It was therefore interesting to see that many of the Native women in this story chose white partners who (other than the Métis cop's abusive father) all seemed like decent men (also interesting that so many of the Native men retreated to the bush, unsuited to city life and domestic demands). Prior, whose documentary photographic practice is rooted in the street, found himself stalking the once-bustling commercial districts of his city, absorbing the moment when conventional ideas around daily life, from the personal to the political, were upended and a global dialogue emerged around health, welfare, race, civil rights, the economy, and ultimately the future. The result is a book that is at times emotionally demanding, funny, suspenseful, and always engaging. A big thank you to Edelweiss, House of Anansi Press and Katherena Vermette for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

There is also some discussion of the struggles of being between both cultures, in the person of a Metis police officer. He still loves her, he’s just taking a break – from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. It therefore has the elements of a “grand theme” that renders it essential reading, like Uncle Tom’s Cabin did many years ago in the United States. We are also given the perspective of Scott who is hellbent on ‘solving’ this case, to the point where he disregards the magnitude of what the girl has experienced (pushing her to talk even if she shows signs of distress etc.

The subject matter is tough; the book opens with an assault and then deals with the aftermath amongst the women in the family. The story is told in series of shifting narratives, people who are connected both directly and indirectly with the victim, the police, family all tell their own stories leading up to that fateful night and this is where my difficulty began with the book.

It comes out in the USA on March 6, 2018, but can we please work toward a speedier USA pub date from such lauded Canadian titles? She does set up scenes visually, placing characters and creating a viewpoint for the reader, but there’s no lack of emotional literacy. The large cast of characters can be difficult to keep straight in the beginning, but their voices, stories, and relationships feel incredibly realistic, with each character baring their flaws, fears, struggles, and hopes in a way that resonated with me. It begins with a very violent assault, late at night, on a snowy strip of land (known as "the break") that separates two neighbourhoods in North End Winnipeg.Vermette is telling us that, even when you are sorted enough to qualify as a social worker, your life can still be chaotic.

Her first book, North End Love Songs (The Muses Company), won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry. My Canadian reads so far in 2018 have been The Boat People by Sharon Bala and Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry. Originally derived from seven seconds of a soul B-side, the sample proliferated with the rise of hip hop in the 1980s and became a staple of drum and bass and jungle music. This was the book that should have won Canada reads, my apologies to André Alexis, but this was the book that could help to heal Canada. Due to that, I, unfortunately wasn’t all that invested in the characters as much as I would have liked.

Vermette’s poetry is very accessible and North End Love Songs is actually a brilliant companion to this debut novel (and may, in some ways, explain why this feels like such an accomplished work, as much of the work was actually begun there I imagine) so I think you would find it an exception as well. When the police finally arrive – the younger one keen, the older one dismissive of this crime committed on the strip of land which divides the up and coming white neighbourhood from the indigenous – the only evidence is a pool of blood. The bit that you don’t discuss (thank you, says the spoilerphobe in me) is breathtaking in its complexity. The author also shows the effects upon the women and their children of the effects of the denigration and abuse from the wider culture.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of here but with the help of an illustration of the family tree I didn’t have too much trouble keeping track of all the characters involved. The things I liked about this novel were the realism of the situation, the strong women, and the family unity that is shown as they come together to support these young women. As well as capturing when staff start and end the working day, this book also captures the times your staff sign out and back in during their lunch break.This added suspense to the story as I pieced together how the characters were connected to the crime. But when they arrive, no one is there, scuff marks in the compacted snow the only sign anything may have happened. Her NFB short documentary, this river, won the Coup de Coeur at the Montreal First Peoples Festival and a Canadian Screen Award. Although we are given insight into his experiences I had a hard time sympathizing with him as his voice stood out (and not in a good way) from the rest.