Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat
Summary: Falling prices in the fur trading business means Jamie must leave his boarding school in Toronto to live with his uncle in Manitoba. Enthusiastic about getting out of the city, Jamie learns about living in a more rugged setting, and volunteers to go on a hunting trip with his new friend Awasin when an Indian tribe needs some assistance filling their stores for the winter season. The eagerness of the two together gets them into trouble when they go exploring on their own and end up losing their canoe to the rapids. Lost in the treeless tundra of Canada, Jamie and Awasin must gather their wits and figure out a plan to survive the quickly approaching winter, as it becomes clear they have been left behind.
Number of Pages: 244
Age Range: 12-14
Review: Survival isn’t always a pretty business, and Farley Mowat gives his reader a glimpse into just what it actually takes through Lost in the Barrens. I loved the contrast it provided with James Houston’s The White Archer, as killing animals to make clothes, build shelter and feed themselves ends up being a traumatic affair.
I was a bit surprised Jamie was such a down-to-earth character. Awasin had his childhood and the traditions of his people to help him through, but Jamie previously lived in a boarding school in a big city. I was expecting him to be more arrogant and entitled; instead he was quite adaptable to the situation. There were no histrionics, just a calm pragmatism on the parts of both boys. I wonder if this is meant to be a reflection of the time period or a comment on the gender of the characters.
Either way I was fascinated with their combined ability to creatively problem solve while facing one obstacle after another in their quest to survive. Certain someone was going to die, I was flipping pages frantically, but Mowat is mindful that it’s more of a children’s book and the death that does happen was relatively expected.
It’s supposed to be a coming of age novel, and in some ways it is. In other ways though, Lost in the Barrens is about two boys who were already young men having an adventure on the tundra. I enjoyed living vicariously through their experiences, knowing full well if it had been me I would have probably starved to death.
Memorable Quotes:
“In order to avoid thinking about their desperate plight, Awasin busied himself lighting a fire from the heap of willows left behind by the Chipeweyans. Methodically he placed pieces of meat to cook before the flames. With the fatalism of his ancestors he refused to think about the mistakes which were past.” Awasin from Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat, page 99
“Awasin put down his rifle and turned away. Jamie knew how Awasin felt. For this was slaughter. It was like shooting cows in a barnyard, Jamie thought. He was very glad Awasin had not asked him to do the killing.” Jamie from Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat, page 107
“Awasin smiled. ‘The Crees used to say: Courage comes not from a strong heart, but from a full stomach! So we should be pretty brave!’ He was silent for a moment. ‘We’ll need all the courage we can find,’ he added. Awasin was staring out over the darkening plains, and he was no longer smiling.” – Awasin from Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat, page 120
“Neither had much appetite for dinner. The reaction from the slaughter was so great that they did not even talk of preparing the meat they had killed. They had seen too much blood that day, and too much death.” – from Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat, page 141
“‘Yes, we’ll go back, Awasin,’ he said, ‘and we’ll stay at Hidden Valley. Stay there as long as we have to. I’ve learned my lesson. As long as we went along with the things the way they were, and never tried to fight against this country, we were all right. But when we set out on this trip south we were standing up to the Barrens and sort of daring them. We were going to bulldoze our way through. And we’re lucky to be still alive!’
Awasin looked long into his friend’s face.
‘I never thought you’d understand about that, Jamie,’ he said at last. ‘White men don’t as a rule. Most of them think they can beat the northland in any fight. A lot of them have found out differently, and didn’t live to tell about it. My people know differently. It’s hard to put into words, but I think you understand. If you fight against the spirits of the north you will always lose. Obey their laws and they’ll look after you.’
It was a long speech for Awasin, but when he finished both boys felt happier than they had for many weeks. They were humbler too. They were ready to return to the tiny cabin in the valley and to abandon their foolied and almost fatal effort to force their will upon the Barrenlands.” – Conversation between Jamie and Awasin about respecting the land from Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat, page 219
Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat, is published by McClelland and Stewart Limited, (1956).
The White Archer by James Houston
Summary: An attack by Indians leaves Kungo with no parents and a sister who has been abducted. Rage and a need for revenge burns under his skin, but first he must become a warrior who can live off the land and care for himself. Adopted by an elderly couple with no children, Kungo receives skilled instruction and love, forming bonds with the old man and the old woman as well as the animals of the land. When he is ready, he seeks his revenge as the white archer – until a familiar face helps him take the old woman’s words about the danger of hate to heart.
Number of Pages: 95
Age Range: 12-14
Review: It’s amazing what James Houston can do with a pencil in his writing and his drawings. I loved the story of The White Archer, but I also loved how Houston brought his pictures to life, even though they were simple sketches.
Though hunting is a bloody activity and eating the raw flesh of animals is something I’m not personally used to doing, Houston manages to make it poetic as greater spirits guide animals to giving up their lives for the nourishment of others. It feels like respect exists between the hunters and the animals that are killed, a sharp contrast to the way we treat our food today.
But the best part was how Kungo was bent on revenge, yet was still changed by love. The care of the old man and the old woman when he needed it most, accepting him as he was in his pain was exactly what helped him to be open to what happened when he did seek his revenge. I also loved the loyalty of his dogs, and the appearance of the wolf/dog cubs.
Reading The White Archer taught me a lot about Inuit ways of life, especially when contrasted with those who live among the short sticks, and it opened up new ideas for me that I hadn’t previously considered. Once again, it was a brief yet powerful read.
Memorable Quotes:
“After they had eaten their fill, Kungo lay down on a high piece of dry tundra with the snow around him and watched the stars come out and grow bright as the sky darkened, and he thought again, as he often did, that there would be no real peace or joy for him till he had avenged the death of his parents.” – Kungo from The White Archer by James Houston, page 57
“‘Yes,’ she said, looking at her sleeping husband. ‘He told me four years ago that you would remain until the ice bridge formed this winter and that you would then go forth, driven by your desire to avenge your family. That time has now come, but I must say to you that hatred and revenge follow each other like two strong men piling heavy stones one upon the other until the stones fall, killing both men and perhaps many others.'” – The Old Woman from The White Archer by James Houston, page 68
“Then the sharp sting of cold struck him, and he laughed aloud with pleasure. He was returning to his own land. He would travel to the island of Tugjak and talk with the old man again. Ittok was a great teacher and had taught him many things about archery and about life. The old woman had tempered his feelings for revenge and had helped him to understand himself. They were his people.” – Kungo from The White Archer by James Houston, page 93
The White Archer by James Houston, is published by Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., (1967).
Skraelings by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley
Summary: When Kannujaq finds himself in the midst of a Tuniit community under attack from the Skraelings, he uses his knowledge as an Inuit to help them end up victorious. Given the Tuniit’s history of being poor hunters, Kannujaq is not surprised they need his help, but he is surprised to find a slave and the community’s shaman are both originally Inuit. As he discovers the whole story about the Skraelings he realises the situation is more complex than he thought, and Kannujaq begins to see the bigger picture of having to share his people’s land with others.
Number of Pages: 87
Age Range: 12-13
Review: Geared more for pre-teen readers and perhaps early teen readers, Skraelings by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-TInsley is none-the-less an action-packed read about one of the initial confrontations between the Vikings and the Tuniit.
The story was difficult to get into at first because it was such a completely different perspective. Imagine living on a land mass pre-colonization, having no concept of nationalities and believing that other peoples aren’t actually people at all. In that respect, Skraelings is a powerful story about Kannujaq’s realisations as he battles the Vikings, an invader from another continent, something that has no meaning for him.
I enjoyed reading as Kannujaq discovered things I had already figured out, like Siku’s origins. For being steeped in his beliefs, Kannujaq comes off as very open-minded and willing to change what he knows. He’s quite the intriguing character. I also loved learning about the the Land as a character in its own right.
I ended up wishing Kannujaq’s story was longer, but still thought there was a lot packed into its 87 pages.
Memorable Quotes:
“That kind of quiet has a heaviness to it. A life of its own, you might say. And that is the sort of quiet our hunter was used to.” – from Skraelings by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, page 2
“The Land, despite its dangers, had never frustrated him. The Land had never lied, or grasped, or pretended to be anything other than what it was. It was only the narrow-minded behaviour of humanity that could leave Kannujaq feeling this way – hollow and weak.” Kannujaq from Skraelings by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, page 44
“‘Hardly,’ Kannujaq thought to himself. But he did not speak. He knew that one must never interrupt a story. To do so was to insult a storyteller’s isuma. He decided to interrupte Siaq only if she tried to throw more stuff on the fire.” – Kannujaq from Skraelings by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, page 54
Skraelings by Rachel & Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, is published by Inhabit Media, (2014).
The Country of Wolves by Neil Christopher and Ramon Perez
Summary: Caught on an ice floe while hunting during the spring thaw, two brothers find themselves on a long journey, crossing over into the country of wolves. Missing their families, the brothers only encounter tragedy among the wolves, but a rapid escape by the elder brother and taking down the leader of the pack put him on his way to returning to his wife. Travelling for days, he finally makes it back to her in one piece. Unfortunately, all is not as it seems.
Number of Pages: 83
Age Range: 13-14
Review: A haunting story about two brothers who are taken far from home while out hunting, The Country of Wolves by Neil Christopher, illustrated by Ramón Pérez highlights family ties and the mysticism of Inuit beliefs. Pérez’s illustrations are eerie and vividly frightening. His illustrations of the wolves in their human form as well as the final illustration of the older brother are the stuff of nightmares.
I do wish though that the afterword had been the preface instead. Because I am not too familiar with Inuit culture, I missed the references to otherworldliness with the Northern Lights and the moon as a bridge. They act as clues to the true nature of Christopher’s piece of Inuit folklore. The tale ends up chilling as both brothers are forever affected by their trip to the land of spirits, and reading it did pique my interest in Inuit culture as hoped by Christopher at the end of the book.
It’s a brief, seemingly simple story, and an excellent introduction to Inuit beliefs. My favourite part is Christopher’s quote about stories being sacred and acting as a link to our ancestors and the land. What a powerful and true concept.
Memorable Quotes:
“To some this is a sacred story, as all traditional stories are sacred to those who know their value. Remember that stories link people to their ancestors and to the land. These ancient tales tell of magical events that happened before the modern world invaded the hidden places.” – from The Country of Wolves by Neil Christopher, illustrated by Ramón Pérez, page 5
The Country of Wolves by Neil Christopher, illustrated by Ramón Pérez, is published by Inhabit Media, (2013).
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks
Summary: Seventeen year-old Noreen hasn’t had an easy life. With a mother who is Amazing in name only and a step-father who is abusive, the best part of their marriage comes in the form of Gladys, Noreen’s step-sister. But as the years pass and when Gladys moves out to get married, Noreen starts down a path of self-destruction. Meeting and falling in love with Wesley changes things for a little bit, but at the first misunderstanding Noreen takes off, ending up in Pembina Lake among people who just might be able to help her start over and stop sabotaging herself by being more mindful.
Number of Pages: 210
Age Range: 15-17
Review: True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks is a favourite of mine, and today as I read it again for what had to be at least my fourth time, I tried to pin down why exactly that is.
Part of it is Brooks’ writing style. Her story of Noreen, a girl in flux, flows beautifully and the town she ends up in features complicated characters experiencing their own struggles yet still willing to reach out. Even when Noreen makes mistake after mistake, Lynda, Dolores and Del still strive to teach her and help her grow. I also love Brooks’ way of putting things, from her description of the spectacular sky scape Noreen makes for Wesley, to the way she depicts Noreen’s pregnancy and feelings about it. I also liked the symbolism of cutting one’s hair to show grief.
But the main part is Noreen herself. Although she is labelled heartless in the title, Brooks proves to her reader that Noreen isn’t heartless, just misguided. And, at times, a bit thoughtless. I love her as a character though because it’s easy to see why Noreen acts the way she does. She hasn’t had the easiest start in life, and her potential role-models have been less than stellar. When it comes to embracing her step-sister Gladys’ love, Noreen’s reaction to Gladys’ marriage is child-like in her jealousy, but again, there is nothing in Noreen’s life to demonstrate to her love can be a stable act. She expects always to lose the love she receives, and to prevent the hurt Noreen leaves the significant relationships of her life before they can leave her.
In spite of it all though, Noreen still has wonderful moments of profound actions of love, and one of the reasons I love Brooks’ book is because as she matures, she learns to embrace them more. Noreen learns to see what she is getting wrong, and tries her best to open herself up to the love around her. It helps that Brooks provides Noreen with other characters she can trust and who return love in different ways; my personal favourite being Wesley.
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl simply ends up being a wondrous read in its simplicity, and I’m sure it is one I will continue to re-read.
Memorable Quotes:
“The girl gave a little sickened movement of her head, a sudden slackening of her dry lower lip. Lynda knew right then that there was trouble. Knew it with a feeling that told her if she was smart she’d just let this kid get back in the truck and get swallowed up by the storm. Life would continue in the same old way. Then she thought back to the day that she herself had been in trouble, the day she first arrived back in town – three and a half years ago, during the misery of a February blizzard. Dolores took her in, her little boy, too. She didn’t have to do that. Nobody had to do anything; it wasn’t a requirement in this life that you burden yourself with somebody else’s baggage. It wasn’t necessary to lay yourself open for more trouble than you already owned.
Lynda drew in a long breath, looked at the bedraggled creature who had landed in her café and said with a terrible sinking feeling, ‘So why don’t you tell me about it?'” – Lynda from True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks, page 15
“Dolores sighed. With a heavy heart she dug into the jam, then spooned it onto a rectangle of the pan-fried bannock she’d brought over to share with her friend. She thought to herself that Lynda was bringing Seth up just right. Children needed time to just be children. Life was short. Even shorter for some. Good thing we didn’t know what the future held. Good thing we were spared that.” – Dolores from True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks, page 18
“‘The land knows what its people know
Time keeps slipping by
The seasons and the heartbreak
Gone in the blink of an eye.'” – Quote from Lyleton Montgomery, cowboy poet from True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks, page 22
“Right then and there she wanted to get down on her knees and pray to something for help. Except not to a boring old man with a beard, sitting in a chair. But what if God was a woman? What would She look like? Noreen tried to imagine Her. Pictured Her rising up from under the grass, Her head popping out of a hill. Then maybe She would grow tall, Her shoulders rounded with spilling dirt. Her hair would be trees and flowers and long prairie grasses. Her feet would be lakes and rivers and oceans. She would wear a crown of sky, with winds and stars and moon and sun and darkness and planets. She would have a pregnant belly, so big that on stormy days, if you looked up into the sky, you would be inside Her, inside God, and the lightning flashing across would be Her veins.
She stood there looking out, not seeing the street, but seeing God. There was no one around to share this with. No one to nod and say, ‘Yes, Noreen. You have seen God. You are having a once-in-a-lifetime vision. If you let it, it could change you forever.’
Instead she thought, I don’t believe this. This is not happening. Not to me. She lingered by the door, feeling sorry and angry and all kinds of other bad things she couldn’t put a name to. Then she stared down at the floor, the dirty wooden planking that had once been part of a living tree, and suddenly thought that the girl inside her, the girl she once had been, was now dead. And she couldn’t even begin to think who had taken her place.” – Noreen from True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks, pages 108-109
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks is published by Groundwood Books, (2002).
Queen of Hearts by Martha Brooks
Summary: In the early 1940s, a visit from Marie-Claire’s Oncle Gérald brings more than his welcome presence, it brings tuberculosis (TB) to her family. After he is hospitalized and dies in a local sanatorium, Marie-Claire, her brother Luc, and her sister Josée all develop TB, and with their varying degrees of severity find themselves in different parts of the same sanatorium. But while Josée seems to be improving, Luc is getting worse, and Marie-Claire herself is in a holding pattern, waiting for the lesion in her lung to finally heal. As a year passes, Marie-Claire faces life from a hospital bed, learning that though she feels like she has been paused, illness doesn’t stop a person from growing up.
Number of Pages: 206
Age Range: 15-17
Review: If you are a reader who loves action, this book is not for you. If you are squeamish about hospitals, blood, bodily functions and medical procedures, this is also not the book for you. But if you are looking for a genuine and honest portrayal of character growth as a girl becomes a woman in the unlikeliest of places, you will not find a more thoughtful read.
There are many things I could write about Queen of Hearts by Martha Brooks, but I will try to be as succinct as Brooks is in 206 pages. First, there’s Signy. Living in a sanatorium since the age of twelve, Signy has spent five years waiting for her TB to heal itself. In the pursuit of wellness, she’s given up parts of her lung, nine ribs, and the belief that anyone could ever love her. In many ways, her maturity level has been paused at twelve, and she is a sympathetic character as her parents rarely visit and she keeps having to say good-bye to her roommates as they get better and she does not. But though she bristles Marie-Claire with her child-like nature in the beginning, Marie-Claire grows from feeling sympathetic toward Signy into empathy.
Second, Marie-Claire is understandably angry with God after the deaths of Oncle Gérald and Luc, refusing to see her priest when he comes. She is told to pray, but she is too full of grief to do so. Enter Fred, a chaplain. He’s the best kind of minister for Marie-Claire because he is a human first and a religious leader second. Instead of pushing her to talk about God and confess her sins, he simply sits with her as she is. With his magic trick he even instils a bit of hope where there was none, and Marie-Claire’s conversations with Jack later reveal Fred has had a similar effect on others. He’s a quiet but powerful character in his displays of compassion and humanity.
Three, while all of Brooks’ other characters are compelling in their own right, they are all a backdrop for Marie-Claire herself. Brooks has created a character who is easy to care about, and who is equal parts of strength and vulnerability. Thrust into a situation beyond her control, Brooks details how the experience helps Marie-Claire to grow instead of becoming stunted. She faces crippling loss, and is forced to learn patience as every day becomes a waiting game. Marie-Claire’s development is slow-simmering, and Brooks is a masterful cook.
I like it because it is realistic, touching, and not sentimental. I love the title, Queen of Hearts, because the reference is used in many ways in the story, but perhaps the title is most apt when thought of as a reference to a card in Fred’s magic trick. As the Queen of Hearts popped up unexpectedly in Marie-Claire’s room, so Brooks’ book pops up unexpectedly as a powerful, character-driven tale among the most benign of settings: a sanatorium.
Memorable Quotes:
“I shrug again. I have another cold and these days I never feel well. This, more than anything, makes me sorry for myself. What can I tell her? It would only sound like complaining and besides, I’m too proud to complain.
She heaves a big sigh, shakes her head, gets to her feet and says, ‘Whatever it is, say your prayers, Marie-Claire. God is always listening.'” – Conversation between Marie-Claire and Sister Thérèse from Queen of Hearts by Martha Brooks, page 38
“Marius Berand, when we were nine, caught me in the cloakroom one day after recess and kissed me in a slobbery way as he tried to put his hand up my skirt. I drew back and slapped him so hard I left a red mark on his face, and then he stumbled out from one side of the cloakroom and I marched out of the other.
I do not count that as a kiss. I count it as an insult.” – Marie-Claire reminiscing from Queen of Hearts by Martha Brooks, page 57
“‘I don’t even have – you know – breasts.’ She lowers her voice at the word ‘breasts.’
‘We’re alone, Signy. And you got your breasts.’
‘Small ones,’ she says with a sob.
‘Oh, for pete’s sake. Everybody’s are different. Even cows.’
‘Yes, but now,’ she goes on, recovering herself, ‘when I try to stand up straight I can’t because one shoulder is lower than the other and my back is humped on one side. Even if I get out of this place, even if I dress up in the prettiest, most expensive clothes in the world, I won’t look like a normal girl and that’s never going to change, now is it? Really it won’t.’
What can I say to that? She’s right. It won’t.
‘And who will love me?’ she adds in a small voice.” – Conversation between Signy and Marie-Claire from Queen of Hearts by Martha Brooks, page 109
Queen of Hearts by Martha Brooks is published by Groundwood Books, (2010).
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Amy Mathers has been passionate about reading from a very young age, and hopes others will share her enthusiasm for funding a teen book award. Read more Follow Amy
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