20.12m: A Short Story Collection of a Life Lived as a Road Allowance Métis

by Arnolda Dufour Bowes, Andrea Haughian (Illustrator )

20.12m: A Short Story Collection of a Life Lived as a Road Allowance Métis celebrates and acknowledges the humble living conditions of Métis Road Allowance families and it exemplifies their grit and tenacity to survive and indeed succeed in the face of so many hardships. “20.12m” refers to the narrow width of many of the road allowances throughout the prairies. This unoccupied crown land became one of the meagre options for many impoverished Métis families as so few owned land.

In this passionate coming of age book, Arnolda Dufour Bowes honours the true-life experiences of her father, Arnold Charles Dufour, a resident of the Punnichy, Saskatchewan Road Allowance community. The strength of the oral tradition has kept these stories solidly in place in Arnolda’s memory. Weaving true elements with those drawn from her own creativity, these five engaging stories share a lived experience that is little-known to most Canadians. This collection of cherished remembrances of this Métis family will also strongly resonate with many other Métis families who lived similar lives. In keeping with the family focus, Arnolda’s sister, Andrea Haughian, skillfully complements these poignant stories with expressive illustrations, which both honour and richly portray road allowance life.

Genres: Indigenous, Short Stories

73 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Tamara Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this down. Arnolda writes in such a clever and empathetic way. The stories are short, heartfelt, entertaining but extremely moving. Many pages caused my eyes to well with tears, but it was from the underlying strength, survival instincts and empowerment her characters (family) displayed throughout relentless hardship. I am better for reading this and will recommend it for our Indigenous Learning library at work. The art work was beautiful and a lovely addition to each collection. Please write more!

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a delightful -- and often sorrowful -- little collection of stories, and it concerns a corner of Canadian Indigenous history of which I was unaware. My main issue is that it was TOO short...I was just beginning to get into the collection and the backstory of its characters...when suddenly it was over! The best story is the last one, with the Ukrainian landlady...but I would have liked many more.

[Colleen Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wee book packs a powerful punch. By describing her father's story, the reader is given a good description of the Metis experience in Saskatchewan in the 1940's and sometime after WWII. It is a warm, simple, hopeful story of survival and strength. It emphasizes the importance of self-worth and having people believe in you. It could be read by all ages. The artwork added that little something extra.

[Julia Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of stories accompanied by beautiful works of art. I found the stories great to someone who didn’t know much about the road allowance. I enjoyed the photo gallery at the end that displayed all the characters in their real lives.

[Anneke Alnatour · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of road allowance Metis, and that is definitely something that I will take from this book moving forward.

[Devynn Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short read. My family has a history tied to the road allowance and reading this reminded me of old stories from my grandma. The artwork in the book is beautiful.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never understood the Road allowance people , it is a term I heard of but never grasped Thank you for this quick but powerful read

[Blanche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Library book - Wonderful collection of short stories. Well done👍

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indigenous writer high plains book award winner. It was a great book with beautiful artwork.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well told stories that educated, entertained and broke my heart. The beautiful artwork added an extra layer to the experience. I’m so glad I read this book.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this collection of short stories. I felt so much emotion for each character with each one and wanted to continue reading about them. The little yellow house at the end was my favourite.