TOP TEN TUESDAY | 🇨🇦 SOME AWESOME CANADIANS! 🇨🇦

This week’s prompt was to pick ten books with red, white and blue covers for Independence Day in the US. As I’m neither American nor in much of a mood to celebrate America at the moment (no shade to my American readers or friends – this is more of an overall grumpiness regarding the political climate), I’m doing my usual riff on the theme. Yesterday was Canada Day, and we folks north of the border have produced – and are still producing – some great literature. I started off this post planning to do two sections: some of the books I’ve read and want to read by general (i.e. mostly white) Canadian authors, and a section on books by First Nations authors I want to read. But as I started to put the post together, I realized that while there are several non-First Nations authors I’d like to mention, there is an entire post (or more) worth of First Nations authors I want to spread the word about. So I’ve decided to do both. The first section of this post is going to be all about the First Nations authors I’d like to read, while the second, smaller part is just a run-down of a few other Canadian authors I’ve loved as well as a couple of books I’m dying to read.

Part 1: Books By First Nations Authors

I said in my intro that these are books by First Nations authors I want to read. That wasn’t a mistake, because I’ve been realizing, much to my shame and disappointment, that I haven’t read nearly as much by First Nations authors as I would like to think have. I think this stems from the fact that I studied Anthropology in college and university, and I purposely chose classes that focused on First Nations peoples and issues. So I’ve read a lot of academic books and articles and done a lot of research, but I haven’t read very many fiction or general non-fiction books by First Nations people. So there are a few I have read and would recommend first, but the majority of these are ones I’ve either read part of or haven’t yet read.

A few I’ve read and recommend:

         

It has been years since I read Dance Me Outside and Kiss of the Fur Queen, so I don’t remember any specifics, other than that they were both excellent and I’d highly recommend them. If you’d like my full thoughts on The Marrow Thieves, you can find my review here.

TBR Fiction:

              

I am quite scared of The Orenda for two reasons: first, it’s so highly regarded as to be required reading for Canadians, and I’m so scared I won’t like it. Second, it has a reputation for being rather brutal! It has been up for (and won) several awards – including Canada Reads – so it’s one I very much feel as if I should read.

NOTE: Since posting this I’ve been made aware that there has been some controversy regarding Joseph Boyden and whether he is, in fact, of First Nations ancestry (and if so, whether he can claim membership to the Bands he previously claimed to be part of). I couldn’t find any definitive information either way, but wanted to mention here as, if you are looking to read/support own voices First Nations literature, Joseph Boyden may not fit that criteria, and may in fact have benefited from claiming a First Nations ancestry he does not have. If anyone has any further information on this that is relevant, please feel free to share links in the comments for the information of interested readers!

Indian Horse is another of those books I’ve seen everywhere and feel as if I really ought to read. It’s the story of a young man in a residential school who discovers an escape and future in the game of hockey.

I can’t remember how I came across Motorcycles and Sweetgrass, but it’s described as, “[a] story of magic, family, a mysterious stranger . . . and a band of marauding raccoons,” so what else do I need to know?

The Break is another Canada Reads contender, which unfortunately went out in an early round, much to my disappointment. It’s written by a Métis author, and is woman-centred story, which is a whole different perspective that needs to be seen more. I’ve also heard wonderful things about the writing, and expect it to tear my heart into tiny shreds.

         

This Accident of Being Lost is a collection of contemporary First Nations songs and poetry, and I’m really interested to see what it’s like!

Birdie is yet another Canada Reads contender, and another book that I feel as if I really ought to read. It’s supposed to be a dark comedy, and is “[p]art road trip, dream quest and travelogue, the novel touches on the universality of women’s experience, regardless of culture or race.”

The Lesser Blessed is a book I really wish I’d had when I was a teenager. It’s the story of a young teenager growing up in Canada’s North, dealing with the usual awkwardness and missteps of adolescence while also dealing with the unique challenges that face First Nations youth – particularly those in remote communities. It’s supposed to be equal parts tragedy and comedy.

TBR Non-Fiction:

               

21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act is based on a blog post, and does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s not very long, and each of the 21 things is presented in a bite-sized chunk that is accessible but also deeply distressing. I have learned a lot already from this book (I’m about a third of the way through) and it has reminded me of more I already knew but needed to be reminded of. If you doubt that Canada has treated its First Peoples appallingly because it is seen as the USA’s more benign norther cousin, read this. You will be cured of that misconception.

The Inconvenient Indian is one of the best-known non-fiction books about First Nations history. It’s written in a conversational style, which belies its deep significance and dark themes. There’s a particular brand of humour here, one born of a lifetime of learned resignation, that will often cut deeper than straight prose. It’s famous for a reason, and I plan to go back and finish it soon.

Indigenous Writes is a great place to start if you’re new to First Nations history and social issues, and don’t even know what terminology to use. It’s written by a young First Nations woman, and is designed to be approachable and informative. I’ve dropped in and out of this one, and it’s a great one to do that with if you don’t want to commit to reading a heavy (literally and figuratively) non-fiction book cover to cover.

Wab Kinew is my choice for the first First Nations Prime Minister of Canada. He (spoiler for a previous year of Canada reads if you haven’t caught up on past years yet) defended Joseph Boyden’s book The Orenda to a win for Canada Reads, and did it with humility, grace and firm insistence. He is intelligent and wise beyond his years, a born leader, and I would definitely say he’s a Canadian to watch.

             

Heart Berries is a relatively new release – it came out in March this year. It’s a memoir of a young woman who, diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar II disorder, discovers writing as a form of therapy for dealing with her trauma. I’ve heard wonderful things about this slim volume, and am looking forward to tackling it when I’m feeling like I can handle and appreciate it properly!

Up Ghost River is a harrowing account of a residential school survivor. Edmund Metatawabin was separated from his family in the early 1950s, at the age of 7, and sent to one of the worst residential schools in Canada – St. Anne’s. This is the story of how he survived, but was haunted by childhood trauma, and eventually lost his career and family to alcoholism born of this trauma. In search of healing, he found native cultural training workshops that helped him to face his PTSD and alcoholism, and move on to become a powerful voice in the fight to bring residential schools (particularly St. Anne’s) to justice and help their survivors deal with their own pasts. Not an easy read, but another one I’ve heard is well worth the read.

Children of the Broken Treaty is the story of a young Cree woman who, in pursuit of a decent education, comes up against a national history that has created a steeply uphill playing field for First Nations children, making it near impossible for them to be given even the most basic of human rights. I haven’t heard much about this one, but am intrigued to learn more.

Clearing the Plains is a historical account of how European imports (disease, politics, cultural genocide) were employed – often intentionally – to kill or disenfranchise thousands of First Nations people in the establishment of what we now know as Canada. It also looks at how these policies have often continued to create disparities in health, wealth and social treatment between First Nations and non-First Nations Canadians.

As you can see, there are a lot – and this isn’t even all of them! I know a lot of the books here seem quite depressing, and that’s no accident. But I also feel like it’s important that, as Canadians, we learn about the entirety of our country’s history. So much of it has a massive impact on life today for First Nations people, in particular, and it is only by learning about the past that we can become active participants in changing the future. It’s something that, as I talked about in the beginning of this section, I need to do more of myself. I hope some of you will be inspired by this list to pick up some of these books yourselves, and I’d very much appreciate any other recommendations for books by and about First Nations authors you have to share in the comments!

Part 2: Books By Non-First Nations Authors

Some of my favourites:

               

I put J-Pod here, but you could just as well swap in any of half a dozen of Douglas Coupland’s books and I’d be just as happy. I haven’t reviewed all his books on the blog because some of them pre-dated it, but if you search Douglas Coupland you can see those I have. He’s not only Canadian, but from my neck of the woods, so there’s an extra draw for me there.

If I Fall, If I Die is one of my all-time favourite books. It’s got wonderful characters that you will root for, a bit of mystery, some social commentary and lots of love and hope. Check out my full review here.

Though better known for Station Eleven, I was pleasantly surprised by Emily St. John Mandel’s debut, Last Night In Montreal. It’s a literary thriller – and when I say that, I mean it’s a fairly even split between the two. I expect some readers would come away from it thinking it was straight literary fiction, while others would have been much more focused on the mystery aspect and that would be their take-away. Here’s my full review.

Miriam Toews’ loosely autobiographical novel All My Puny Sorrows is one that, though I read it years ago, I still have not recovered from. It deals with family, love, mental illness and grief, but does so with a kind of cock-eyed humour that isn’t really apparent until you’ve finished the book. There is a lot of subtlety here, and lots to make you re-think some of your assumptions about life and death. Full review here.

Some on the top of my TBR:

               

I have to admit I’ve not yet read any Michael Ondaatje, but I suspect I ought to. I don’t know much about this one yet, except that its premise (a family is divided when the parents leave for another country and the children are cared for by an odd lodger – hijinks ensue) is just absurd enough to intrigue me.

The Lonely Hearts Hotel has received some rather mixed reviews, so I’m curious to find out a little more for myself. I’ve not yet made it through the entirety of any of Heather O’Neill’s books, but I really ought to give it another shot.

I have heard next to nothing about The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore, but it’s set in my part of Canada, it seems a good summer read, and I scored a signed copy from my local bookstore before it closed. So I really have no excuse (except my usual lack of time) not to give it a try!

I’ve been meaning to read Ivan Coyote for years. I saw them speak back in the day, and was deeply impressed, but for some reason I’ve just never managed to get around to reading any of their books. I think this memoir might be a good place to start. Here’s a quote from the blurb: “Tomboy Survival Guide is a funny and moving memoir told in stories, in which Ivan recounts the pleasures and difficulties of growing up a tomboy in Canada’s Yukon, and how they learned to embrace their tomboy past while carving out a space for those of us who don’t fit neatly into boxes or identities or labels.” Sold.

I’m going to be updating this post with a list of other Canadian authors I recommend or want to check out. I’m also going to add some links to lists, posts, articles, bloggers and BookTubers who highlight CanLit and have served as great resources for me to find more Canadian authors to check out! It’s getting a bit too late for me to do so now, however, so please check back for more over the next day or two!

Phew. Well I don’t know about you, but I’m about ready bed after that! Hopefully there’s something here that will pique your interest and get you to try at least one new book from my part of the world. I’d love to hear which books by Canadians you have read and loved, and which you are looking forward to picking up!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.