I read this book in one sitting and appreciated the motivation, courage and effort involved in the writing of it. It added to my understanding of what happened to the people forced into the residential school system and the effects on them and their families and culture. Particularly interesting to me was the author's insights into how residential school survivors became victims of "Stockholm Syndrome" (before that term was coined) - how they saw their "keepers" as saviours and blamed their parents for abandoning them and themselves as worthy of abandonment.

I do share Mr. Fontaine's view of apologies and had the same thoughts as he when Stephen Harper delivered the apology on behalf of Canada on June 11, 2008 - that an apology makes the apologizer feel better and frees them from the burden of their guilt at wrongdoing; it does not make the person to whom the apology is owed feel better. But, at least, the apology validates the fact that the apology is owed.

I got the sense that the writing of this book was not something instrumental in the author's own healing process; but that he had written it to give others validation of their own experiences, knowledge that they are not alone and, hopefully, the courage to persevere.

At the Odeena Sharing Circle. In the spirit of reconciliation, I've included a bookmark of red, black, white and yellow ribbon.

To the finder of this book:

This book was released for the 2012 Canada Day release challenge running from June 23 to July 2 in celebration of Canadian books and authors. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Canada Day!

Welcome to the wonderful and wacky world of BookCrossing! Here you'll find a unique and worldwide community of book lovers sharing their books. This book is now yours! Read it, enjoy it. Keep it or pass it on to someone you know or even release it back into the wild as I did. If you make a journal entry (either anonymously or as a BookCrossing member) all previous readers of this book will be notified by e-mail and can follow this book on its travels. BookCrossing is free to join, completely confidential (you are known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your email address) and it's a whole lot of fun!

One of the major things I learned from the book was with regards to the author's childhood prior to being forced into the residential school experience. It made me realize how important the early years of his life had been and how those years helped him cope throughout his life.

There has been much discussion in the last number of years about the residential school experience and I have tried to understand it as best as I could. However, this book brought the issue from the general to the specific and as a result I have come to a more empathetic understanding. I wish that many more would write about their experience so that it might lead to a more compassionate interaction between aboriginal and others.