence never attended school and didn’t know how to read and write until she was living in Regina as an adult. Once she was literate, she put herself through secretarial school while working as a maid in a hotel. In Torduvalle she was able to pass as white and buy a house and become a respected member of the town. Then, while leaving a diner after lunch, she passed a group of Indian men who had been told they couldn’t eat in the diner but could take their food at a picnic table outside. One of the men calls out her name. She realizes it is her younger brother, Clancy, who she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Florence is worried that Clancy will destroy her carefully constructed life. She tells him to come to her house after dark and then she offers him a substantial sum of money to leave town. But Clancy has come with a present—a pair of slippers that she had beaded herself for her mother when she lived at home. Clancy also tells her that their aunt Lillian is living in a shack nearby and that she wants to see Florence. Florence was once very close to her aunt who taught her to bead and said that she was the most talented beader she had ever seen. Florence hasn’t beaded in years but, when she goes to see Lillian, she receives some beads and cloth from her. Clancy has agreed to leave and take Aunt Lillian with him to Winnipeg. Florence decides to bead a gift for her aunt. But Aunt Lillian gets sick just when they were going to leave and all the money has to go for the hospital bill and medicine for her. Clancy says he will go when Lillian is well and he has saved up enough money. Through her work, Florence learns that the land where the Metis settlement is located is going to be turned into a community pasture and all the people there are going to be turned out. It’s a breach of confidentiality but Florence tells Clancy so that he can make plans. When Clancy turns up at the town council meeting to protest the expropriation, Florence’s bosses realize she divulged the plans to him and they fire her. Rapidly, everything goes downhill for Florence after that. However, she has reclaimed her heritage and started beading again and she has decided to stop bleaching her hair. Life will go on but it will be different than how she lived it for the last 20 years.
The title of the book is taken from a statement Prime Minister John A. Macdonald made about the man he sent out west to negotiate with Louis Riel to admit Manitoba to Confederation. He told a colleague “I anticipate that [he] will have a great deal of trouble, and it will require considerable management to keep those wild people quiet.”
I also want to acknowledge the beautiful cover on this book which is an image called The Sky Vest by Katherine Boyer. When you get close to the book you can see that it is a piece of beaded art. Boyer is a textile artist who teaches at the University of Manitoba.
In 1946, Florence Banks is a key employee of Pratt’s Insurance and Real Estate in the fictional town of Torduvalle (perhaps a stand-in for Fort Qu’Appelle). No one in town has any idea that she is Metis and grew up in a shantytown positioned on a road allowance in northern Saskatchewan. Florence never attended school and didn’t know how to read and write until she was living in Regina as an adult. Once she was literate, she put herself through secretarial school while working as a maid in a hotel. In Torduvalle she was able to pass as white and buy a house and become a respected member of the town. Then, while leaving a diner after lunch, she passed a group of Indian men who had been told they couldn’t eat in the diner but could take their food at a picnic table outside. One of the men calls out her name. She realizes it is her younger brother, Clancy, who she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Florence is worried that Clancy will destroy her carefully constructed life. She tells him to come to her house after dark and then she offers him a substantial sum of money to leave town. But Clancy has come with a present—a pair of slippers that she had beaded herself for her mother when she lived at home. Clancy also tells her that their aunt Lillian is living in a shack nearby and that she wants to see Florence. Florence was once very close to her aunt who taught her to bead and said that she was the most talented beader she had ever seen. Florence hasn’t beaded in years but, when she goes to see Lillian, she receives some beads and cloth from her. Clancy has agreed to leave and take Aunt Lillian with him to Winnipeg. Florence decides to bead a gift for her aunt. But Aunt Lillian gets sick just when they were going to leave and all the money has to go for the hospital bill and medicine for her. Clancy says he will go when Lillian is well and he has saved up enough money. Through her work, Florence learns that the land where the Metis settlement is located is going to be turned into a community pasture and all the people there are going to be turned out. It’s a breach of confidentiality but Florence tells Clancy so that he can make plans. When Clancy turns up at the town council meeting to protest the expropriation, Florence’s bosses realize she divulged the plans to him and they fire her. Rapidly, everything goes downhill for Florence after that. However, she has reclaimed her heritage and started beading again and she has decided to stop bleaching her hair. Life will go on but it will be different than how she lived it for the last 20 years.
The title of the book is taken from a statement Prime Minister John A. Macdonald made about the man he sent out west to negotiate with Louis Riel to admit Manitoba to Confederation. He told a colleague “I anticipate that [he] will have a great deal of trouble, and it will require considerable management to keep those wild people quiet.”
I also want to acknowledge the beautiful cover on this book which is an image called The Sky Vest by Katherine Boyer. When you get close to the book you can see that it is a piece of beaded art. Boyer is a textile artist who teaches at the University of Manitoba.
March 25, 2026
Title:
Wild People Quiet
Author: Tara Gereaux
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: March 3, 2026
I received a complimentary eARC from Simon and Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Informative • Wrenching • Reflective
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Florence has created a beautiful life for herself. Her home is immaculate; she is a model employee at Pratt’s Insurance, where she works as a secretary. Her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde—never once does she allow her brown roots to show. She dyes them every Saturday night, without fail.
Florence notices a new group of men at the local diner, Métis workers from out of town, hired on for the season at a nearby farm. And one of them has a connection to the past that Florence has spent her entire life outrunning. He has one simple request for her.
And when Florence learns of the government’s plans for the Métis community on the fringes of town, she will be faced with a choice—one that will shatter her carefully constructed life forever.
Suddenly, Florence is thrown back into memories of her life before. Suddenly, the line between who she once was and who she has chosen to be feels very thin.
But one morning at the end of summer, everything changes.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As soon as I read the synopsis for Wild People Quiet I knew it was a 2026 release I would prioritize from a new-to-me voice in Canadian fiction.
Alternating between Florence's present life and her childhood, the writing flows effortlessly painting a tapestry of the atrocities inflicted by European settlers on Indigenous Peoples in Canada, while keeping the main focus on the life - both the struggles and triumphs - of one Métis family. It's an exploration of identity, community, and belonging. I appreciated the Indigenous perspective of ‘passing’ and was both intrigued and compelled by the exploration of what is lost and gained through such a choice.
While the story and characters are strong, one of my favourite parts of the entire thing was the intricate detail and meaning of beadwork. This thread was woven perfectly into the narrative mirroring the metaphor of Florence's internal struggle. And how it's incorporated into the stunning cover as well was the perfect touch.
Wild People Quiet is a novel brimming with gentleness, hurt, and community, which brings an important part of Canadian history to life and prompting empathy and understanding from the reader. It's a book that deserves to be put into more hands and one I'll be recommending in my circle.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Indigenous authors
• Canadian history
• dual timeline HF
⚠️ CW: racism, xenophobia, colonization, residential schools, alcohol, grief, death, death of parent, poverty
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But it's by looking underneath that you can really see all the hard work, the effort. Both sides are part of the whole, but one gets covered up, hidden."
Author: Tara Gereaux
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: March 3, 2026
I received a complimentary eARC from Simon and Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Informative • Wrenching • Reflective
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Florence has created a beautiful life for herself. Her home is immaculate; she is a model employee at Pratt’s Insurance, where she works as a secretary. Her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde—never once does she allow her brown roots to show. She dyes them every Saturday night, without fail.
Florence notices a new group of men at the local diner, Métis workers from out of town, hired on for the season at a nearby farm. And one of them has a connection to the past that Florence has spent her entire life outrunning. He has one simple request for her.
And when Florence learns of the government’s plans for the Métis community on the fringes of town, she will be faced with a choice—one that will shatter her carefully constructed life forever.
Suddenly, Florence is thrown back into memories of her life before. Suddenly, the line between who she once was and who she has chosen to be feels very thin.
But one morning at the end of summer, everything changes.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As soon as I read the synopsis for Wild People Quiet I knew it was a 2026 release I would prioritize from a new-to-me voice in Canadian fiction.
Alternating between Florence's present life and her childhood, the writing flows effortlessly painting a tapestry of the atrocities inflicted by European settlers on Indigenous Peoples in Canada, while keeping the main focus on the life - both the struggles and triumphs - of one Métis family. It's an exploration of identity, community, and belonging. I appreciated the Indigenous perspective of ‘passing’ and was both intrigued and compelled by the exploration of what is lost and gained through such a choice.
While the story and characters are strong, one of my favourite parts of the entire thing was the intricate detail and meaning of beadwork. This thread was woven perfectly into the narrative mirroring the metaphor of Florence's internal struggle. And how it's incorporated into the stunning cover as well was the perfect touch.
Wild People Quiet is a novel brimming with gentleness, hurt, and community, which brings an important part of Canadian history to life and prompting empathy and understanding from the reader. It's a book that deserves to be put into more hands and one I'll be recommending in my circle.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Indigenous authors
• Canadian history
• dual timeline HF
⚠️ CW: racism, xenophobia, colonization, residential schools, alcohol, grief, death, death of parent, poverty
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But it's by looking underneath that you can really see all the hard work, the effort. Both sides are part of the whole, but one gets covered up, hidden."
March 30, 2026
Ripped from some of the darkest days of Canadian history, “Wild People Quiet” is a historical fiction novel that analyzes the repercussions of a Métis woman named Florence who secretly and deliberately hides her identity to pass as white woman in the 1940s in Saskatchewan, Canada. She intentionally tested the waters at a younger age and passed the test with flying colours. White was the chosen colour.
The novel highlights the intense discrimination faced by Métis people, including the "darkest of times" where many were forced to hide their heritage and bury it deep to avoid the social and economic stigma. The political landscape was dominated by discrimination, discrimination blew freely in the wind. Set in 1946 Torduvalle, Saskatchewan, the story highlights the systemic racism and the government's targeting of Métis communities.
Florence severs ties with her community, alters her appearance, and works as a secretary while passing as white, driven by the desire to escape discrimination, to live freely without prejudice. It should be no surprise that in order to avoid systemic discrimination and limited opportunities, some Métis people lived as white, a practice that caused significant psychological distress and cultural loss. That decision would come with a high price tag. You can run, but can you truly ever hide? The truth at times has the potential to rear its ugly head and of course there are always consequences and you cannot bleach away the truth. This book showcases the resilience of the Métis community, demonstrating how they faced racism and government-mandated displacement together by supporting one another, total commitment.
The book addresses the history of the Métis being forced to live on road allowances, narrow strips of land set aside for roads due to being displaced from their land. Florence’s carefully constructed life is derailed when her brother Clancy arrives in town, representing the past she has tried to forget. Florence is now forced to confront her past, she begins to reconnect with her Métis culture, often depicted through the symbolism of tedious beadwork or beading.
Florence struggles with her true identity, and the story examines how discrimination can lead to internal, lasting damage. This was an interesting, absorbing novel about identity, discrimination, and internalized racism. There is power when you live with the truth. A quaint, quiet, reflective story about finding where one truly belongs. The narrative explores how past family histories are carried, hidden, and ultimately reclaimed. I truly enjoyed this book.
NOTE: There were indigenous words used in this novel and I think a footnote at the bottom of the page would have been helpful to explain what those words translated to. I had to google the words because I wanted to know what they meant since they were implemented in the narrative.
The novel highlights the intense discrimination faced by Métis people, including the "darkest of times" where many were forced to hide their heritage and bury it deep to avoid the social and economic stigma. The political landscape was dominated by discrimination, discrimination blew freely in the wind. Set in 1946 Torduvalle, Saskatchewan, the story highlights the systemic racism and the government's targeting of Métis communities.
Florence severs ties with her community, alters her appearance, and works as a secretary while passing as white, driven by the desire to escape discrimination, to live freely without prejudice. It should be no surprise that in order to avoid systemic discrimination and limited opportunities, some Métis people lived as white, a practice that caused significant psychological distress and cultural loss. That decision would come with a high price tag. You can run, but can you truly ever hide? The truth at times has the potential to rear its ugly head and of course there are always consequences and you cannot bleach away the truth. This book showcases the resilience of the Métis community, demonstrating how they faced racism and government-mandated displacement together by supporting one another, total commitment.
The book addresses the history of the Métis being forced to live on road allowances, narrow strips of land set aside for roads due to being displaced from their land. Florence’s carefully constructed life is derailed when her brother Clancy arrives in town, representing the past she has tried to forget. Florence is now forced to confront her past, she begins to reconnect with her Métis culture, often depicted through the symbolism of tedious beadwork or beading.
Florence struggles with her true identity, and the story examines how discrimination can lead to internal, lasting damage. This was an interesting, absorbing novel about identity, discrimination, and internalized racism. There is power when you live with the truth. A quaint, quiet, reflective story about finding where one truly belongs. The narrative explores how past family histories are carried, hidden, and ultimately reclaimed. I truly enjoyed this book.
NOTE: There were indigenous words used in this novel and I think a footnote at the bottom of the page would have been helpful to explain what those words translated to. I had to google the words because I wanted to know what they meant since they were implemented in the narrative.
November 23, 2025
Tara Gereaux’s Wild People, Quiet is a courageous and necessary novel; one that confronts a painful part of Canadian history too often pushed to the margins. Through its intimate storytelling, the book compels readers to reckon with the experiences of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) peoples and the far-reaching consequences of government actions that were designed to erase cultures, families, and identities.
What makes Gereaux’s work especially powerful is its quiet insistence on truth. Rather than relying on grand historical exposition, she brings readers close to the emotional realities of the characters: individuals and families whose lives are marked by displacement, mistrust, and an enduring search for belonging. These stories, though fictionalized, are deeply rooted in lived experiences and community memory. They remind readers that the harms inflicted by colonial policies are not abstract historical events; they are wounds carried in bodies, relationships, and intergenerational narratives.
Gereaux writes with compassion, clarity, and restraint. Her prose allows space for the characters’ voices, which often echo the real stories of FNMI survivors who have spoken out about residential schools, forced relocations, and other forms of systemic oppression. This is one of the book’s greatest strengths: it encourages readers to listen and to sit with discomfort, to understand the weight of lived trauma, and to reflect on the role non-Indigenous Canadians have played, knowingly or not, in these injustices.
At the same time, Wild People, Quiet is not simply a catalogue of harm. It is a story of resilience, of communities that continue to resist, reclaim, and heal. Gereaux shows how culture, kinship, and identity persist despite centuries of attempts to quiet them. In doing so, she reframes FNMI histories not only as records of suffering, but as testimonies of strength.
Ultimately, Gereaux’s novel is a vital contribution to the growing body of literature that brings hidden histories to light. It challenges readers to confront truths that have long been overlooked, and it calls for meaningful reflection about accountability, reconciliation, and the responsibility each of us carries to truly hear the stories of FNMI peoples.
Wild People, Quiet is not an easy read, but it is an essential one. It offers the kind of storytelling that lingers long after the final page, urging readers to remember, to question, and to do better.
What makes Gereaux’s work especially powerful is its quiet insistence on truth. Rather than relying on grand historical exposition, she brings readers close to the emotional realities of the characters: individuals and families whose lives are marked by displacement, mistrust, and an enduring search for belonging. These stories, though fictionalized, are deeply rooted in lived experiences and community memory. They remind readers that the harms inflicted by colonial policies are not abstract historical events; they are wounds carried in bodies, relationships, and intergenerational narratives.
Gereaux writes with compassion, clarity, and restraint. Her prose allows space for the characters’ voices, which often echo the real stories of FNMI survivors who have spoken out about residential schools, forced relocations, and other forms of systemic oppression. This is one of the book’s greatest strengths: it encourages readers to listen and to sit with discomfort, to understand the weight of lived trauma, and to reflect on the role non-Indigenous Canadians have played, knowingly or not, in these injustices.
At the same time, Wild People, Quiet is not simply a catalogue of harm. It is a story of resilience, of communities that continue to resist, reclaim, and heal. Gereaux shows how culture, kinship, and identity persist despite centuries of attempts to quiet them. In doing so, she reframes FNMI histories not only as records of suffering, but as testimonies of strength.
Ultimately, Gereaux’s novel is a vital contribution to the growing body of literature that brings hidden histories to light. It challenges readers to confront truths that have long been overlooked, and it calls for meaningful reflection about accountability, reconciliation, and the responsibility each of us carries to truly hear the stories of FNMI peoples.
Wild People, Quiet is not an easy read, but it is an essential one. It offers the kind of storytelling that lingers long after the final page, urging readers to remember, to question, and to do better.
April 13, 2026
"'What do you want me to say? Do you want me to be mad for the rest of my life? Rail and yell and kick my feet?' She shakes her head. She's done with all that.
'But that's exactly what they want. They want us to roll over and forget. But it's not in the past. We're still here,' he says, leaning forward, 'we're still here. This is our land, our home. We're still owed.
...'I don't want to live like that...My hand always out. Always asking and waiting.'
'You think my hand is out?...You think people who want what's been promised -what's rightly owed - are begging?'
'I just - I don't...I don't want to fight anymore. Can't you see it's easier if you just -'"
Two ways of living. Florence Campeau, a Métis woman, runs away from her family at a young age and creates a life for herself as a white woman. The story alternates between two timelines as we get glimpses of her childhood that led her to present day (1946) where she works as a secretary with a beautiful, independent life in her community in Torduvalle until her brother, Clancy arrives in town. We follow Florence's journey as she reconnects with her family and heritage.
The book has a bit of a slow start and middle...it took a while for it to really hold my interest. And when we get there, and just through the whole book overall, the systemic racism and oppression is just absolutely crushing. It's a good window into the Indigenous experience in Canada, and you really can't escape the weight of the injustices. It's also an exploration of identity, as Florence can't really escape who she is, not without great loss on her part, of her culture, her family, her community. Her return to beadwork was beautiful and offered a glimmer of hope at the end.
'But that's exactly what they want. They want us to roll over and forget. But it's not in the past. We're still here,' he says, leaning forward, 'we're still here. This is our land, our home. We're still owed.
...'I don't want to live like that...My hand always out. Always asking and waiting.'
'You think my hand is out?...You think people who want what's been promised -what's rightly owed - are begging?'
'I just - I don't...I don't want to fight anymore. Can't you see it's easier if you just -'"
Two ways of living. Florence Campeau, a Métis woman, runs away from her family at a young age and creates a life for herself as a white woman. The story alternates between two timelines as we get glimpses of her childhood that led her to present day (1946) where she works as a secretary with a beautiful, independent life in her community in Torduvalle until her brother, Clancy arrives in town. We follow Florence's journey as she reconnects with her family and heritage.
The book has a bit of a slow start and middle...it took a while for it to really hold my interest. And when we get there, and just through the whole book overall, the systemic racism and oppression is just absolutely crushing. It's a good window into the Indigenous experience in Canada, and you really can't escape the weight of the injustices. It's also an exploration of identity, as Florence can't really escape who she is, not without great loss on her part, of her culture, her family, her community. Her return to beadwork was beautiful and offered a glimmer of hope at the end.
March 25, 2026
Wild People Quiet is the first book I’ve read by @tara.gereaux.writes Tara Gereaux, and I was truly impressed. She’s an incredible writer who makes you feel every word on a deep level. This book has impacted me tremendously and is definitely one of my top favourite reads.
Florence’s journey is heartbreaking and deeply human. It’s difficult to imagine having to hide such an essential part of who you are, yet she felt forced to conceal her Métis identity just to survive in 1946 society. The fact that people were labeled “half-breeds” is shocking and horrifying, and it reflects the harsh reality of that time.
Florence didn’t just adapt—she had to completely reshape herself, leaving her past behind in order to fit in. That kind of transformation feels incredibly isolating. When her new community discovers her true identity, she is shunned, shamed, and shut out. It’s devastating—but also a turning point. Through that loss, Florence reconnects with her brother and aunt and begins to embrace her Métis heritage. There’s something quietly powerful in how rejection ultimately leads her back to herself.
While it’s literary fiction, the novel carries strong historical elements that add depth and meaning to Florence’s story. It’s a sad but powerful reflection on identity, resilience, and the cost of belonging.
If you enjoyed The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, I highly recommend Wild People Quiet. It has that same emotional weight and reflective storytelling that lingers long after the final page.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Florence’s journey is heartbreaking and deeply human. It’s difficult to imagine having to hide such an essential part of who you are, yet she felt forced to conceal her Métis identity just to survive in 1946 society. The fact that people were labeled “half-breeds” is shocking and horrifying, and it reflects the harsh reality of that time.
Florence didn’t just adapt—she had to completely reshape herself, leaving her past behind in order to fit in. That kind of transformation feels incredibly isolating. When her new community discovers her true identity, she is shunned, shamed, and shut out. It’s devastating—but also a turning point. Through that loss, Florence reconnects with her brother and aunt and begins to embrace her Métis heritage. There’s something quietly powerful in how rejection ultimately leads her back to herself.
While it’s literary fiction, the novel carries strong historical elements that add depth and meaning to Florence’s story. It’s a sad but powerful reflection on identity, resilience, and the cost of belonging.
If you enjoyed The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, I highly recommend Wild People Quiet. It has that same emotional weight and reflective storytelling that lingers long after the final page.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
March 9, 2026
This was an interesting, absorbing novel about identity, discrimination, internalized racism, and belonging set in a small Saskatchewan town.
Florence is a middle-aged Métis woman who looks Caucasian and who spends years living as a white woman. She feels accepted and part of the predominantly white community until one day, someone from her past recognizes her and everything changes. She is caught between her Métis family that she left behind, who she was as a young teenager, and this new life which she spent years carefully building and protecting.
The plot unfolds in two timelines - one when Florence is a child in the early 1900s and the other in the 1940s when her secret comes to light. I thought the author did a good job of depicting the internal effects of racism that led young Florence to renounce who she was and to pass as white, living decades of her life based on a lie. It was so sad to see how after years of knowing and liking her, the townspeople quickly shut her out and ostracized her, not because of anything she had done but because of the label that was now attached to her, that she was seen as “other”.
The author did a good job weaving in Métis history and culture, and I enjoyed learning about the beautiful Métis beadwork (represented on the gorgeous cover).
This was a poignant novel about self-acceptance, belonging, and cultural identity.
Thanks to the publisher for the comprehensive digital and physical copies. All opinions are my own.
Florence is a middle-aged Métis woman who looks Caucasian and who spends years living as a white woman. She feels accepted and part of the predominantly white community until one day, someone from her past recognizes her and everything changes. She is caught between her Métis family that she left behind, who she was as a young teenager, and this new life which she spent years carefully building and protecting.
The plot unfolds in two timelines - one when Florence is a child in the early 1900s and the other in the 1940s when her secret comes to light. I thought the author did a good job of depicting the internal effects of racism that led young Florence to renounce who she was and to pass as white, living decades of her life based on a lie. It was so sad to see how after years of knowing and liking her, the townspeople quickly shut her out and ostracized her, not because of anything she had done but because of the label that was now attached to her, that she was seen as “other”.
The author did a good job weaving in Métis history and culture, and I enjoyed learning about the beautiful Métis beadwork (represented on the gorgeous cover).
This was a poignant novel about self-acceptance, belonging, and cultural identity.
Thanks to the publisher for the comprehensive digital and physical copies. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
‘I anticipate that he will have a good deal of trouble, and it will require considerable management to keep those wild people quiet.’ John A. Macdonald
This quote is where the title for this book came from and is a very apt title.
Although this novel is fiction, it is based on the true history of Métis in Saskatchewan. It is a sad and heavy read, but such an important one. Gereaux brings this history to life through the character of Florence, making it deeply personal and powerful.
The perspective of ‘passing’ as told from an Indigenous perspective, was especially compelling. Most stories I have read have focused on black Americans passing as white. This story is an exploration of what is lost and gained through that choice. The dual timeline really helps the reader understand this.
What I really loved was the resilience and resistance that the Métis community. The way they faced adversity together and supported each other through it all. As well, as the found family in an unexpected place
This book is another important one highlighting the truths of what has been inflicted on Indigenous peoples in Canada. It is a story that encourages understanding and empathy.
Would I recommend this novel? Yes. It is thoughtfully written, historically important, and deeply heartfelt.
This quote is where the title for this book came from and is a very apt title.
Although this novel is fiction, it is based on the true history of Métis in Saskatchewan. It is a sad and heavy read, but such an important one. Gereaux brings this history to life through the character of Florence, making it deeply personal and powerful.
The perspective of ‘passing’ as told from an Indigenous perspective, was especially compelling. Most stories I have read have focused on black Americans passing as white. This story is an exploration of what is lost and gained through that choice. The dual timeline really helps the reader understand this.
What I really loved was the resilience and resistance that the Métis community. The way they faced adversity together and supported each other through it all. As well, as the found family in an unexpected place
This book is another important one highlighting the truths of what has been inflicted on Indigenous peoples in Canada. It is a story that encourages understanding and empathy.
Would I recommend this novel? Yes. It is thoughtfully written, historically important, and deeply heartfelt.
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