A very interesting and indepth account of life in sub-Arctic Canada from a Cree perspective. ( )

As I read this book I couldn't help thinking about how different my life was from Tomson Highway's even though we both call Manitoba our birthplace and we grew up during the 1950s and 60s. There are many reasons for that difference but probably the biggest factor is that Highway is Indigenous and I am Caucasian. Many would say that I was privileged and I don't deny that but I don't think Tomson Highway would have changed his life for mine. This book is his paean to his life and family.

Tomson's parents, Joe and Balazee, are returning to Brochet from their caribou hunting trip on December 5, 1951. They are travelling by dog sled with Balazee and three children seated in the sled pulled by eight huskies. Suddenly, Balazee realizes she is not going to make it to Brochet to give birth and the family heads to a nearby island that shows evidence of people staying there from the smoke rising into the sky. When Tomson is born he is the eleventh child of the Highway family; however, five of those children died before reaching adulthood which makes a new child even more precious. Tomson is loved by his parents and he returns that love. He also loves his siblings but he is closest to the boy who comes after him in a few years, Rene. Rene is the twelfth and final child in the family. Neither Joe nor Balazee had any formal schooling but they wanted their children to have more choices than they had. So, when the children reach school age, they are sent off to a Catholic residential school where they stay from September to June. There is probably not person now living in Canada who doesn't know the horrible effects the residential school system had on the children who attended them. Nevertheless, Tomson Highway managed to succeed and prosper in the system. There was one priest who sexually abused the boys, including Tomson, but he does not dwell on that. Instead he describes eating great meals, studying hard, learning to play the piano, and the wonderful time of Christmas concerts. Interspersed with his descriptions of life at the school and the summer months spent back with his family. His love of sub-Arctic Manitoba,its flora and fauna, is mixed up with loving his family and friends. Although he left the North to continue his education and work, he says he still returns as often as he can.

One of the joys of this book is Highway's use of the Cree language throughout.and his explanations of how funny the language can be. Be sure to read the Author's Note at the beginning to learn how to pronounce words. The note about the names of people will be especially important as you continue to read the book. (I don't think I'll ever look at the name Jean-Baptiste whithout thinking "Samba Cheese" in my mind!) Since this book only takes us up to the time in 1967 when Tomson Highway graduates from Grade 8, I really hope he will write another memoir about the years that follow. ( )

Read to page 74 for book club (and then ran out of time). If found the narrative voice charming and positive, but the language was confusing and I was expecting a bit more of a critical reflection on his childhood from an adult perspective. ( )

Such a joyful celebration of life is this memoir by very well-known Tomson Highway, who is a very important and significant indigenous Canadian author, playwright and musician. This book covers Tomson's life from birth to age 15. I certainly hope he is going to continue this memoir in future books. Tomson was born on December 1, 1951, during a huge blizzard. He was born on the tundra i a blizzard and in a tent. His older sister helps her Mom with his birth. The book describes a hard and brutal life, but nonetheless it is filled with love and laughter. Tomson describes his mother and father so descriptively, that I felt that I knew them. We see Tomson leaving for a residential school at the age of 6, and he goes into great detail about his time there. Contrary to what we are currently hearing, this school was a wonderful place to live, grow up and learn according to Tomson. He loved his time there, and when, at age 15, he had graduated from the school he was sorry to leave it behind. Tomson went on to high school in Winnipeg, and on to various Canadian universities after that. This book is a wondrous look at Cree culture and family life. It's also a piece of beautiful literature in Tomson's descriptions of the northern tundra where he was born and where he lived his nomadic childhood. Listening to this book on audio is what I would recommend since you get the pronunciations of the Cree language, and get an understanding of how difficult it was to teach these children English. English syntax, spelling and pronunciation is nothing like Cree. It was such a pleasure to listen to this book and to Tomson's fabulous memories of his childhood, his family and the school that he attended. Highly recommend. ( )

This book was hit and miss with me. Much of it was excellent but there were also sections that just didn't work for me. There is no doubt that Tomson Highway is a very smart and talented man who has had an interesting childhood. I appreciated learning about this great Canadian Indigenous artist. ( )