Friday, December 21, 2012

Indian Horse

Saul Indian Horse is dying. Tucked away in a hospice high above the clash and clang of a big city, he embarks on a marvellous journey of imagination back through the life he led as a northern Ojibway, with all its sorrows and joys. With compassion and insight, author Richard Wagamese traces through his fictional characters the decline of a culture and a cultural way. For Saul, taken forcibly from the land and his family when he's sent to residential school, salvation comes for a while through his incredible gifts as a hockey player. But in the harsh realities of 1960s Canada, he battles obdurate racism and the spirit-destroying effects of cultural alienation and displacement. Indian Horse unfolds against the bleak loveliness of northern Ontario, all rock, marsh, bog and cedar. Wagamese writes with a spare beauty, penetrating the heart of a remarkable Ojibway man.
I love this book! Like the blurb says it deals with the harsh realities of the 1960s Canada, the racism, cultural alienation.  What we learn in school does not cover this, yes we knew they took children from their parents. Tried to take their beliefs from them, tried to take their spirit, and in many cases their innocence and our schools don't teach us this.  This book gave me some insight, on how bad it really was.  I know alot of people don't want to talk about this, many deem this to be still very sensitive, but it needs to be done.  It was wrong, very wrong.  I want to thank Mr Wagamese for letting me experience it with his beautiful words.

Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese (5/5) Fiction; Published: Douglas & McIntyre (2012); New Author; New Release; Favorite Read 2012; Canada Reads; Canada Reads 2013; Library; Books 2012 (57);

1 comment:

Jules said...

I never heard of the book until it was announced on Canada Reads. And even after reading the back blurb, and preview chapters, I was still holding back on this one, but after the reviews, this one included, I think I'm going to have to nab up a copy and read it. It really does seem to have a lot more to it than its face value. Thanks for your thoughts. But, not thanks for making me add anther book to my ever growing tbr list! ;)