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The hypnotic crunch of his steps was the only sound he heard on this still day. The afternoon chill was deep and people kept indoors if they could. Grey smoke pumped from each chimney....more
The crust of the snow he broke was thicker than his snowshoes. He kicked up frozen shrapnel each time he raised a foot. A fine powder lay underneath. The conditions made him think of the specific time of year. There’s a word for this, he thought, trying to remember with each high step across the hard snow. His

There were a lot of ideas that could have come from this book, but the writing was pretty bad.
Already in the first four pages, twice he has to have his attention brought back to the present. The build up to "something is actually wrong" is especially bumpy. Ok, the power goes out so often, why is it worrying now? ...more
Already in the first four pages, twice he has to have his attention brought back to the present. The build up to "something is actually wrong" is especially bumpy. Ok, the power goes out so often, why is it worrying now? ...more

I liked this, as my rating shows. The book started off perfectly, slowly so that one could get to know the characters. I really enjoyed the cultural bits of Anishinaabe people throughout this book. Some of the language and rituals (as I said, bits). Then the story moved too fast, I felt. It hurtled toward the end.

I am always interested in books that take me into a culture other than my own. Most books I have read about Native American/First Nations protagonists are entertwined with majority culture. This book is different in that it is set entirely on a Northern reservation with reservation residents. The few min-native characters are the interlopers. The twist is, how would this culture fare in a sudden, unexplained apocalyptic event? The group, centered on Evan, his wife Nicole, and their children and
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This book takes place in a small Anishinaabe community in northern Ontario. The town loses electricity and cell phone reception and all communication with the outside world. At first, it's not a big deal as things like this happen, but gradually the residents start to realize that could be long term and they need to start planning for the long winter. The leaders try to make plans, but of course, there are differing opinions and as an outsider comes into the community, more trouble ensues.
I was ...more
I was ...more

Unexpected, dark, and expansive, this post-apocalyptic story of a remote Anishinaabe community is unlike anything I’ve ever read. When the world goes dark, this tight knit community must come together to survive but the cracks that have always been there are exploited by outsiders-as they have been for centuries. I will seek out more from this author. Really powerful on #audio

Though I believe the pacing was deliberate, it was pretty slow for me. I appreciated the solid, loving relationship at the heart of this book that also didn't shy away from a lot of the hardships and grief of rez life. And the author did a great job making things suspenseful and creepy, if that's what you're looking for!
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I didn't like this as much as I thought I was going to, but honestly that's probably on me for reading a post-apocalyptic novel in a pandemic?
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Aug 31, 2019
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