As I Enfold You in Petals

The Spirit of Denendeh #2

by Richard Van Camp, Scott B. Henderson (Illustrator), Nickolej Villiger (Letterer)

Newly sober, Curtis searches for healing in the ancient cultural practices of his Tłıcho Dene grandfather. But will the Little People answer his call?

Curtis has returned to Fort Smith, six weeks sober. He doesn’t have any sober friends, his mom’s still drinking, and his best friend (and secret crush) Lacey probably is too. Still, he’s determined to abstain from alcohol and help his people. Along the way, he might just be able to help himself.

Louis, Curtis’s late grandfather, was a healer. Legend has it, Louis made a deal with the Little People that gave him the power to heal. No one has heard from the Little People since Louis’s death, but his cabin may hold the key for them to return. There’s only one Benny the Bank stands in the way.

An infamous bootlegger, Benny has profited off Fort Smith’s pain for decades. After being critically wounded in an attempt on his life, Benny knows he doesn’t have much time before the poison in his blood takes him. He also happens to own Louis’s cabin.

Can Curtis convince Benny to return the home that once belonged to Louis? Will the Little People answer Curtis’s call? And can Benny find a way to make amends and leave a legacy he can be proud of?

A stunning, fast-paced graphic novel, "As I Enfold You in Petals" will keep readers riveted until the last page.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Indigenous, Young Adult, Comics, Fiction, Mythology, Magic

61 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2023

About the author

A Dogrib (Tlicho) Dene from Fort Smith, NWT, Richard Van Camp is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author. He is the author of the novel, The Lesser Blessed, a collection of short stories, Angel Wing Splash Pattern, and two children’s books with Cree artist, George Littlechild. His new baby book: Welcome Song for Baby: A Lullaby for Newborns is the official selection of the Books for BC Babies program and is being given to every newborn baby in British Columbia in 2008. His new novel, Blessing Wendy, will be released in the fall of 2009 through Orca Book Publishers. Richard was awarded Storyteller of the Year for both Canada and the US by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. You can visit Richard at his website: www.richardvancamp.org.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This follow-up to A Blanket of Butterflies fleshes out the lives of the previously introduced Dene inhabitants of Fort Smith in Canada's Northwest Territories as it follows a new lead character. Curtis has returned to town after a stint in rehab and seeks to reestablish his family's tradition of healing the sick. To do that he will need to solicit help from Benny the Bank, the crime figure who played the heavy in the first book.

Where A Blanket of Butterflies left a little ambiguity as far as the spiritual aspects of the story, this one goes all in on the supernatural beings with whom Curtis is also seeking rapprochement. That tack doesn't work quite as well for me, but this is still a worthy entry with some powerful moments in what I hope will be a long series about this community.

[Lio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gentle and reverent. I would happily read a hundred more entries in this series.

More particularly, I find the storytellers' dedication to showing each character as full and flawed to be extremely appealing. You could loosely name anyone as "good" or "bad" if you really wanted, but doing so would be a reductive disservice to their experience and character.

Excellent writing, and absolutely stunning artwork.

[Kayleigh Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in The Spirit of Denendeh series. Each book is standalone, but all take place in the same world in Fort Smith, NWT. You can read in any order, but there are some continuing characters from the first to the second graphic novel. Also, the art is so stunning, and at the end of the second book, it goes into how the panels are made, which was a cool look behind the scenes.

This one focuses more on healing, recovery, and reclaiming culture as we follow Curtis as he returns from rehab and wants to find a way to bring people together. Benny the Bank returns in this one and reflects on changing his life to become the leader the community needs. My main takeaway from this graphic novel, a theme that continues on from the first, is that it’s never too late to forgive yourself or others. It’s never too late to do the right thing, to rectify wrongs, when your heart is open and led with love.

Thank you so much HighWater Press and Zg Stories for this gifted copies. I just can’t say enough good things about this series and I think everyone should read these to immerse yourself in Tłįcho Dene ways of knowing and being.

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read volume one and two close together.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curtis has returned to his grandfather’s home, so that he can heal people with the help of the spirits and little people that helped his grandfather heal. He has to get the house back from Benny the Bank, who turns it over to him, because he has found his missing rolodex watch. Curtis doesn’t care about the watch. He only cares about bringing the healing to his community.

This is actually the second book in this series, but you don’t have to have read the other one. This is a story in itself, and with some beautiful imagery. I like how we don’t really have a redemption arc for Benny the Bank. Even though he is controlling, he is still saved, when he gets sick and nearly dies. It is almost as though it is more important to heal, rather than redeem.
I love the images, and the story. It is a difficult book to read, because of the pain that Curtis has gone through to get to this place, but that makes the story all the better in the end.
This book came out on April 25, 2023.

THanks to Edelweiss and the Highwater Press for making this book available for an honest review.

[Rachel Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this out from the library without realizing it was the second volume of the series, but still enjoyed it. I especially appreciated how coherent the plot was and how visually distinct the characters were so I didn't mix any of them up, as many graphic novels struggle with both points. I look forward to finding the rest of the volumes and reading them in the proper order.

[Jaclyn Hillis]

This story follows a different main character, but we see some returning characters. Curtis has returned to Fort Smith, six weeks sober and searching for healing in the ancient cultural practices of his Tłıcho Dene grandfather. There are some supernatural elements in this volume, and I enjoyed the healing journey.

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loosely connected to Volume 1 in terms of some characters, but it can also stand alone as a novel. I liked the first Volume better, but the story is fine. In these books, I've also really enjoyed the afterwards about some of the history such as the history of tattoos among Indigenous people.

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am posting the same review as volume one as both books are mirrors of each other and yet, radically different. I am curious how things will work out as only one character from book one shows up in volume two in a significant way (though two minor characters are added as well; though if you look closely you can see one character from volume one in a group setting). The two issues I have with the book is the first is the character of Crow is awkward at times but still interesting (looking forward to finding out more about them). And the second is there was a teasing to what the tattoos mean, but did not feel complete. Or in my opinion it was a generalization of what things could mean and not the specifics. The biggest difference between volumes one and two is that magic is real and obvious in book two.

Read volumes one and two together (and in order). The world of the Dene comes to life within the pages. The story can be a smidgen disjointed, we somewhat start in the middle of things, but it keeps you moving along. It is not a quick read though it is easy to read on the surface. The art is what drew me in. There is both a darkness and lightness to it. It can feel coarse and smooth. And is emotional but matter of fact. Strong triggers alcoholism and mental abuse.

[Jack Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard to determine from a second volume, but this visually pleasant book suggests the possibility of a strong story.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Spirit of Denendeh series of graphic novels by Richard Van Camp, Scott B. Henderson, and Donovan Yaciuk explores the interconnected lives of Tłı̨chǫ Dene people living in Fort Smith, NWT, a town in Northern Canada. Each book has a different focus but they all touch on themes of culture, community, and healing.

Volume 2, As I Enfold You in Petals, follows a few of the side characters from volume 1 and focuses on spirituality, hope, and breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma. Just like in volume 1, the art is excellent, and I appreciated the focus on ancient cultural practices. It was interesting and powerful to experience the spiritual aspects of this book.

Extra context is provided at the back of the book to further explain aspects of the story that are based on real cultures, and it was great to read about the intentional choices made in telling this story.

My thanks to HighWaterPress for sending me a copy to review.

[Michelle Huber · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: alcoholism, addiction, family loss, grief

Thank you to Highwater Press for sending this book for review!

I have to admit I had a harder time reading this, since I didn't read the first volume, HOWEVER, it is easy enough to follow along that I admired the story and artwork regardless.

Curtis is six weeks sober, desperate to turn things around and bring the town back to what it was when his grandfather was alive. Even making a deal with Benny, the town muscle to get his grandfather's log cabin back and to bring the little people back to heal again.
I LOVED the art for this, which really helped tie the story together. My favorite piece is the two big brothers outside the log cabin while Crow looks on. The story is beautifully told, and you really want the underdog to succeed.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This graphic novel is part of a series. I read it without having read the previous entries, and it was not detrimental. The story follows Curtis as he returns home and attempts to settle back in while staying sober and helping his community. Curtis tries to connect to his roots and his grandfather's traditional methods of healing.
This is a good book for anyone who is interested in native stories.

[Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fast paced graphic novel keeps readers engrossed as they follow Curtis’ journey to maintaining his sobriety and helping others in his home community.

Filled with powerful artwork and a moving story As I Enfold You in Petals is a story many might find familiar and one that needs to be shared.

Thank you to the Publisher for giving me access to the eARC.

[Stephanie Sloan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this graphic novel. I won the physical copy in a giveaway & read it immediately. I enjoyed the indigenous representation and learning about their culture and language as the story continued. I like the character of Curtis/Runt and his willingness to help those around himself in his community. Definitely going to give this many more reads and check out more of the series as well.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a physical copy of this graphic novel as a part of a Goodreads Giveaway. This isn't a typical genre for me, however, this was a beautifully illustrated and entertaining read. The storyline is emotionally engaging and without any context to this novel as I haven't read any prior parts of the series, it was easy to follow and understand as a standalone read.