Hats off to the producers of this audiobook. It was an inspired choice to have the author read the parts of the novel that were written as letters from the father to the daughter. I'm sure I would have liked the book if I had read it in print but sometimes hearing the narration, especially when it is done by the author, just adds extra to the experience.

Holly is a 16 year old Indigenous girl living in Winnipeg with her mother and father. She and her father, Matthew, used to be close when she was young but they've grown apart. Matthew has anxiety issues and he is also carrying on a flirtation with a co-worker so he isn't as present for Holly as he should be. Holly, in addition to being a teenage girl, has discovered this affair and she's so angry with her father. Ironically, the catalyst for healing their relationship is the sudden death of Moshom, Matthew's father. Matthew decides he needs to honour his father's wish to return to the trap line north of Norway House where he grew up. He decides to take some of his father's ashes there. When Holly learns of this plan she says she wants to go with him. This trip could have gone either way but it ends up bringing the father and daughter close together.

The description of the canoe trip the pair take is the highlight of the book. The land, the water, the skies and the wildlife are beautifully rendered. Robertson comes from this area and it is obvious he loves it. I suspect this will be one of my best books of 2024. ( )

I quite enjoyed this novel. It's pretty much a straightforward general fiction novel with an indigenous element to it that was never heavy-handed.

I can't give it a full five stars only because there's certain elements that felt a little too easy or too predictable. Matthew's relatively easy cessation of his emotional affair with a co-worker. His reparation of his relationship with both his wife and daughter.

And, while I loved the ending, it also felt a touch too obvious.

Having said that, none of this ever really intruded on my enjoyment of this novel. It's very good and, at times, though it's likely a cliché, his writing had hints of Wagamese, which is a good thing. ( )

I wish the characters are more consistently likeable. I liked the story line but at times, the people just were not very nice people, especially Hallelujah. ( )