Tea & Talk Book Club / March 2016

Place. Illuminates a shadowy moment in Canada's history.

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 French through my entire school career. Nothing is held back in terms of the brutality and violence, but I think he does an amazing job of making the reader understand why each group commits these acts.

The fact that Boyden's claims to Metis heritage are dubious is very disappointing, but he is still an incredible writer who does meticulous research -I recommend this book for all Canadians and anyone who loves historical fiction with literary quality writing.

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 in me. But I felt that only two adequately represented the Hurons’ and the Jesuits’ historical perspective, and that the Iroquois were cast as the villains and were not really represented in the character of Snow Falls. Despite having to take a break now and then from the excruciatingly detailed brutality, I was left with a thread of hope. As for the orenda, the spiritual magic of the natives, I suspect that the Jesuits’ (ie, colonials’) judgments of it as evil still persists to this day.

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 resulted in so much pain over the centuries.

As this was my selection for bookclub, I looked for author interviewed to understand more about the story and the background. The Canada Reads debates shed light on why this book matters in a broader sense. To paraphrase Wab Kinew, giving the indigenous voices a chance to tell their stories is the only way to begin undoing the damage of colonization.

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 now. There are 3 different view points in the story. Bird, Snow Falls, and Christophe/Crow. The two that were the most difficult to distinguish were Bird and Snow Falls, as they are written in the same style.
2. I found the ending flat and circular, I suppose that was kind of the point of the story, in that it expresses the simplicity of death, however after such a long book it would have been nice to have a more concrete ending.
3. Although I know a lot of people liked the book for this reason, I found the intense scenes of violence to distract me from the story, as I dont usually read books of this nature.

There were parts of the story that I did enjoy, the depiction of native life and culture, as well as the importance of showing the problems with colonization. I also really enjoyed the chapter which described a traditional game of lacrosse, as well as Snow Falls and her raccoon, The chapters from the viewpoint of Snow Falls; I found were the most enjoyable.

You would like this book if you like realistic historical fiction, violence or realistic depiction of death, native culture, Canada, or missionaries.

I read this book for the Amnesty International Canada bookclub.

Could it be sent to the Glen Abbey branch please

Set in the 1670s, in the time of early French settlement in Canada amidst the internecine conflict between Iroquois and Huron, The Orenda is a tense and brutal tale of death and survival in a rapidly changing world. The novel opens with a desperate but ambivalent flight across a snowbound landscape. Christophe, the Jesuit missionary, and Snow Falls, an Iroquois girl, have just been captured by Bird and his band of Huron Indians. Having just killed Snow Fall’s family, the Huron or Wendat are escaping from a band of enemy Iroquois bent on revenge. Bird, the main Wendat war leader, is himself driven by revenge for his own family murdered by the Iroquois. Through several points of view the novel examines the shifting alliances between native peoples and the French, amidst the devastating effect of disease on the native population. The captivating character of Gosling, a powerful independent woman with magical powers adds depth and unforgettable poignancy. The story is a snapshot of a brief and turbulent time in North American history and serves as a kind of monument to that troubled time.

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.

Brilliant even if it is more than a little uncomfortable