Keeper'n Me

by Richard Wagamese

When Garnet Raven was three years old, he was taken from his home on an Ojibway Indian reserve and placed in a series of foster homes. Having reached his mid-teens, he escapes at the first available opportunity, only to find himself cast adrift on the streets of the big city.

Having skirted the urban underbelly once too often by age 20, he finds himself thrown in jail. While there, he gets a surprise letter from his long-forgotten native family.

The sudden communication from his past spurs him to return to the reserve following his release from jail. Deciding to stay awhile, his life is changed completely as he comes to discover his sense of place, and of self. While on the reserve, Garnet is initiated into the ways of the Ojibway -- both ancient and modern -- by Keeper, a friend of his grandfather, and last fount of history about his people's ways.

By turns funny, poignant and mystical, Keeper'n Me reflects a positive view of Native life and philosophy -- as well as casting fresh light on the redemptive power of one's community and traditions.

Genres: Indigenous, Fiction, Canada, Historical Fiction, Book Club, Native American, Audiobook

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1994

About the author

Richard Wagamese was one of Canada's foremost Native authors and storytellers. He worked as a professional writer since 1979. He was a newspaper columnist and reporter, radio and television broadcaster and producer, documentary producer and the author of twelve titles from major Canadian publishers.

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Wagamese was paying close attention when Keeper spoke of the importance of story-telling!

Garnet Raven (almost certainly an autobiographical stand-in for Wagamese himself) was born in northern Ontario, a baby of the land, a baby of the people, Anishinabe. Even as an infant, his grandfather and father had already told him that the bear was his brother, that he “didn’t have to be afraid of him. Same thing with fox, raccoon, weasel, … same thing with water, tree rock, fish, everythin’ out there. Plants, insects, all of it.” They told him the land is “always gonna be your home.” But they didn’t know that Garnet was about to be stolen from his family, to have his community, his attachment to the land, his happiness, indeed, his childhood and his life as one of the people ripped away from him by a 20th century white government whose policies have now been acknowledged as nothing less than wantonly genocidal.

Slipping the grasp of the residential schools and an endless parade of foster homes as a strong willed teen, Garnet finds himself on the streets of downtown Toronto. Despite the love and comradeship of a black family who had befriended him, he was soon behind bars serving time for possession for the purposes of trafficking. Although he feared he could never belong, although he had no idea “how to be an Indian!”, a communication from his family who had never given him up for lost, who had sought to find him for over twenty years persuaded him to travel north to White Dog Lake to meet them.

KEEPER’N ME is the belated coming-of-age story of that journey home, the decision to search for and get wisdom, something that Keeper will much later help him to understand is not “someplace you get to”. He had to learn that it was a “path you decide to take’n follow”. KEEPER’N ME is a lush, poignant paean to the beauties of aboriginal culture that is at once heartwarming and heartrending. The white folks of any country that has mismanaged its relations with its aboriginal people (that would be all of them) owe it to themselves to read KEEPER’N ME, to enjoy it and to learn from it.

Meegwetch, Richard Wagamese. I hold the gift of your writings with honor.

Paul Weiss

[Paltia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stepping outside in these colder shortened days I notice that the migratory birds have changed places. And just like these birds this is a story of a man’s migration. Birds know when it is time to move on, expand their horizons and find their way into new possibilities. A man travels many roads stopping along the way in search of warmth, belonging and identity. At times he moves with loud reckless abandon and then, he learns to move quietly and unobtrusively across the landscape of his people. Keeper has done his share of traveling too. Together they hear the heartbeat of the drum and sing songs to lift the spirit and make it soar like the eagle. Here they are, together, reborn to a new day, praising Mother Earth and the sunrise as they welcome new hope. They are alive to all that may now come their way. As they sing, they notice they are joined by others genuinely moved to the feeling carried by the wind. I too was genuinely moved by this gently told story of discovering what has always been there patiently waiting for our return in the passage of time.

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mar 18, 440pm ~~ Review asap.

Mar 20, noon ~~ This was the first book written by this author and the first book of his that I read. It will not be the last.

I was moved by the story of Garnet Raven, a young Ojibway man who had been forcibly removed from his home when he was only three years old. He spent his youth in foster homes far away from his siblings and the community that would have taught him how to be not only a proper Ojibway but a proper human being.

He knows he is missing something in his life; he has felt empty inside forever. Always searching for a place that felt right, always trying to fill that emptiness with whatever he thought might fit. That is no way to live. Will he ever find his true path?

I laughed, I cried, and I have a pretty big crush on Keeper.

A great start to my Richard Wagamese mini-marathon!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is an artlessness, a certain tender naiveté that runs through this book that makes it a worthwhile read. This is Wagamese's first novel and all the themes and motifs that he would later come to address, to better effect in this later works, One Native Life for instance, show their burgeoning here.

The path is familiar: once again, a young native man torn from his culture re-enters his aboriginal world and begins to find himself. In this novel, his mentor, Keeper, is his guide, helping him navigate the narrow waters of re-entry into his culture. Not everybody wants him -- his own brother looks at him with suspicion and disdain, as if it were his own fault that he was ripped from his family and raised in the white man's world.

There is a slow, seething anger here, in characters like his brother, who depict the inexpressible rage and frustration at not being able to secure their own home fires because the white man was stronger, more manipulative, intractable. From within this anger, Wagamese's characters demonstrate the damage that anger does when it is turned inward: how it becomes a strong force to render the people impotent, and so make them ashamed enough to not want to regain their cultural roots for a long time. The ultimate betrayal of assimilation.

Lots of pain -- and lots of humour, too.

So, while it is not Wagamese's best book, because it was his first, it is worth reading, for the shared journey that we take alongside one aboriginal man finding his way back into the joy of being himself again.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many reviews of this book in which the reader either loved or hated this book. I have seen many denigrate it due to the lack of plot, unlikable characters and difficult to read dialect and I disagree with all of those reviews. It's important to read more than just the "great American novel"paradigm. To me, this book was a story of healing, a story of connecting with your roots, of connecting with the natural world. A " stop and smell the roses" reminder which we need in this is fast paced society in which we live.A story of tolerance and opening oneself up to knowledge. Even more importantly , it is a reminder of the ethnocide that occurred in Canada and all of North America when missionaries, white social workers , politicians and many others tried to eradicate the culture of the Native Americans. A time which many of us try to forget. Reservations still exist yet many of us believe that it all ended with Custer's last stand. It was/ is no worse than any other example of ethnocide that has occurred and should not be forgotten or taken lightly. We can all still learn from it and thus perhaps not only prevent it from recurring with another culture ,but continue to help with the problems that it created for the Native Americans. What happened in Canada also happened in the States.
As for the book, I agree that it was slow is spots but it also held many gems of wisdom. As for those that say the characters were un-likable, I disagree. Of course, they are my favorite kind, those that evolve. How can people rave about "Celestine Prophecy" and not rave about "Keeper n"me"? It teaches the basic premises of the Indian way, the basic premises of all religions, the basic premises of being human- find balance in your life between your male and female gifts, be grateful every day, listen to the silence, be kind and respect others even those that are different than you , respect the earth and keep your sense of humor. Also, everyone deserves a second chance.
For some, the book will widen their knowledge of the Native American culture . For others, it may teach them to respect it and their people or possibly, to just see them in a new way.Is this perhaps a Disney version of the culture? Perhaps or perhaps not yet it still teaches tolerance ad respect. The reader could also extrapolate this to other cultures, other peoples.
As Keeper told the boy," we are all tourists. Everyone , same thing, Indyun or not,we're all looking for a guide to help us find our way through,It's tough. Takes a long time sometimes and not lots of people find one either. Them that do, well, they really got something."
Just one more thought" Us humans, we are all the same, See somethin' we don't understand,we get scared. If you fear something long enough you get to feeling that you gotta control it, destroy it, change it.Better in the long run to take time to understand it but don't work that way in the world lots. Fear done lots to make up hist'ry."
I believe that it is a good choice for school's reading lists and/ or curriculum .

[Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavily inspired by Richard Wagamese's own life, his debut novel Keeper'n Me tells the story of a young Anishinaabe man who was taken from his family at three years old and raised in the city. Twenty years later he is finally reunited with his blood relatives and begins to learn what it means to live a Native life (with a lot of similar themes/messages as Wagemese's memoir One Native Life).

I always enjoy Wagamese's writing. While I think this might be the most straightforward and simple of his stories, as a debut it captured a lot of what Wagamese would go on to keep writing about: identity, connection with nature, the importance of family, Native traditions, hockey/sports, and ceremony. He's also at his best when describing the landscape. I'm always enthralled when Wagamese spends time setting the scene, pulling the reader into the natural world with his characters. Their discovery feels like the reader's discovery too and it's a pleasure to read about.

While this might not be my go-to recommendation for Wagamese's work (I still think Indian Horse is one of the best books I've ever read), it's quite a moving debut novel that hints at his early fascination with storytelling and its role in his life and the lives of his characters.

[Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

My original review disappeared.

Keeper N Me by Richards Wagamese is semi-biographical. Wagamese is a Native Canadian writer who passed on last year. He is a talented writer.

This a book about a young Ojibwa man who was taken from his tribe at a very young age and reconnects in his family and tribe in his early 20’s and then begins learning the Ojibwa way. There is a big heart in this book and much wisdom. And a lot of laughter. At the center is learning to be in harmony with life; find balance; know family and learn the ways of his people.

[Sarah Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minimal schwächer als „das weite Herz des Landes“ aber immer noch 4,5 Sterne!
Dieses Buch beschreibt die Geschichte des „verlorenen Sohns“ Garnet Raven, der als Kind aus seinem Stamm gerissen wurde und somit auch seine indigenen Wurzeln abgeschnitten wurden. Er steckt inmitten einer Identitätskrise als sein Bruder ihn wiederfindet. Zurück im Stamm der Ojibwe im Reservat, seiner Heimat aus Kindertagen, muss Garnet neu lernen, was es heißt ein Indianer zu sein. Mit dem väterlichen Freund Keeper an seiner Seite entdeckt Garnet sich selbst und sein Erbe neu. Und mit ihm auch wir als Leser. Ich war gefesselt von der Weisheit, der Liebe zur Natur und den Traditionen der Menschen in diesem Reservat. Habe mich beim Lesen als Teil des Ganzen gefühlt und war richtig gefesselt von Wagamese‘s Art die Geschichte lebendig werden zu lassen.
Immer gespickt mit einer guten Prise Humor und dem nötigen Ernst, beschreibt er wunderbar wie Garnet vom schillernden, neonfarbenen, krisengebeutelten Menschen zu seiner wahren Bestimmung findet. Absolute Lessempfehlung, wenn man sich auf die Geschichte einlassen mag. An manchen Stellen war sie mir fast zu harmonisch, daher ein halber Stern Abzug.

[Lorina Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is difficult to offer literary comment on a novel which is, in fact, the first published by Richard Wagamese, and second all but autobiographical.

Certainly if one were to study Wagamese's work it would be easy to identify the promising talent of an emerging author with this his first published work. Keeper'n Me offers a great deal to the canon of Canadian literature. There is a deft handling of the idiom of language and dialect. He does create evocative images and settings. Wagamese certainly is capable of drawing emotional response from his readers.

However, as compared to his later work, in particular Indian Horse (in which Wagamese demonstrates an author come to maturity and comfortable with his craft), there is a naivete to Keeper'n Me which does discredit to the very real issues that form the foundation of the novel, and the talent of the author.

In telling the story of an Ojibway boy who is seized by Children's Aid authorities and raised severed from his heritage, Wagamese ends up portraying the return of a lost soul to his remote, reservation community. There, he finally comes to accept his birthright.

It has the makings of a moving and profound tale. In its own way the novel is. But it could have been more. Had Wagamese refrained from sketching life on a reserve without water facilities, hydro, sufficient housing as one virtually without hardship, where the people are generally content, relatively well-adjusted, in constant laughter, and all pursuing the path of their ancient paradigms, there would have been a greater ring of truth. Unfortunately, there is a bit of a feeling of Disney in the background, of rainbows and chattering, befriended wildlife.

And that is very sad indeed. Still, Keeper'n Me is worth reading, if for no other reason than to further discover Wagamese's later work and come to understand the profound development of an emerging Canadian author.

[Brad · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is a fantastic short story in Keeper'n Me. It's somewhere around page 260 if you're able to make it that far. It's a story good enough to be published in the New Yorker or a similarly legendary publisher of short fiction. The only problem is that Keeper'n Me is a 300+ page novel that is otherwise excruciating.

So here's the one reason to read the book:

1. The great short story.

And here are the five most important reasons to avoid Keeper'n Me like you'd avoid a skint friend who needs $1000 dollars for a dodgy drug deal:

5. Keeper. He sucks.

4. The non-humour playing at being humourous.

3. Hugging, hugging and more hugging in ways that no one would ever hug.

2. Being told again and again by Wagamese that the characters are laughing heartily together at shite jokes, and then being told that their laughter is proof of a superior Ojibway sense of humour. (Ever seen an Ojibway comedian? Me neither).

1. The fantastical niceness of EVERYONE in the novel, which precludes any possibility of conflict.

5 > 1, yes? So if you decide to read this book it is on your head.

[Gedankenlabor · Rating 5 out of 5]

>>Geschichten werden über uns erzählt, wenn wir nicht mehr da sind. Wenn die Menschen die Geschichten hören, haben sie in sich das gleiche Gefühl wie vorher, als wir noch bei ihnen waren. Schön. Sicher. Warm. Geliebt. So bleiben wir für immer lebendig.<<

...Und so hat sich Richard Wagamese mit seinem Erstlingswerk „Der Flug des Raben“ für mich lebendig gemacht und mir eine Geschichte erzählt, die mein Herz vollends aufgesaugt hat und für immer einen Platz in eben diesem haben wird!
Richard Wagamese erzählt hier eine leise Geschichte und lässt den Leser hier ganz tief in Garnet's Seele blicken, die so verwundet ist und noch so unglaublich viel zu entdecken hat.
Er ließ mich teilhaben an so vielen Gefühlen, so viel Innerem und gleichzeitig immer im Verbund mit der Natur, mit den Herzschlag der Trommel.

>>Die Trommel ist der Herzschlag. Der Herzschlag der Mutter. Herzschlag des Landes. Herzschlag unserer Kultur. Die macht des Weiblichen, allem Leben zu geben. ...<<

Mit diesem Buch schenkt uns Richard Wagamese wie meine lieben Leilani so wundervoll in einem unserer Gespräche zum Buch gesagt hat, eine Adlerfeder - eines der vielleicht augenscheinlich kleinsten und doch um so größten Geschenke, das man erhalten kann. 💖
Vielen lieben Dank du Liebe, dass wir wieder einmal ein Seelenbuch gemeinsam entdecken konnten😘💞📖

[Cheyenne Ogemah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essay Response by: Cheyenne Ogemah
Wabaseemoong School, Ontario
Grade: 11
NBE3C Comtemporary Aboriginal Voices

The Traditions, Silence, and Life Within

Everyone has new things to listen and learn from on a daily basis. Silence is important in both, but to ask questions is more important. To be thankful for the life we live is greater. In Richard Wagamese’s novel, Keeper ‘N Me, it teaches about the importance of learning, listening, silence, and every life within the land of the Ojibwe people.

When an object or a topic really grasps a person’s attention, no matter the age, they can be able to memorize it years after. As an infant, Garnet was already taught many things that have to do with the land, and every life within. While he was walking about in the woods for a hunt with his older brothers, he felt like he already knew where he was going and where he was. Keeper taught Garnet more about his surroundings, and how to listen to it. Garnet memorized and used his teachings while he was alone in the wilderness for a period of time. “I started to see things that I remember the used for, the tea plants, the mosses, the bark of trees” (pages 242-243). During that time, he learned many things, reminisced about the things he already knew, and brought his knowledge back home.

The surrounding silences and sounds of their surroundings can teach and show someone many things within it and themselves. “According to Keeper there’s two kinds of silences us men like to use more than anything sometimes. There’s a smoldering, angry kind we use instead of our fists and there’s the big open kind we fall into when our mouths can move through the motions our hearts are going through” (page 127). When someone is out for a hunt, the silence of the woods can help you pick up on the atmosphere around you. While out on a nature walk, the silence of your environment can bring the sounds of life within. Listening to your surroundings can bring a feeling of being at peace or at one with nature. The silence during a conversation can teach you a few things as well. During a conversation, it can teach someone to listen closely to what the other person is saying.

All sorts of life may have different aspects, but each comes from the exact same place, Mother Earth. There are many things that some plants can provide. “Smudge ourselves real good with sweetgrass or cedar first. Get cleansed so we can approach it with respect” (page 166). The smoke that is given off of the burning sweetgrass is well knows to purify the body, heart, and soul. Traditional medicinal plants like the Wiike (wee-kay) root, can take away the pain from a sore throat. Animals are known to teach the anishanabe people many things. A bear for instance, was known to have taught the people how to hunt. They studied the bear well, and changed a few things to fit their life style. “Got lotta the bear in him, like I said. Bear’s a good warrior. Doesn’t show fear. But the bear learns how to live with it though...” (page 144). As for the people, they are to take care of the land which they live on. The anishanabe live through the seven grandfather teachings. And they use those teachings on everything they do and use in their daily lives.

No matter the race, and elder can teach people of any age many numerous things. Even though Garnet was learning more from his teacher, Keeper was also learning from him. One teaching no one should ever forget is their tradition. Each tradition of any race, can teach so much things to their people. Listen and learn well, and they can pass it on.

[Michelec · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter gave me this book to read because I had rattled on so effusively about Joseph Boyden and Louise Erdrich's skills with story telling and the perspectives they offer in their stories. I am VERY happy she did! This book has left me feeling - and let's be honest, all books leave us with stirred up feelings of some sort - as though I have been given a gift. It is a beautiful book full of wise, gentle, and loving knowledge.

Richard Wagamese has taken a story that readers would expect could be the destruction of the identity of the main character Garnet and instead of writing about Garnet's self-destruction and then courageous battle to find his identity, Wagamese writes a story of courage that comes not from battle, but from wisdom, humour, patience, gentle guidance, and undemanding love.

I can, and do, more than appreciate a perspective that a hug given in sincerity is sharing a heartbeat, or that the "Biggest part of protectin' is nurturin'." (p. 288)

[Pinar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ich bin wohl der falsche Leser, wenn ich mir die restlichen Rezensionen anschaue, die durchweg positiv sind.

Warum konnte es mich nicht überzeugen? Kurz in Stichwörtern:

- wenig Handlung
- wenig Natur- und Charakterbeschreibungen
- eindimensionale Charaktere ohne Ecken und Kanten
- zu kitschig (ich sag nur viel Gelache, Umarmungen, Witze trotz 20 jähriger Trennung und Enteignung)
- sehr unrealistisch (z.B. die Aufenthalte in Pflegefamilien, die Zeit im Gefängnis haben beim Protagonisten keine Spuren hinterlassen. Das steckt er einfach so weg. Kein Kulturschock: Das Leben in der Wildnis meistert er - trotz fehlender Erfahrung - mit Bravour)
- und leider mir zu gewollt spirituell (zu viele aufgedrängte Aussagen, die nicht in irgendwelche Handlungen selbst eingewoben sind. Eine eigene Herleitung wird dem Leser verwehrt)

[Stephanie Kelcey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautifully written book. It was filled with so many tidbits of profound truth, honesty, and simplicity. I really didn't want it to end because I felt like reading it, having a glimpse into that reality, made me better.

Richard Wagamese passed away while I was reading this. I hope he's flying with the eagles now. XO

[Mj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally finished Keeper’n Me. It has been on my possibility reading list for ages as Richard Wagamese is one of my favourite authors. Keeper’n Me was the author’s first novel published 24 years before I wrote this review.

Once I started to read the book, I took my time. The longer reading time had more to do with my savouring the book than not enjoying it. In addition, there was a lot of dialogue in the book, a great deal being slang and the use words spelt phonetically. This combination of dialogue, word choice and pronunciation made reading the book feel like listening to an oral story in my head. I could imagine the characters speaking.

At the start sometimes the book became difficult to read - the sentences seemed lengthy and the storyline rambling. This is a minimal criticism given that this happened only occasionally until I got into the rhythm of this particular book. I also recognize that it was Wagameses’s debut novel. I have been spoiled by how well he crafts words and writing in his later stories so my expectations were rather high.

Also, I think the structure made the book more difficult than it needed to be for some readers. There were only 4-5 chapters in an approximately 300 page book - something many readers do not seem to like. I have the sense that many readers also don’t like to choose their own reading stops or to stop reading before the end of a chapter. The shorter chapters like the structure of many books currently being written might have been an easy way to improve readability and likability for this book for many readers.

I’m not even sure that this almost stream-of-consciousness writing wasn’t deliberate choice or a style popular at the time the book was written. Certainly, the writing style in Keeper’n Me is much different than many of Wagamese’s other books but that is what I like so much about his body of work. Each book is unique in terms of characters, content and style. What each have in common is that Wagamese tells a good story and that he uses each story to teach his readers. A book and the story within is Wagamese’s vehicle for imparting wisdom and valuable life lessons.

Keeper'n Me is filled with native tradition, folklore and healing practices. Many were new to me so I took my time absorbing them and learned so much. I perceive that it is Wagamese's conscious intention to educate readers about native traditions. Kudos to him for doing this so well in his debut novel.

Below the Partial Review from Manitoba Historical Society shares some of the Ojibway culture and teachings as well as examples of the diaglogue and phonetic language used in the book:

Customs and practices of reserve life are woven into the story artfully. The most significant teachings come from Keeper. This book is unique in that one of the recurring themes is that of gender balance, both within the culture and within each human being. Garnet first hears of the spiritual, mental, emotional and philosophical equality that characterized his parent’s union. Later, Keeper elaborates on the term Soo-wanee-quay, meaning “power of the woman.” He says,

See, when we get sent out into the world we come here carryin’ two sets of gifts. The gifts of the father an’ gifts of the mother ... We come here carryin’ those two sets of gifts, each one equal to the other. But sometimes the world gets hold of us and makes us see diff rent way. We get told as men that we gotta be strong, gotta be fearless. Lotta us kinda start ignoring the gifts of our mother. Go through life just usin’ the gifts of the father. Bein’ tough, makin’ our own plans. Livin’ in the head. But if you do that you can’t be whole on accounta you gotta use both of them equal setsa gifts to live right, to fill out the circle of your own life. Be complete. Gotta use the mother’s gifts too. Like gentleness an’ nurturin’, livin’ in the heart. That’s where the female power comes from. Livin’ in the heart. Them that’s tryin’ to chase the female outta themselves an’ their world are chasing out half of who they are. Busy bein’ incomplete. That’s not our way (115).

If interested and you want to learn more about this book review, here is link to the full review:

http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/...

Poignant and touching describes how I felt about this book throughout and particularly when when it was nearing the. It took me full circle witnessing a difficult and fully lived life - not just Garnet Raven’s, the Me fictional character in the book but also Richard Wagamese’s. I read Keeper’n Me in the year following Wagamese’s death in 2017. One of the book’s highlights for me was the "honour" ceremony at the end of the book for Garnet Raven. It certainly caused me to pause and reflect on why Wagamese was also well deserving of honour and praise for the changes he made within himself and the courage and character he demonstrated in his own healing and writing.

Garnet’s story very much parallels Wagamese's own life. Many might call it a memoir or autobiography but I considered it fictional as marketed. Keeper'n Me reads almost like a universal story that could have been written about far too many native men during this time-frame. Whether sent to residential schools as a child, “scooped” in the sixties or removed from their birth parents for various reasons, this was a time of huge displacement for native girls and boys. Government agencies sent children far away from their families making family reunification difficult. Many were moved to residential schools and group homes to be fostered, adopted or boarded; usually with white families and attending predominately-white schools - often being the only native, or one of very few natives in their communities. The loneliness and hardship growing up this way without native mentors or any family members took a huge toll on native individuals - both male and female. Much of themselves, their history and cultural identity were lost.

I am glad I postponed reading Wagamese's first novel. As a result, I found reading about the honour ceremony and the praise for the main character's changes and accomplishments in light of Wagamese's own life difficulties to be very, very moving. Overall, I’d say Keeper’n Me was a 3 1/2 star read (quite high for a debut novel and a writer’s first foray into fiction from a long career in radio and print journalism). I rounded up however due to the wealth of valuable information in the book, the “heart” in the book itself and in its characters and how this book "touched me and made me feel.” 4 Stars

[Tinstamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Der Flug des Raben" ist der Debütroman von Richard Wagamese, jedoch bereits das dritte Buch, das auf deutsch übersetzt wurde. Leider ist der Autor, der selbst indigene Wurzeln hatte, bereits 2017 verstorben.

Der erst 3-jährige Garnet Raven wird gemeinsam mit seinen Geschwistern von den Behörden seiner Familie im Ojibway Reservat entrissen. Während die älteren Kinder zusammenbleiben dürfen und nach wenigen Jahren wieder ins Reservat zurückkehren, wird Garnet immer wieder weitergereicht. Er kommt von einer Pflegefamilie in die nächste und wächst fern der indianischen Kultur in der Großstadt auf. Als er volljährig ist, verlässt er seine Pflegefamilie und versucht seine Identität zu finden. Er selbst fühlt sich nicht wirklich als Indianer. Am meisten zugehörig fühlt er sich bei seinem schwarzen Freund Lonnie und seiner Familie. Garnet beginnt den R&B und den Blues zu lieben und lässt sich einen Afro-Look machen. Schließlich landet er als Kleinkrimineller im Gefängnis, wo we zwei Jahre bleiben muss. Zwanzig Jahre nach seiner Entführung kann seine Familie ihn endlich ausfindig machen und holt ihn zu sich ins Reservat.

Als richtiger Exot mit Plateauschuhen, grüner Schlaghose und einem Afro am Kopf steigt er aus dem Bus und wird im Dorf zum Gesprächsthema schlechthin. Garnet spricht weder die Sprache seines Stammes, noch weiß er etwas über seine Familie und die Lebensweise der Indianer. Während seine Mutter und seine Geschwister froh sind, Garnet wieder bei sich zu haben, ist für ihn alles fremd - bis ihn Keeper, ein älterer Mann seines Stammes und Freund seines Großvaters, unter seine Fittiche nimmt. Schon bald stellen die Beiden fest, dass sie jede Menge von einander zu lernen haben und sich eine ganz besondere Freundschaft entwickelt..

Richard Wagamese nimmt sich dem Thema der jungen Indianer an, die von den damaligen Behörden in Heime und zu Pflegefamilien gesteckt wurden, um sie zu "missionieren". Man beraubte sie ihrer wahren Identität, ihrem Glauben und Ritualen und versuchte sie "weiß" zu erziehen. Die jungen Menschen fühlten sich verloren und wussten kaum mehr etwas über ihre Abstammung oder der Lebensweise ihres Stammes. Viele landeten früher oder später im Gefängnis oder verfielen dem Alkohol.

In seinem Debütroman "Der Flug des Raben" steckt sicherlich sehr viel persönliches vom Autor. Er selbst wurde ebenfalls in Pflegefamilien groß und litt, wie unser Hauptprotagonist, an Identitätsverlust. Auch Wagamese fand erst mit 23 Jahren seine Familie wieder und war lange zeit auf der Suche nach sich selbst..

Im Roman wird Keeper zum spirituellen Vorbild von Garnet. Langsam führt er ihn an die eigene Kultur heran, bis er das Gefühl hat. langsam angekommen zu sein. Die Verbindung zur Natur und den Tieren ist dabei ein wesentlicher Bestandteil. Aber auch die Gemeinschaft, Liebe und Respekt sind wichtige Themen. Wir könnten uns so einige Scheiben davon abschneiden, wie man mit seiner Umwelt und seinen Mitmenschen umzugehen hat.
Wagamese nimmt uns mit auf eine philosophische Reise und bringt dem Leser die Kultur der Indianer näher. Dabei erzählt er ein einfacher und flüssiger Sprache. Er wird zum Geschichtenerzähler, wie Keeper es Garnet ebenso ans Herz legt. Es gibt ernste und philosophische Passagen, aber auch viele humorvolle.

Es ist noch gar nicht so lange her, dass wir die Schlagzeilen über einen grausamen Fund in Kanada lesen mussten, wo man Skelette von unzähligen Kindern und Jugendlichen indigener Abstammung unweit eines Pflegeheimes gefunden hat. Ein grausames Verbrechen der weißen Bevölkerung und der damaligen Behörden, das mich unheimlich wütend macht.

Fazit:
Ein ruhiger und stimmungsvoller Roman, der uns die Lebensweise und die Weiheiten der indigenen Bevölkerung näher bringt. Es ist an der Zeit die Stimme der First Nations zu hören und ich freue mich schon auf die anderen beiden Romane des Autors, die bereits bei mir eingezogen sind.

[Turquoise · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was horrible. Which was disappointing as I’ve heard great things about Richard Wagamese. It featured flat character’s, weak dialogue, humor so desperate it was pitiable, and writing which made reading this book such a tiresome chore.

The story line is one we need more of in society. Indigenous writers and voices are very important. Sadly, the execution was so awfully done and no matter how important the story line was, the fact remains it was a terrible read, (for anyone in search of eloquent and impactful Indigenous novels, ‘The Marrow Thieves’ is one I highly recommend)

[Douglas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not the first reviewer to note that as Wagamese's first novel, this is very much a case of a writer (with potential) learning their trade - and if I'm being honest I somewhat regret not giving those reviews greater heed, as "Keeper'n Me" became quite a tedious read by the end. The first 80 pages or so contain a genuinely interesting story, and made me really want to give this 3 stars at least. But Wagamese basically resolves the entire conflict by the end of Book 1 (of 4). The remaining 130 pages or so are little more than a series of purposeless vignettes and miscellaneous Ojibway spiritual teachings that only barely fit the narrative. No doubt I would appreciate the latter more if I were part of the culture, but alas I am not.

Wagamese is a talented writer, and that does come through in this novel: he has a tremendous ear for dialect, and a clear message that he wants to convey to the reader. It would appear he just needed more attempts to figure out how to get it out there.

[Sue Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderfully hilarious. It's a testament to inner spirit and the fundamental truth of finding yourself within the roots of family and traditions - when all odds are seemingly against it.

Having very distant Cree in my family made this book a little more close to my heart as it somehow resonated within me - the unbreakable family ties and the family love and the sense of humor to get you through those days that seem interminably grey and sad. Not to mention the 'papoose telegraph' that my Dad would exclaim about when my Mom happened to mention anything to her sisters and then the whole world would know. I did laugh out loud when I read that as I only thought it was my family's expression.

Great story with really warm fuzzy feelings as well as wrapped around an important message that is for everyone. Highly recommend this one!

[Marcicle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my upcoming book club in September. It was a quick and enjoyable read. Seems like a lot of the books I've read lately have related to how I'm feeling about losing my Mum. Keeper 'n Me was a story about a man re-discovering himself as a native after being raised in white foster homes. All the connections he makes between the earth and nature and human life made so much sense to me with how I'm feeling.
Nice book!

[kat.loves.books_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Cover passt wieder sehr gut zur Geschichte und ich persönlich mag schlichte und ruhige Cover immer sehr gerne, besonders wenn sie eben zur Geschichte passen - mir gefällt es also wieder mal sehr gut.

Auch der Schreibstil von Richard Wagamese konnte mich mal wieder überzeugen, auch wenn er an manchen Stellen etwas "schlicht" wirkt, übermittelt er unglaublich gut Gefühle und die beschriebenen Szenen konnte ich mir wieder gut vorstellen. Man lernt hier nicht nur den Protagonisten Garnet Raven kennen, sondern so viel mehr. Man lernt etwas über Kultur und sie suche nach Identität. All das verpackt in diesem kleinen Buch. Es ist in verschiedene Bücher aufgeteilt und nicht wirklich in Kapitel, wodurch man nicht so leicht mal kurz stoppen kann. Trotzdem lässt es sich meiner Meinung nach wirklich gut lesen und regt wieder mal zu Nachdenken an.

Insgesamt also wieder mal ein wirklich gutes Buch von Richard Wagamese, das ich gerne weiterempfehlen kann - oder eigentlich alle Bücher von ihm. Man sollte sich beim Lesen ein bisschen zeit lassen und sich voll und ganz auf die Geschichte einlassen und hin und wieder über das Geschriebene nachdenken. Bestimmt nicht mein letztes Buch von Richard Wagamese das ich lesen werde.

4,5/5 Sterne

[Leselissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zum ersten Mal seit seiner Kindheit, kehrt der junge Garnet Raven in seine Heimat, zurück.
Damals war er von seiner indianischen Familie weggeholt worden ("entführt" würde es treffender ausdrücken) und ist in weißen Pflegefamilien aufgewachsen.
Jahrelang war er wurzel- und ziellos im Leben herumgetrieben, bis er nun wieder in dem Ojibwe-Reservat landet und seine wirkliche Familie wiedertrifft.
Zuerst ist alles ungewohnt, doch mit der Zeit lernt er, was es bedeutet, sein Leben als "wahrer Indianer" zu führen. Er lernt seine Wurzeln kennen, sein Zuhause, sich selbst und wo er wirklich hingehört.
Das ist die Geschichte, die Richard Wagamese in seinem Erstlingswerk erzählt.
Es ist nicht einfach irgendeine "Indianergeschichte", sondern die eines Menschen, auf der Reise zu sich selbst. Jeder Mensch auf der Welt, der diese Reise unternimmt, kann auch diese Geschichte erzählen.

[Katharina S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Buch kommt nicht ganz an „Der gefrorene Himmel“ und „Das weite Herz des Landes“ heran, ist aber dennoch lesenswert und vielleicht ein guter Einstieg, wenn man den Autoren kennenlernen möchte, gerade weil es thematisch nicht ganz so „schwer“ ist wie die beiden anderen ins Deutsche übersetzten Romane. Wenn man sich etwas mit der Biographie Wagameses auseinandersetzt, merkt man, dass die Figur der kindlichen Garnet viele autobiographische Züge hat. Leider hat der Autor in seinem Erwachsenenleben dann wohl weit mehr zu kämpfen gehabt als der Romanheld. Man hat ein wenig das Gefühl, er hat da eine Geschichte geschrieben, die er gerne selbst so erlebt hätte. Macht nachdenklich…

[angelinakahlo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this, I knew little to nothing about Indigenous tribes in Canada.
Richard Wagamese's protagonist Garnet, a young man who was stolen from his tribe at the age of three, returns to them as an adult, not knowing anything about his cultural identity or heritage.

Willing to learn from Keeper, and elderly man who seemed to be a companion of Garnet's late grandfather, the young man starts to learn about traditions and life on the Ojibway reserve.

I loved the fact that Garnet's learning process is documented through two perspectives, his own and Keeper's, which makes it easier to gain more insight on the tribe.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of wisdom in this book that I will take with me. Some particular takeaways; trust yourself and lead with your heart, connecting with your family (including your ancestors), community and the land will fill you up more than anything else can.

[Aidan Giordano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried in the train station

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

For all its failings as a novel (lack of conflict, lack of plot, lack of relevant action, lack of subtlety, lack of likable characters) Keeper'n Me is a good sermon. It is politically correct and spiritually uplifting. What it lacks in romance, it excels in ritual to the point of becoming an interminable infomercial. Bursting at the seams with folk humour and wisdom, it teeters on the edge of parody, something the badly maligned (by Wagamese) CBC pulled off so much better with its "Dead Dog Cafe Comedy Hour." A half hour of Keeper would have been sufficient. A few hymns. A scripture. A group hug for sure. The message is one that I could applaud: the generosity and respect shown by Natives to a lost sheep returned to his fold is cause for celebration whether it's told in painfully Broken English, Ojibway, or the King James Version. I don't dispute for a second the truth of his vision, but it saddens me greatly that it falls so terribly short of what it might have been.

[John Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up as a used book while visiting my daughter in Sudbury, Ontario. I have really enjoyed several of Richard Wagamese's other novels. This was his first novel and is a somewhat autobiographical novel. Both Richard and the narrator lost their native connections as children when they were placed in foster care. The novel tells of a young boy who fled the foster care system at 16, led a nomadic lifestyle for about 5 years and eventually ending up in prison. He had formed a connection with a black family and saw himself as more black than anything else, but while he was in prison his original Native family contacted him and asked him to come visit them in a reserve north of Kenora, Ontario. Most of the book than details his connection with his Native teacher, Keeper, and his return to wholeness as he dives deeper and deeper into the lives of his family and his history. Like the others by Richard Wagamese, well worth reading.

[Liz Jansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding story from Richard Wagamese. Most of the story takes place on a remote reservation in Northern Ontario.Steeped in Ojibway culture, its teachings are universal and its message timeless.