Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m still uncertain about the difference between magic and mythology.
The more I read, the more I’m not sure it matters. The vision-like dreams that Evan has in this book that seem prescient and the way he follows his instincts seem connected to the way he has stayed true to his traditional heritage. Rice plays on this uncertainty as he weaves knowledge into this story, distracting the reader with insightful Annishinabek-moyen, medicine and ritual, which allows the jump-scare moments to be even more glorious! I enjoyed this book in audio version and particularly enjoyed the thrill of driving in the winter through the countryside imagining if I would be able to handle what Evan’s community endures.
Rice is a master of building suspense and he recently did a webinar on how to write it through the Festival of Literary Diversity’s FOLD Academy. I can’t wait to use it with my creative writing students. This book has just won the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading 2019 Evergreen program and been highlighted by Amnesty International Book Club. In case you’ve never heard of these two fantastic programs which highlight great Canadian writers, you should definitely check them out. The Evergreen program is run through public libraries across Ontario. Amnesty International Book Club offers their selection monthly and includes a discussion guide as well as connections through social media on Goodreads. These resources, together with this richly woven book, would make it a great option for secondary school classes to consider.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
threadbare beauty 