Carol’s Comments (group member since Jul 17, 2014)

Carol’s comments from the UOIT FED Book Club group.

This novel is about the spirit of a people - particularly the life forces of Bird, Snow Falls, & Christophe. Based on the intricate story Boyden unfolds I will have to read his other books!

From The Quill & Quire (2013):
... Can the demonization of European colonial powers (the French in this instance) and the cultural genocide they were responsible for exist alongside the possibility that their motives were in essence compassionate? These are dangerous and turbulent waters, but Boyden – himself of native Canadian ancestry – dives in with remarkably vigorous yet lyrical prose.

The history may be complicated, but the novel’s narrative is relatively simple: three characters take the reins and the story, set in the early 17th century, unfolds more or less chronologically. In no particular order, the narrators are: Christophe, a Francophone Jesuit missionary; Snow Falls, an Iroquois teen of the Haudenosaunee nation kidnapped by the Wendats (a Huron nation); and Bird, a warrior mourning (and avenging) the deaths of his wife and two daughters at the hands of the Iroquois.

Boyden utilizes the tripartite narrative to examine what all three characters learn about themselves and others – and, in turn, what we learn about “them” and “us,” then and now...

Children of the Creator (2010) by Cliff Standingready, Standing Buffalo Warrior

A haunting yet healing story of one man's journey. Standingready describes a silent childhood, a spirit war, stories of his warrior friends & family, and raw tales of his relationships. Themes of identity and healing are found among connections to Mother Earth, the Creator, and his Seven Generations. While "words get in the way", this story ends in dancing.

Cliff donated copies of his story last year. They are in my office on the 4th floor if anyone would like to borrow one!