Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden
Fifteen years after the death of their patriarch Xavier, the Bird Clan finds itself struggling to survive on the hardscrabble reservation they call home. On Christmas Day, the youngest of the clan, a beautiful young woman called Suzanne leaves by snowmobile with her boyfriend Gus Netmaker, against both families' wishes, hoping to find purpose and a better life in Toronto. When word from Suzanne and Gus suddenly ceases, the Netmakers and Birds fear the worst and tensions between the two families escalate to violent levels. Suzanne's sister Annie, a loner and a hunter, decides to leave home for the very first time to search for them, leaving behind their uncle Will, a man haunted by loss. While Annie travels from Toronto to New York, from modeling studios to A-list parties, Will encounters dire troubles at home. Both eventually come to painful discoveries about the inescapable ties of family. THROUGH BLACK SPRUCE paints aboriginal life in a contemporary world, full of the dangers, desperation and harsh beauty of both the forest and the city. It's an utterly unforgettable consideration of the search for identity and the strength of family love.
'Joseph Boyden's novel is, simply, beautiful: you will lose yourself in the richness of its prose and the ever-deepening puzzles it inveigles you intoTHROUGH BLACK SPRUCE is fluent, involving fiction, and as good an advertisement as any for unforgiving wilderness living.' -- Tim Teeman THE TIMES 'This complex and interesting novel is all about strong family bonds.' HOT STARS 'a remarkable view into a lost world dismantled so brutally by the white 'wemestikushu'... Boyden guides us through customs, mythologies and rituals that attend life in the bush.' TLS 'mesmerising. In the wild, dreams are prophetic and spiritual truths revealed... his characters are most moving when revelations occur in small, quite moments.' -- Julie Wheelwright THE INDEPENDENT 'It is a powerful novel of place and the ties that bind families... A fine achievement, Through Black Spruce is extraordinary.' IRISH EXAMINER 'love, betrayal and loss in the wild and frozen Canadian wilderness. A strangely haunting read.' CHOICE 'Alternating between life at its most elemental and most decadent, Boyden's tale skilfully reflects the Indians' struggle to embrace modern society.' -- Anthony Gardner MAIL ON SUNDAY
Joseph Boyden is a Canadian with Irish, Scottish, and Metis roots. His first novel, THREE DAY ROAD, has been published in ten languages. It was shortlisted for the Governor Generals Award for Fiction. He divides his time between Northern Ontario and Louisiana, where he teaches writing at the University of New Orleans.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780297848417 |
| ISBN 10 | 0297848410 |
| Title | Through Black Spruce |
| Author | Joseph Boyden |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Orion Publishing Co |
| Year published | 2009-03-12 |
| Number of pages | 368 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |