Five Little Indians
Books | Fiction / Indigenous
4.3
(551)
Michelle Good
WINNER: Canada Reads 2022WINNER: Governor General’s Literary Award for FictionWINNER: Amazon First Novel AwardWINNER: Kobo Emerging Author Prize Finalist: Scotiabank Giller PrizeFinalist: Atwood Gibson Writers Trust PrizeFinalist: BC & Yukon Book PrizeShortlist: Indigenous Voices AwardsNational Bestseller; A Globe and Mail Top 100 Book of the Year; A CBC Best Book of the Year; An Apple Best Book of the Year; A Kobo Best Book of the Year; An Indigo Best Book of the YearTaken from their families when they are very small and sent to a remote, church-run residential school, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie are barely out of childhood when they are finally released after years of detention.Alone and without any skills, support or families, the teens find their way to the seedy and foreign world of Downtown Eastside Vancouver, where they cling together, striving to find a place of safety and belonging in a world that doesn’t want them. The paths of the five friends cross and crisscross over the decades as they struggle to overcome, or at least forget, the trauma they endured during their years at the Mission.Fuelled by rage and furious with God, Clara finds her way into the dangerous, highly charged world of the American Indian Movement. Maisie internalizes her pain and continually places herself in dangerous situations. Famous for his daring escapes from the school, Kenny can’t stop running and moves restlessly from job to job—through fishing grounds, orchards and logging camps—trying to outrun his memories and his addiction. Lucy finds peace in motherhood and nurtures a secret compulsive disorder as she waits for Kenny to return to the life they once hoped to share together. After almost beating one of his tormentors to death, Howie serves time in prison, then tries once again to re-enter society and begin life anew.With compassion and insight, Five Little Indians chronicles the desperate quest of these residential school survivors to come to terms with their past and, ultimately, find a way forward.
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More Details:
Author
Michelle Good
Pages
304
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published Date
2020-04-14
ISBN
1443459194 9781443459198
Community ReviewsSee all
"Such a GREAT book! Fiction but completely relatable. "
Tadie Bill
"Heartbreakingly good. A book that stays with you long after you’ve read it. "
B L
Bonnie Landry
"This book with stay with me for a long long time. Should be a required read for everyone. "
M M
Marci McKay
"A must read for any Canadian. A glimpse into the lives of 5 Residential School survivors, the lifelong effects of their trauma, healing and triumph."
Chelsea Allen
"Very good writing and eye opening. Full of emotion."
Paula Marth
"A must read for all Canadians "
V L
Victoria Lo
"Tells the real life events of five fictional characters. The book is well written and takes you on an emotional Rollercoaster. Great introduction to what occurred in Canada and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission."
Rachel Strojny
"If you haven't read the report of the Truth And Reconciliation Committee, this that THE book to start your journey. If you don't understand how the legacy of Residential Schools continues to haunt and impact Canadian Indigenous peoples, start with this searing book."
Jan Hildegard
"Michelle Good is from Saskatchewan’s Red Pheasant Cree Nation and is a writer, poet, and lawyer. Her book, Five Little Indians, follows five kids as they leave the Residential School system. They struggle with the traumas they have faced and challenges they continue to face into adulthood. <br/><br/>Good drew on some of the stories her mom and grandmother told her of their experiences as survivors of the residential school system. She also read about psychological assessments of people who faced physical and sexual abuse as kids in order to accurately show how those traumas impacted her characters’ lives long-term. <br/><br/>These stories share both heartwarming and heart wrenching moments. Having already heard people’s stories and family stories in the past, following these five people felt very realistic. It is a book I highly recommend and one that should definitely be part of the grade twelve Canadian Literature program in schools."
Jade Hawreschuk
"Powerful. Important. Difficult reading. Beautifully written…"
Christina Pastor