Digging for Philip

by Greg Jackson—Davis

Fourteen—year—old social misfit Philip Reddy, still struggling with the death of his father, doesn’t know what he’s in for when he decides to dig up an unidentified mound of earth near his island summer cottage. Beneath the earth lies the restless Anishinaabe spirit Tikumiwaewidung who once lived and hunted on the lake.The spirit despises the white man for decimating his people, and drives Philip like a slave to properly lay to rest the Ojibway people who had died during the colonisation of the lake area. Philip has prejudices of his own, which do not ingratiate him with the already enraged spirit. At first, Philip is driven to exhaustion by the spirit, but the two develop a symbiotic relationship through their work, and the spirit helps Philip to rise above his grief.Set in the lush Canadian Shield country of northwestern Ontario, Digging for Philip is a dark but compelling adventure novel about racism and prejudice and coming to terms with loss.

248 pages, Paperback

First published November 25, 2003

Reviews

[Suetheartist · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent study of native culture and how they handle death and spirits. A young boy and his mother are grieving while living in a summer home. A grave is dug up which unearths all kinds of folklore as well as spirits. Spirits that are lost just like the boy and his mom.