Comments (59)

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1 to 25 of 59 items
Nov 05, 2023
Just for the record, Joseph Boyden is not Anishinaabe, Ojibway, Nipmuc, Mi'kmaq, Métis, First Nations, Native, Indigenous, or anything other than a White descendant of European immigrants. That doesn't mean his work has no value, but do…
Nov 05, 2023janetski rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
OK if you like to read graphic descriptions of people cutting off each other's fingers and roasting each other alive. I couldn't get through it and stopped about half way through the book.
Mar 23, 2022Huntsville1 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
History of my childhood! The stories, the names, the land, the places - also familiar. These are the natives I grew up knowing - possibly people of my past. Brutal, familiar, true, real. - things we didn’t know we knew.
Apr 09, 2021ryner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This affecting historical fiction, set in the first half of the 17th century, takes place in what is now Canada at a time when Huron and Iroquois are in the midst of a series of ongoing retaliatory attacks. Complicating matters, French…
Aug 26, 2019
Tea & Talk Book Club / March 2016
Feb 11, 2019
Place. Illuminates a shadowy moment in Canada's history.
Mar 21, 2018KristineLeger rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book and Boyden's other novels as well. I found the characters came alive for me and made the history alive in a way I hadn't experienced before, in spite of learning about the region and the indigenous relationships with the…
Mar 26, 2017sgcf rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Boyden is a brilliant author. Over the course of the book he has crafted a gradual shift in each of the three main characters. His telling of the story from alternating points of view of these three characters developed an empathy for each…
Jan 29, 2017spiderfelt_0 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This powerful book brought to life a period of history I have not encountered since my elementary textbooks. For the first time, three sides of the story were allowed to speak, bringing to light the conflicting world views which have…
Jan 07, 2017csrestall rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I found the premise of this novel promising, however I am giving it a two for various reasons. 1. I found the view points in some sections confusing. There were 3 or 4 times where I had to stop and think okay, whose viewpoint am I in…
Sep 21, 2016
Could it be sent to the Glen Abbey branch please
May 13, 2016rheal4 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This was a captivating book about Canadian history. A time when Jesuits were trying to convert the natives. I didn't want to put it down.
Apr 18, 2016superglu2 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Brilliant even if it is more than a little uncomfortable
Mar 11, 2016ZacharyD rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The Orenda is an historically accurate and intriguing tale of the interactions between the Huron, Iroquois, and Jesuit missionaries in early Canada. Rife with the atrocities of man, The Orenda is a depiction of the strength of the human…
Jan 24, 2016dlh1 rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
All of the books that are written from the viewpoint of "the Original Peoples of Canada" have the belief that life here would have been glorious if Europeans hadn't discovered America. What they fail to recognize is that, if it hadn't…
Jan 18, 2016dbourgon rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Good story depicting early native life when the French arrived in Canada. Graphic details.
Dec 08, 2015shelleyfisher rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
All three books in the series are wonderful. Donate to his cause!
Sep 30, 2015cheistek rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A must read for those interested in understanding. Yes, it is graphic and brutal. Excessive? I wouldn't know would I? Being raised R.C. in the fifties, I certainly had a different view of our colonial history. Through this novel, I…
Jul 13, 2015Sahallee rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is an outstanding work of historical fiction and highly recommended. It is worthy of legend status and is one to be remembered.
May 24, 2015Catmamakim rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A descriptive and graphic portrayal of interactions among Native Aboriginal groups as well as European settlers in Canada's early days. The beauty of the land shines through while the brutal torture inflicted by the Aboriginals is…
Apr 04, 2015samhg rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Boyden's books always take me a little more effort in the beginning, but once I hit that certain point, I'm always spellbound. The Orenda was a devastatingly raw read, the type that makes you sit there for a few minutes at the very end,…
LyndaLovelyWright
Feb 03, 2015LyndaLovelyWright rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
very graphic tale of Native American Tribes and Jesuit Missionaries. Too Graphic-Much torture. Maybe realistic but could not read. Did not finish.
Dec 24, 2014pocojj rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Oops... Intended to give it four stars, not 2 1/2. A bit brutal but probably very real. Author seems to give a good picture of the native customs and the trials of the missionaries who had been "sent" by France to convert the natives.…
Dec 08, 2014John_M rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Provides an interesting view of life of indian tribes during the early settlement of North America by Europeans. There were times when I found the issues raised were somewhat cliche ridden, in particular the wrongs suffered by the…
Nov 14, 2014Bill_R rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Well written, probably what 17th century life was really like, with shifts in POV that force you to pay attention. However I was worn down halfway through by torture descriptions and a plot that didn't seem to be going anywhere…