The Narrows of Fear

by Carol Rose GoldenEagle

The Narrows of Fear (Wapawikoscikanik) navigates the unsettling, but necessary. When love of, and respect for, culture goes awry, it is our Indigenous women who bring us back to what is important. This novel is an interweaving of stories centred on a range of characters, both male and female, though the women, for the most part, are the healers. Though several were abused both in their own community and in residential schools, these women are smart and loving and committed to helping one another. They eagerly learn to celebrate their culture, its stories, its dancing, its drums, and its elders. Principal of these elders is Nina, the advisor at the women's shelter. With the help of Sandy and Charlene, both of whom are educated and courageous, overcoming losses of their own, Nina uses Indigenous practices to heal the traumatized Mary Ann. This is a very powerful novel—sometimes brutally violent, sometimes healing, sometimes mythical, and always deeply respectful of the Aboriginal culture at its heart.

Genres: Indigenous, Fiction, Canada, Book Club, Family, Audiobook

260 pages, Paperback

Published October 30, 2020

Reviews

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very heavy read, I had to take several breaks while reading for that reason. I'm also not sure how to rate it, because overall I think it was a good read, but at the same time I didn't really need to read from the PoV of a rapist as he's committing the rapes in great detail...and he's one of the main characters.

Also, I'm pretty sure this book gave me the nightmare I had last night when I was reading it before bed, so it has that going for it too.

But yeah trigger warnings for SA, CSA & domestic violence in particular, please please please be mindful of that going in and stop whenever you need to! There's also themes of grief, dealing with losing a parent, addiction, trauma...and we can't forget homophobia either (but if it makes you feel better, the homophobic character learns to accept the lgbt character eventually).

As far as characters go, I think that's where this book shines. Other than the serial assaulter *cough* John *cough*, everyone seemed like a real person with real problems. It was so easy to jump into their lives and care about them.

I also really liked the writing and the mythology woven in, the Cree language as well. If only I'd been smart enough to get the audiobook I could've listened to the author pronouncing all of that! Silly me. Next time though (I could just skip John's chapters then, save my sanity the second time around).

This is the first indigenous book I've read this year, I'm planning on doing at least 20, maybe even 36 (the numbers aren't random, that's just some Storygraph challenges I found so I figured it was easier to keep track of them that way), so while this probably would've been left for later in the year had I known how heavy it was, I'm still glad I gave it a chance.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carol Rose GoldenEagle (Cree/Dene) writes of community, family, ceremony and reconnecting. I always sink comfortably into books that make me feel like I’m visiting family, like I’m going back home to the rez. While much of my reading experience felt this way, there was no mistaking the immense amount of sexual and intergenerational trauma that took place within the novel and the depictions of sexual assault were very graphic and added an even more reprehensible layer to a character who used his role as a knowledge keeper and ceremony conductor to prey on members of his community.

The Narrows of Fear (Wapawikoscikanik) shows the way residential schools continued to negatively impact the lives of the family members forced to attend and the homophobia that was instilled into the grandfather after relentless sexual trauma and how it affected the relationship between him and his son. The way GoldenEagle worked through this issue in particular brought tears to my eyes.

In this novel the strength of Indigenous family bonds is limitless through so much trauma and that familial strength doesn’t always have to be borne through blood, the characters chosen family is just as important to their healing and reclamation of their culture and language (Cree is featured lovingly throughout.)

The taste of rez berries and wild meat after a long stint in the city, a vicious laugh with your family on the way to a pow wow, learning a new drum song, dancing in new regalia- The Narrows of Fear is full of so many tender moments and I’m happy I had the chance to read them.

I came away thinking of how Indigenous folks don’t have to be resilient, in the arms of our loved ones and in the thrums of a drum song, we can just be.

IG: thunderbirdwomanreads

[Stephanie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Sandy travels North to visit her family for the first time, she begins a journey for a group of women to get to know themselves and their culture better.

This book was both uplifting and sad. It wove quite a few different stories seamlessly together and allowed the reader to get to know the characters well. It had some harsh truths about indigenous life in the 20th century, but also instilled hope in the rebuilding of these sometimes fractured cultures at the hands of colonialism. I truly enjoyed getting to go on a journey with the people in this novel and learn along with them.

I do have to say that (at least the copy I had) the book was somewhat poorly edited with a large number of typos.

[Amethyst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heartbreaking and hopeful story about Indigenous Canadians healing from physical or psychological harm from people who are expected to protect them (e.g., adopted parents, elders, religious leaders). It challenges the concepts of purity, tradition and purpose, community, shame and worth.

It was difficult to get into the first half of the book because of the many interwoven character narratives and short, choppy chapters. It is also emotionally heavy, detailing sexual assault, physical abuse, and death. The second half is where the bulk of character development happened and where the story picks up.

The recalling of folktales and use of mythology was interesting, and I would have enjoyed this novel more if it were a short story collection that explored those parts more; though I appreciated the way sharing land, food, and stories led to change and growth - also hope and home.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed GoldenEagle’s narration of her writing (and singing at times). Thank you to Inanna Publications and NetGalley for the copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Patrick Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel walks a fine line between telling several compelling human stories while also providing a significant amount of information about Indigenous culture, ceremony, and practices. The former is delivered via an interconnected story that presents a realistic, inclusive, and emotionally-resonant portrait of the modern lives of urban and rural Indigenous people. The latter is done without being heavy-handed, weaving many small lessons into the narrative effectively.

My only quibble is that there’s quite a few copy editing issues in this edition.

On the whole it’s an extremely readable and engaging story!

[Janae (The Modish Geek) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a pleasant surprise! It seamlessly wove together several character’s stories as they navigated modern Indigenous life. It covered topics including tradition, generational trauma, abuse, grief, healing, and family. The conversations on cultural practices and the perspectives from different generations were well done. Despite not shying away from the impact of settler colonialism on Indigenous culture, it left off with a feeling of hope and community.

The characters were engaging. There were a couple of men POVs, but the focus was on the women and their relationships with one other. I appreciated the perspective we got from a father as he tackled his own trauma and biases. I could’ve listened to more about all of their lives.

I listed to the audiobook and would recommend; it helped with getting into the writing style and dialogue.

[are_see_em · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Major trigger Warnings! Explicit Sexual Assaults
Mostly Wonderful characters, there is a Doozy of a bad guy you really won't like! I loved reading the Indigenous life of these characters. I especially enjoyed that the Author narrated this audio! Beautiful!

[A Rush Of Emotions · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story begins with this quote, "Grief doesn’t always begin as a process that is the result of the death of a Loved One. Sometimes, grief begins as a result of a broken heart and that usually never ends. But, moment by moment, you learn to treat your heart more delicately than ever before. And eventually, grief turns into strength. It is then that your heart warms the sun and your hugs are healing and your story becomes the truth."

This book was heavy, but I enjoyed reading it. It's told from multiple POVs and it seems as if each character has a voice.

The women in this story show so much strength and community, just like our Moms, Grandmas, and Aunties of our own families.

There's a villain named John Wayne and there's absolutely nothing likeable about him. He's a true snake who reveals himself throughout the course of this book.

More quotes I enjoyed...

"Childhood is fleeting. For some, it is filled with trauma and it seems like a time that didn’t happen at all. Only existing and trying to hang on, hoping the next chapter points to a way out."

"But memories of love can be almost too painful, when it is no longer there. "

[dreamgirlreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a tough read touching on the effects of forced assimilation and displacement of indigenous children, residential schools, and child abuse that occurs when native families are ripped apart. Ultimately the love and importance of family and found family as well as coming back to native traditions and spiritual teachings kept this family going through their intergenerational trauma and grief. Definitely check the trigger warnings before reading this one.

“You can fool people but you can never hide from spirit”

[Care · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this one as much as I liked Bone Black, but it was great to be back with this author's talent for developing compelling characters. I struggled with the amount of graphic, on-page sexual violence. I also found that the gay/Two-Spirit representation seemed either under-developed or unnecessarily related to other character's belief that it stems from same-sex sexual violence (a trope I see a lot that has been called out as problematic). That being said, I don't think it was the author's intention to draw that implication and the depiction of a 2SLGBTQ+ character seemed to come from a place of love and support.
I really like the way she uses themes like revenge and healing as both connected and totally independent depending on who the character needing closure is. These themes were also present in Bone Black so the conversation between the two books is especially rewarding.
The short chapters make for a quick read.

Take care of yourself while reading this!

content warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Rape, Misogyny, Sexism, Colonisation, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Torture, Racism, and Religious bigotry

[Lalaa #ThisBlackGirlReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't expect to love and learn so much from this book but I'm pleased to say that I did. Looking at the stories of Indigenous Canadian women who are healing from both physical and psychological scars these stories took me on a journey of strength and cultural preservation. Although it was a bit difficult to get past the first part, after that there was so much beauty.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

[Anneke Alnatour · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful story. A tad sweet, but also very honest and dealt with a lot of individual topics that just show the complexity of modern indigenous life.

Recommended!

[Dezirah Remington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not an easy read… but it is a satisfying one in the end. So, check the CWs and then still be ready to be disturbed regularly. I think it is why it took me so long to write this post. I really like this book, but it took me on an emotional trip that I needed time to unpack.


Told from multiple POVs of an extended family and community of indigenous people, the legacy of both direct and indirect trauma related to Canada’s attempted genocide through residential schools, foster systems, and other forms of “reform” hand heavily on each character. Told with the bluntness of real memory the reader feels the highs and gets smacked hard when the lows come especially the trauma flashbacks. And yet this is not a trauma bomb. For all of the pain we experience with the characters there is also the resilience, self work and healing that begins as characters find others with joy and love in their hearts. This becomes a story of resilience and the supportive love that is fostered between healing women.

For those that can ride the wave, the endings are perfect, it feels like justice without any contrite or unrealistic comeuppance (even the thread of magic at the end, feels real even to an outsider).

[Skye]

This book was not really for me. It challenged me and I do appreciate that, and also all the traditional food, more moose neckbone in stories please! I think I can appreciate what it meant to do in some ways but I also think the execution was just not there especially considering the context and content of the story. I did not feel like some of the conclusions made were a result of a character's experience but were written as if they were universal truth which I did not like and often did not agree with. Though I could see it being meant as a character's experience had it been written that way a bit more deftly. Some scenes and themes were not necessary or reductive (please check content warnings especially for SA). Finally, on a good note, the "narrows of fear" imagery in the title and and throughout the story was powerful and I liked that aspect.

[BookishKarina]

Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
I could not read anymore when it came to the scene where a man essentially “drugged” a young girl who had just turned 18. He had had her in his sights since she was younger but now when she was finally 18 and her dad was out of town, he decided now was the time to sexually assault her. It started to get really graphic and I could not do it. There were also some other scenes were rape was mentioned, which also made me uncomfortable. But this particular scene was absolutely atrocious, I could not do it.

[Ramona Jennex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This powerful book weaves together stories of trauma, healing, spirituality, urban and northern culture, mythology and so much more. As a settler I read this book with an open heart and was moved by the author's words.
Powerful!

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a Kindle version of this book from an online book club called Indigenous Reading Circle on Instagram and Patreon (which was a an app or website you can join). The book club has monthly Zoom discussions on each book they read and post a recording on Patreon. If you are Indigenous or like this topic, you might consider joining. The February book will be Perma Red.

And now for a review of the book, the author writes in a gentle tone that I enjoyed yet still addresses tough topics like physical and sexual abuse. The writing reminds me of John Greene because both authors have a knack for writing eloquently yet not flinching from tough subjects. The theme of book is how the women pull together to build resilience in their lives and community.

[Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a light read, but I enjoyed the way this small family chooses each other.

[Audrey S · Rating 4 out of 5]

actual rating: 3.5 stars

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of the sadness, and violence, this is a book of hope and love and I really enjoyed it.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5

[Devilish Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wapawikoscikanik in Cree (The Narrows of Fear) is the site of a massacre in 1729 of Cree women and children by the Sioux. The Cree retaliated and killed all but one of the Sioux attackers so they could recount the story. This area in northern Saskatchewan near Deschambault Lake is where the story takes place.

In this book we are introduced to a group of female characters: an elder named Nina who shares the wisdom of the elders; Sandy, a journalist visiting her biological family which she found only the year before; her sister Charlene who has recently lost husband; and Mary Ann who is struggling with hidden painful memories. Together they are working to heal and rebuild.

The Men are the widowed Gabriel; his son whose sexual identity troubles his father; and John Wayne who embodies the struggle between good and evil.

GoldenEagle shares many aspects of Cree culture, focusing on Women are key to spiritual connection.

[Ceallaigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

“‘…a mythical creature a little like Bigfoot. Kohkum told me that if children are bad, Bushman eats them. If people are bad, he takes them when they are out on the land—never to be seen again. If you hear him walking behind you, pray and he might leave you alone. Because he himself is not all bad. Just a reflection of what is in our own hearts. Kohkum told me, he protects those who are good. That’s his role. To eliminate the bad and protect the good. And, you can’t hide from him…’ … Sandy realizes the Bushman is in all of us. Darkness or light? Choose wisely.”

In her poem “After All is Said and Done,” June Jordan writes “BABY / I do not exaggerate and / if / I could / I would.” I kept thinking about these lines while reading GoldenEagle’s devastating and haunting work of literary fiction, THE NARROWS OF FEAR (WAPAWIKOSCIKANIK) where she beautifully weaves together many different perspectives and stories of a small Indigenous family and their community in modernday Manitoba. These characters have each dealt with or are in the process of dealing with immense feelings of grief, pain, and remorse.

Click here to read my full review for THE NARROWS OF FEAR by Carol Rose GoldenEagle on storygraph complete with my full thoughts, further reading suggestions, and more of my favorite quotes!

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CW // graphic(!!!) rape & rape-related trauma, graphic(!!!) residential school & abusive foster care experiences, pedophilia & pedocide, misogyny, homophobia, deaths of relatives (Please feel free to DM me for more specifics!)

[Mostly on Storygraph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first learned of Carol Rose GoldenEagle from her compelling novel about the MMIWG2 issue, Bone Black. I deliberately avoided reading too much about the novel before diving in, and was thus surprised but captivated by the ways in which the novel alternated between gothic-style horror and contemporary reality to illuminate such an important issue through such a personal lens.

The Narrows of Fear (Wapawikoscikanik) reminds me of Bone Black, mostly because of the strength and complicated perseverance and resilience of its protagonists and the occasionally mystical turns that the stories take. This, to me, is GoldenEagle's strength: in presenting Indigenous and Aboriginal women reclaiming and celebrating their culture, traditions, and ways of knowing in ways that are intricate, and sometimes even humourous and unexpected. (Sure, The Narrows of Fear has both male and female main characters but I find the women more compelling.)

I was fortunate to be able to listen to the audiobook, read skillfully by the author!, courtesy of Netgalley.

[Jennifer Mcniece · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great #ownvoices novel from #carolrosegoldeneagle. This is a beautiful and often heartbreaking story about family relationships and the beauty of female friendship, inseparable from the Cree traditions that have formed and ultimately save the characters. #netgalley #thenarrowsoffear #bookstagram #bookreview