a novel about four Cree brothers

sent by mail to the winner of the International Canadian Literature Sweepstakes

Thanks NorthernLights. I haven't heard of this author before. I sometimes think that you know more about aboriginal Canadian writing than anyone in Canada. I look forward to reading this.

I've never been to Lac La Ronge but reading this book, which is set in and around Lac la Ronge, makes me think it would be lovely to visit. I have been to Thompson in northern Manitoba which is at around the same latitude and once you get out of the city the bush surrounds you. The water in the lakes and rivers is pure and cold and the air is also pure (and quite often cold).

Four Cree brothers were separated by the child welfare authorities after their father killed their mother. Jimmy was the oldest child and he remembers the most about their way of life when the family was together. Jimmy is now a trapper, a lifestyle he likes because it takes him away from civilization for long periods of time. Charles lives in La Ronge but he has become an alcoholic. Edward works as a miner in a remote location but flies back to either Prince Albert or La Ronge every other week. Henry is a Legal Aid lawyer. Jimmy and Henry both have girlfriends but Charles' wife has left him and Edward is divorced. One gets the feeling that none of these brothers is easy to love. Despite their youthful separation the four men do care for each other and are happy to see each other when their paths cross.

When Jimmy is bit by an animal on his trapline he doesn't think too much about it but that bite puts into motion a series of events that leads to the death of many people. Jimmy's girlfriend thinks he contracted rabies from the animal but the elders believe that a wetiko has come back to earth and is trying to turn Jimmy into one. Wetikos are malignant spirits and the only way of stopping one is to shoot the person through the heart. In his lucid times Jimmy doesn't want to become a wetiko but he doesn't know how to get away from his fate. Will his brothers help him?

There's a lot to grasp in this litle book. My brain had trouble keeping all the minor characters straight. I also found that the shifts between characters was somewhat abrupt but I think that was a deliberate choice for the author. It added to the suspense that was being built up as the RCMP close in on Jimmy. I found a few grammatical mistakes and a couple of times when the plot seemed to skip but those are minor cavils. All in all a wonderful read and a new writer to seek out.

Thanks NorthernLights for introducing me to Harold Johnson. I will reserve this book for the 2013 Canada Days release challenge.

We found this "Birding Hot Spot" purely by chance as we wandered some side roads near Madison SD. This was the last day of our camping stay at Lake Herman State Park and we were a little disappointed that we hadn't seen any herons yet. Well, maybe that was because they were all here. I counted 7 herons that I could see from the south side viewing area where I left this book.

This release is for the 2013 Canada Days release challenge which seeks to get Canadian books into the hands of new readers.